Your iPad suddenly rings in a quiet room, and every head turns. That moment alone is enough to make anyone want full control over sound settings.
Knowing how to turn off the ringer on an iPad helps you stay focused, avoid interruptions, and keep your device quiet when it matters most.
Many users think lowering the volume is enough, but the ringer works a bit differently on the iPad. Calls, alerts, and notifications follow specific settings that can be adjusted in more than one way.
This blog post explains clear and simple methods to silence the ringer completely or manage it based on your needs.
Each step is easy to follow and works on most iPad models, so you can stop unwanted sounds without missing important alerts.
What Controls the Ringer on an iPad?
The ringer on your iPad controls sounds for incoming calls, FaceTime calls, message alerts, and app notifications.
When the ringer is turned on, your iPad plays sounds to alert you about these events.
However, turning the ringer off silences only these alerts; your iPad won’t make noise for calls or notifications.
Alarms, timers, and some system sounds will still play even when the ringer is muted, ensuring that you don’t miss critical alerts like your wake-up alarm.
Understanding the difference between the ringer and other sound controls allows you to customize your iPad’s settings according to your needs.
Whether you need complete silence or just a way to manage certain sounds, knowing how the ringer works helps you maintain control over your iPad’s audio without missing important notifications.
How to Turn Off Ringer on iPad Using Settings?
This method helps you fully silence call and alert sounds on your iPad using built-in settings, while still keeping alarms and timers active.
- Open Settings: Tap the Settings app on your iPad home screen to access all sound-related options.
- Go to Sound Options: Scroll down and select Sounds or Sounds & Haptics based on your iPad model.
- Find Ringer Controls: Locate the Ringer and Alerts volume slider on the screen.
- Mute the Ringer/Silent mode: Drag the slider completely to the left to silence calls and notifications or turn on silent mode.
- Keep Important Alerts: Alarms and timers will still play sounds even after the ringer is turned off.
Now that you’ve turned off the ringer, your iPad will stay quiet during calls and alerts, while still allowing essential sounds like alarms to function.
How to Turn Ringer Off on iPad with Volume Buttons?
This option lets you quickly control the iPad ringer using the side buttons, making it useful for fast sound changes without opening settings.
- Open Settings: Tap the Settings app on your iPad to access sound controls.
- Go to Sounds: Scroll down and select Sounds or Sounds & Haptics.
- Enable Button Control: Turn on the Change with Buttons option.
- Use Volume Buttons: Press the side volume buttons to lower the ringer sound.
- Confirm Silence: Lower the volume fully to mute call and alert sounds while alarms continue to work.
After enabling this option, you can silence your iPad ringer in seconds using the volume buttons, making it a quick and simple choice for everyday use.
How to Temporarily Turn Off Calls and Notifications on iPad?
Sometimes you only need silence for a short time, not permanent changes. iPad offers built-in options to pause calls and notifications without changing ringer volume.
The easiest way is to use Focus mode, which temporarily limits sounds and alerts.
Open Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner, then tap Focus and choose Do Not Disturb. While active, calls and notifications arrive quietly, and your screen stays calm.
You can still see alerts when you unlock the iPad. Focus mode can also be scheduled or turned off anytime with one tap.
This option works well during meetings, study time, or sleep, when short-term silence is needed for everyday use today.
Silence Notifications Without Turning Off the Ringer
Sometimes you may want your iPad to ring for calls while keeping app alerts quiet. This option helps you stay reachable without hearing constant notification sounds throughout the day.
- Open Settings on your iPad
- Tap Notifications to view all installed apps
- Select the app you want to silence
- Turn off Sounds for that app
After this, alerts from that app will still show on the screen, but will not make noise. You can repeat these steps for any app that sends frequent alerts, such as social media, games, or email.
This approach helps reduce noise while keeping important call sounds active, giving you better control over how your iPad sounds during daily use.
How to Turn Off Ringer on iPad 9th and 11th Generation?
The steps to turn off the ringer on the iPad 9th generation and the iPad 11th generation are very similar. Both models rely on on-screen settings instead of a physical silent switch.
- Open Settings on your iPad.
- Tap Sounds or Sounds & Haptics.
- Move the Ringer and Alerts slider all the way to the left.
- Turn on Change with Buttons to control the ringer using volume keys.
- Use Focus mode for short-term silence when needed.
Once these steps are applied, calls and notification sounds will stay muted on both models. Alarms and timers will still work, so important alerts are not missed during quiet periods.
Why the Ringer May Still Be Making Sounds?
Sometimes your iPad may still make sounds even after the ringer is turned off.
One common reason is a connected Bluetooth device, such as headphones or a speaker, which can play sound separately.
Focus mode settings may also allow certain calls or apps to make noise. Alarms and timers are another reason, since they always sound by design.
It is also possible that the volume buttons are still linked to the ringer setting. Restarting the iPad can fix small system issues that cause sound problems.
Checking each of these areas helps confirm that the ringer settings are working as expected and keeps your iPad quiet when you need silence most.
Conclusion
Turning off the ringer on your iPad does not have to be confusing once you know where to look.
With the right settings, you can control how and when your device makes sound without affecting important alerts like alarms.
From full ringer control to temporary silence and app-level sound changes, each option gives you flexibility based on your daily needs.
Using these tools helps reduce interruptions and keeps your iPad working quietly in the background when required.
If one method does not fit your routine, switching to another is quick and easy. Sound control is all about choosing what works best for you.
Also, make sure you know the actual reason for the iPad ringing, as it can easily help you define & take care of it.
If you found this blog post helpful or still have questions, leave a comment below and share your experience or ask for help.
