How to Enable Vibration on your iPhone or Android

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Turn on vibrate mode or make your phone buzz constantly

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: July 28, 2026 Fact Checked

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iPhone

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Android (Samsung Galaxy)

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Android (Other Models)

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Make an iPhone Vibrate Continuously

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Try a Constant Vibration App

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Video

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Tips

Do you want your phone to vibrate when you receive texts, phone calls, and notifications? Vibration is a great option when you want less than an audible ring and more than complete silence. Your phone has a small vibration motor that provides a haptic buzz when you receive notifications and calls. This wikiHow guide shows you how to make your iPhone, Samsung, or other Android device (like a Google Pixel) vibrate.

Making a Phone Vibrate

For iPhone, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics. Then, tap Haptics to select when you want vibrations to play. You can easily toggle silent (or vibrate) mode with the action button.
On Samsung Android models, swipe down from the top of the screen, then tap the button between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to enable vibration.
On other Android devices (like the Google Pixel), press either volume button, then tap the Ring icon next to the ring slider to switch to vibrate mode.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

iPhone

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It's the gray gear icon on your Home screen or in your App Library.
It has a red speaker icon. You'll have to scroll down a ways to find it.

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It should be near the middle of the screen, under the "Ringtone and Alerts" header.
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Choose an option. There are four options you can choose from. If you want to make your phone vibrate, choose one of the first three options:
- Always Play: Haptics will play in all modes.
- Play in Silent Mode: Haptics will only play in silent mode, not in ring mode.
- Don't Play in Silent Mode: Haptics will only play in ring mode, not in silent mode.
- Never Play: Haptics will never play.^{[1]
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Toggle silent mode with a button (optional). If you want to switch between silent (or vibrate) mode and ring mode quickly, you can do so using the button or switch on the side of your phone.
- If you have an action button on the left side of the device, press and hold it.
  - If your action button isn't set up to silence your phone, go to Settings > Action Button to change it.
- Otherwise, flip the switch on the left side of the phone so you see the orange background.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Android (Samsung Galaxy)

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Swipe down on the screen. Starting at the top of your Samsung phone's screen, swipe down to open the quick settings menu.^{[3]
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- If you’re still getting started with your device, see our guide on how to activate your cell phone.
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Tap the sound options button. It's between the Wi-Fi button and Bluetooth button.
- If you see that this button says "Vibrate," you can stop here; your phone is already in vibrate mode. If you see "Mute" or "Sound," continue.
Each press will cycle your sound through these three options. The vibrate icon looks like a speaker with a line through it with a wavy line to the right.^{[4]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Android (Other Models)

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Press one of the physical volume buttons. This will open a volume slider on the right side of the screen.^{[5]
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- Use this method if your Android is not a Samsung Galaxy model, including a Google Pixel. If you have a Samsung, see this method instead.
It’s a small bell.
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Tap the Vibrate icon. It’s a rectangle with vertical lines on either side. This will turn on vibrate for your Android.^{[6]
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- Changing notification settings, such as vibration, is a great way to control your cell phone use.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Make an iPhone Vibrate Continuously

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1
Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone. If you want to create a continuous vibration effect on your iPhone, you can do so in the Shortcuts app. This shortcut will repeat a vibration pulse for a specified number of loops. You'll find the Shortcuts app on your Home screen or in your app library.^{[7]
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- Check out our iPhone shortcuts guide to learn about more cool things you can do with the Shortcuts app.
- If you uninstalled the Shortcuts app, you can reinstall it from the App Store.
A list of options will appear.
Another set of options will appear.^{[8]
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Move it between Repeat and End Repeat.
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Increase the number of loops. Tap 1 time next to repeat. Then tap the + icon in the pop-up menu to increase the number of times the vibration pulse will occur. Your custom vibration Shortcut is complete!
- Tap the play button (the triangle icon) to run the shortcut.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Try a Constant Vibration App

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Use a third-party app to make your phone vibrate constantly. Whether you want to play a prank or work out some muscle pain, you can find an app that will persistently make your phone vibrate. To download a third-party app, go to the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android) to find a vibration app for constant vibration. These apps have good reviews and high ratings:
- Strong Vibration (iPhone)
- Strong Vibrator Vibration App (Android)