How do I turn off the ringtone for certain apps only?

When your Samsung phone buzzes with notifications throughout the day, you might find that some apps are louder and more disruptive than others. Whether it’s a game that plays sounds at inappropriate times or a social media app that chimes constantly, you don’t have to live with unwanted notification sounds from every app on your device.

The good news is that Samsung phones give you precise control over which apps can make sounds and which should stay silent. You can customize your phone’s ringtone settings on an app-by-app basis without affecting your actual phone calls or text messages.

What’s the difference between ringtones and app notification sounds?

Ringtones are the sounds your Samsung phone makes when someone calls you, while app notification sounds are the alerts individual apps play when they send you notifications. Your phone’s ringtone is completely separate from app sounds, so changing one doesn’t affect the other.

Your Samsung device manages these sounds through different settings menus. The phone ringtone controls what you hear for incoming calls and is found in the main Sounds and vibration settings. App notification sounds, on the other hand, are controlled either through individual app settings or through the notification management system.

This separation means you can keep your phone’s ringtone active for important calls while silencing specific apps that tend to be noisy or disruptive. For example, you might want to hear when someone calls but prefer not to hear every social media like or game achievement sound throughout the day.

How do you turn off notification sounds for specific apps on Samsung phones?

To turn off notification sounds for specific apps on Samsung phones, go to Settings > Notifications, select the app you want to silence, and toggle off the Sound option while keeping other notification features active.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1. Open Settings on your Samsung phone.
2. Tap Notifications.
3. Scroll through the list and select the app you want to modify.
4. Look for the Sound toggle and turn it off.
5. Leave other options, such as Show notifications, turned on if you still want to see the alerts.

You can also access app notification settings directly through the app itself. Many Samsung-compatible apps have their own notification settings within their menus. Look for Settings or Preferences within the app, then find Notifications or Sounds to make changes.

For apps that send multiple types of notifications, you might see categories like Messages, Comments, or Updates. Samsung phones often let you customize sounds for each category separately, giving you even more control over what you hear.

Can you silence apps without turning off all their notifications?

Yes, you can silence apps without turning off all their notifications on Samsung phones. The notification system lets you disable sounds while keeping visual alerts, badges, and pop-up notifications active.

When you access an app’s notification settings through Settings > Notifications, you’ll see several toggles that work independently. The Sound toggle controls only the audio component, while other options manage different aspects of how notifications appear.

This selective approach means you can:

• Keep visual notifications in your notification panel.
• Maintain app badge counts on your home screen.
• Allow pop-up alerts to appear silently.
• Receive notifications on your Galaxy Watch or other connected devices.

Some Samsung phones also offer a middle ground through notification channels. Instead of completely silencing an app, you can set it to use a very quiet or brief notification sound, or even just vibration without any audio.

Why do some apps keep making sounds even after changing settings?

Some apps keep making sounds after changing settings because they use multiple notification channels, have their own internal sound settings, or bypass your Samsung phone’s notification system entirely through media volume controls.

Games and media apps are common culprits because they often play sounds through the media volume rather than the notification volume. These sounds aren’t technically notifications, so they ignore your notification sound settings. To silence these, you need to either mute the media volume temporarily or adjust settings within the app itself.

Certain apps also create multiple notification categories or channels. When you turn off sounds for one channel, others might remain active. Check the app’s notification settings again and look for additional categories or types of alerts that might need individual attention.

System apps and some Samsung services can also override user settings in specific situations. For example, emergency alerts or system notifications might play sounds regardless of your app-specific settings. Additionally, if you have notification sounds linked to Bixby routines or other automation features, these might reactivate sounds at certain times or locations.

If an app continues making unwanted sounds, try checking its internal settings menu, ensuring all notification channels are configured correctly, and verifying that no automation features are overriding your preferences.

Managing notification sounds on your Samsung device gives you the power to create a more peaceful mobile experience while staying connected to what matters most. At SamMobile, we understand that every user’s needs are different, and these customization options help you make your Samsung phone work exactly the way you want it to.