Why is my phone keeps vibrating for no reason? Is this something that you’ve been experiencing lately? If you are, you’ve come to the right place.
Let us share with you how we were able to get rid of the unnecessary vibrations with our phones.
If your phone suddenly vibrates for no apparent reason, we can’t blame you if you start to panic.
Others might think it could be a virus. However, we found that it’s usually just a stray notification you didn’t notice.
Let’s get to the bottom of this problem!
If your phone constantly vibrates for no apparent reason, the first thing you want to do is turn off your phone’s vibrate settings. It can be as easy as going to your Control Center or Quick Settings and tapping the icon. Some apps can vibrate to notify you. Your best bet would be to find that app and turn off its notification settings.
Why Does My Phone Keeps Vibrating for No Reason
Let’s first look at where this particular issue is coming from. Understanding the source of this error can help you when it’s time to move on to the full fix guide.
Glitches in your phone’s software can cause it to vibrate suddenly.
You also want to look at your notification settings, which can be hidden deep in your phone’s menu.
1. System Glitches
If there are no apparent causes like notifications or a vibrate setting turned on, you can suspect a system-wide glitch.
2. App Notification Issues
You can set notification settings for individual apps. It could happen that you may have selected one to the vibrate setting instead of ring or silent.
3. Unwanted Applications
Applications that you might have forgotten could be pushing notifications on your phone, causing it to vibrate. Some apps are set to vibrate by default.
4. Hardware Malfunction
Your phone’s vibrate mechanism could malfunction, causing it to turn on even if there are no incoming calls or notifications.
These are the things to watch out for whenever your phone vibrates without warning.
We can now proceed to the full troubleshooting steps so you can eliminate this issue right now!
How to Fix Phone Vibrates for No Reason Issue
As long as your phone’s physical buttons work, the first step you need to take is to restart it.
This should give your phone a chance to refresh both its hardware and software.
If your vibrating issue is temporary in nature, it should be gone by the time your phone boots up again.
However, there are times when a quick restart won’t fix it. If the problem comes back, here are the other solutions you will want to try:
Solution #1: Turn Off Vibration in the Settings
It can be as simple as turning off your phone’s vibrate mode.
You may have inadvertently activated or switched your phone to Silent or Mute mode.
There are instances when these modes also turn on your phone’s vibration features.
To make sure, you want to go deep into your phone’s settings and explicitly tell it to turn off Vibrate mode.
Here’s how to switch off your phone’s vibration settings:
On your iPhone:
- Go to your phone’s Settings.
- Scroll down and select Sounds & Haptics.
- Navigate to the Vibrate section.
- Move the switch to off for Vibrate on Ring.
- Do the same for the Vibrate on Silent option.
On your Android:
- Open your phone’s Settings.
- Select Sound & Vibration.
- Toggle the switch to the off position on Vibrate on Ring.
- Do the same for Vibrate on Silent.
- Check if your phone continues to vibrate.
Note: You want to ensure that your Sound alerts are not set to Vibrate.
Solution #2: Force Close all Open Apps
A malfunctioning app is one of the reasons why your phone can vibrate without warning.
To be sure it’s not a rogue application, you want to close all the open apps on your phone and see if the vibration stops.
Here’s how to force close your apps:
On your iPhone:
- Swipe up from the bottom of your phone’s screen.
- Check out the app cards of your open apps.
- Swipe an app card up to force close it.
- Repeat for all open apps on your phone.
On your Android:
- Tap the three vertical line icon at the bottom of your phone’s screen.
- Wait for your multitasking interface to load.
- Check for the Clear All or Close All button.
- Tap on it to close all open applications.
Note: Pressing the Home button on your phone simply puts your apps in the background, allowing them to continue operating.
Solution #3: Update All Your Apps
If closing your apps does not work, the app causing the vibrating issues might be outdated and need an update.
There could be incompatibilities between the app and your phone’s software that are causing the problem.
The best way to resolve this would be to update all your apps as long as one is available.
Here’s how to update your apps:
On your iPhone:
- Go to the App Store.
- Select your profile at the top of your screen.
- Scroll down to check which apps need updating.
- Tap on Update All.
On your Android:
- Open the Google Play Store on your phone.
- Swipe right from the left edge of your screen.
- Select My apps.
- Tap on the Update All button.
Tip: You could choose to update one app at a time, but this is a more convenient option that will help you resolve this issue.
Solution #4: Turn Off App Notifications
The main reason why your phone vibrates is due to app notifications.
Even though it’s not a call or message, app notifications can cause your phone to vibrate.
One way to get rid of this would be to turn off notifications, and you can do that using the app itself or your phone.
Here’s how to turn off app notifications:
On your iPhone:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Go to Notifications.
- Switch the toggle for each app to the off position.
On your Android:
- Go to your phone’s Settings.
- Select Notifications, then App Settings.
- Tap on Most recent.
- Choose the app you want to turn off notifications.
- Toggle the switch to the off position
Note: You will not be able to receive any type of notification from your selected app.
Solution #5: Update Your Phone’s Software
There could be a problem with your phone’s software, causing the vibration issue.
If none of the steps above resolve your problem, an option you have is to update your phone.
Outdated software may not work well with some of your newer apps, causing the error.
Here’s how to update your phone:
On your iPhone:
- Go to your phone’s Settings.
- Select General.
- Choose Software Update.
- If there’s an update available, tap on Install Now.
On your Android:
- Open your phone’s Settings.
- Scroll down and select System.
- Tap on System Update.
- Select Install if there’s an update available.
Note: You’ll need to monitor your phone to determine if the issue persists after updating it.
Performing a software update will resolve this issue. If it doesn’t, you still have a last resort solution that you can do.
You can reset your phone to factory settings clearing out all the data, apps, and settings. Lastly, you can always contact your phone’s manufacturer for assistance regarding your experience.
Read Next: How to Take Your Phone Off Private Number?
Bottom Line
Are you still wondering “why my phone keeps vibrating for no reason?”
Now that you know the causes and steps to solve this issue, you should be able to take care of it and bring back your sanity.
Follow our solutions so you can use your phone without worrying it will suddenly vibrate.
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites.