How to Turn Off Sound in Pokémon GO

To turn off sound in Pokémon GO, tap the Main Menu button (the Poké Ball at the bottom of the map), tap Settings at the top right, and switch off Music and Sound Effects. The game goes quiet, and other apps on your phone keep playing sound as usual.

The steps are the same on iPhone and Android. If you would rather quiet everything at once, you can lower your phone’s media volume instead. Both methods are covered below, along with what to do when the game is still making noise.

Before you start

• Works on: the current Pokémon GO app for iPhone and Android. Niantic’s Supported Devices page lists iOS 15 or above and Android 9 or above.
• You need: to be signed in and on the Map View, the main screen that shows your Trainer on the map.
• Nothing is lost: the sound switches only change audio. They do not affect your Pokémon, items, or progress, and you can switch them back at any time.
• Menus can move: Pokémon GO updates often. The official help center has no page dedicated to the sound switches, so the exact position inside Settings may differ slightly on your version.

How to turn off music and sound effects in Pokémon GO

1. Open Pokémon GO and wait for the map to load.
2. Tap the Main Menu button. It is the Poké Ball at the bottom center of the map.
3. Tap Settings at the top right of the menu screen.
4. Find the sound options. If Settings opens to a list of categories, tap General first. Niantic’s help page on changing the app language shows the same route: Main Menu, then Settings, then General.
5. Switch off Music to stop the background music.
6. Switch off Sound Effects to stop the sounds for menu taps, catching, and spinning PokéStops.
7. Close Settings to go back to the map. There is no save button, so the change should apply as soon as you flip each switch.

The two switches are independent. A common setup is Music off and Sound Effects on, which removes the looping soundtrack but keeps the audio cues when something happens in the game.

How to confirm it worked, and how to undo it

Back on the map, turn your phone’s volume up for a moment. With Music off, the map should be silent. With Sound Effects off, tapping the Main Menu button or a PokéStop should make no sound either.

To bring sound back, follow the same path and switch Music and Sound Effects on again. The setting stays the way you leave it, so you do not need to repeat it each time you open the game.

In-game switches or phone volume: which to use

Method	What it quiets	Best when
Music and Sound Effects switches in Pokémon GO	Only Pokémon GO	You want to hear your own music, a podcast, or a call while you play
Phone media volume	All media: games, music, videos	You need quiet right now and will turn it back up later
iPhone Silent mode	Calls, notifications, and system sounds	You want to silence alerts. It may not mute the game

Lower the volume on an iPhone instead

Apple’s guide to adjusting the volume on iPhone says the side buttons control media volume while audio is playing.

1. Open Pokémon GO so its audio is playing.
2. Press the volume down button on the side of the iPhone until the volume bar is empty.
3. Or open Control Center and drag the volume slider down.

This lowers every app that plays media, so your music app goes quiet too. Press volume up to undo it.

Why Silent mode does not mute the game

Silent mode is built for calls and alerts. Apple’s Silence iPhone page warns that audio apps and many games play sounds through the built-in speaker even when Silent mode is on. If the Ring/Silent switch or the Action button did not quiet Pokémon GO, that is expected. Use the in-game switches or the volume buttons.

Lower the volume on an Android phone instead

Android keeps separate volume levels. Google’s volume, sound, and vibrate settings page lists games under Media volume.

1. Press a volume button on the side of the phone.
2. Tap the Menu icon on the volume panel that appears.
3. Drag Media volume all the way down.

Ring, notification, and alarm volumes have their own sliders, so calls and alarms still sound. Google notes that some of these steps apply to Android 12 and up, and the panel can look different on phones from Samsung and other makers.

What about vibration?

Vibration is a separate option in the same Settings menu, so turning off sound does not stop your phone from buzzing. Niantic’s page on the Battery Saver setting says your phone still vibrates to notify you of nearby Pokémon as long as the Vibration option is enabled.

That makes vibration useful when the sound is off: you still get a signal that a Pokémon has appeared. If you want the phone fully quiet, for example on a desk in a meeting, switch off Vibration as well. Push alerts are separate from sound, so you can also turn off raid invitations in Pokémon GO if those notifications are the interruption. For more on the screen-dimming feature mentioned on that page, see what the Pokémon GO Battery Saver setting does.

Troubleshooting

I can’t find Music or Sound Effects

• Make sure you tapped Settings at the top right of the Main Menu, not the Settings app on your phone.
• Look inside General, and scroll the whole page. The sound options can sit below other switches.
• Update Pokémon GO from the App Store or Google Play. Niantic’s iOS and Android troubleshooting guides say the game works best on the newest version.

The game still plays sound after I switched it off

• Check both switches. Music off with Sound Effects on still leaves taps and catch sounds.
• Close Pokémon GO completely and open it again, then check that the switches are still off.
• Lower the media volume as a quick workaround.
• If settings will not stick, Niantic’s guides suggest Settings > Advanced Settings > Refresh Game Data. Before you do, note Niantic’s warning that this may turn off Adventure Sync, so check that option afterward. Here is how to turn Adventure Sync on or off in Pokémon GO. The steps are in how to refresh game data in Pokémon GO.

I turned sound back on but hear nothing

• Open the game and press volume up. On both iPhone and Android, the buttons change media volume while media is playing.
• Check for connected Bluetooth headphones or a speaker. The audio may be going there instead of the phone speaker.
• Confirm that Music and Sound Effects are both on in the game’s Settings.

My Pokémon GO Plus + is the thing making noise

The Pokémon GO Plus + accessory has its own sounds, and the in-game switches do not control them. The Pokémon Company’s support page for the device says to hold the top button and press the main button for at least one second. The device vibrates twice briefly and enters silent mode. Repeat the same action until it vibrates once to leave silent mode. The same page notes that alarms and notifications on the device are also suspended while it is in silent mode.

Frequently asked questions

Can I listen to my own music while playing Pokémon GO?

Yes. Switch off Music in the game’s Settings and start playback in your music or podcast app. Because the in-game switches only affect Pokémon GO, your own audio is not competing with the game soundtrack. Leave Sound Effects on if you still want game cues over your music.

Is turning off sound the same on iPhone and Android?

Yes. The in-game path is Main Menu, Settings, then the Music and Sound Effects switches on both platforms. Only the phone-level volume controls differ, which is why they have separate sections above.

Does turning off sound stop Pokémon GO notifications?

No. Notification alerts come from your phone, not from the game’s music or effects. Silent mode or your phone’s notification settings handle those. To cut down on specific alerts inside the game, see how to turn off gift notifications in Pokémon GO. For alerts about Pokémon you left at Gyms, see how to turn off low motivation notifications.

Can I turn the volume down in the game instead of off?

The in-game options described here are on or off switches, not sliders. For a lower level instead of silence, leave the switches on and use your phone’s media volume.

Will the sound come back after an update?

The setting normally stays as you left it. If you sign out, reinstall the app, or refresh game data and the sound returns, repeat the steps above. Reinstalling does not erase your progress, as explained in how to delete Pokémon GO from your iPhone. If you need that process, here is how to sign out of your account in Pokémon GO.

Next steps

While you are in Settings, a few related options are worth a look. You can turn off AR in Pokémon GO for simpler encounters, and Niantic lists its other settings articles in Pokémon GO Help: Settings. For phone-wide quiet, here is how to silence your iPhone. Other games have similar switches too, such as turning off sounds in Super Mario Run on an iPhone.