No sound on your Fire tablet? Try these 6 fixes

⚡ Fast fix

• Try different audio. One silent video doesn't mean the tablet's speakers have stopped working.
• Check the volume. Turn it up with the physical buttons and make sure the tablet isn't muted.
• Disconnect Bluetooth. Your sound may be playing through headphones or a speaker somewhere else.
• Still getting the silent treatment?
  Get 24/7 expert support for the tech you rely on.

When the sound stops working on your Fire™ tablet, your first instinct is to start hitting the volume-up button. If you've now done that 10 times in rapid succession... it's probably safe to say that's not the fix.

A Fire tablet can lose sound for reasons that have nothing to do with broken speakers. At Asurion, our experts know where to look before calling it a hardware problem. Here are six fixes we’d try first.

1. Make sure it's not just one app or video

Play something else before changing any settings. Try another video, open a different app, or listen for system sounds from the tablet.

If everything else sounds normal, the speakers are doing their job. Close and reopen the problem app, then check whether it has an update available. When the entire tablet is silent, keep going.

2. Check the volume and sound settings

Use the physical volume buttons while audio is playing and watch the volume slider on screen. It's surprisingly easy to turn down media volume without realizing it, especially if someone else has been using the tablet.

If the volume is already up, check the tablet's sound settings for anything muted or turned unusually low.

3. See where Bluetooth is sending the audio

This one can make a perfectly healthy Fire tablet seem completely silent. If it's still connected to wireless earbuds, headphones, a speaker, or another Bluetooth device, that's where the sound may be playing.

Turn Bluetooth off temporarily and try the audio again. If sound immediately comes back through the tablet, you've found the problem.

4. Restart the Fire tablet

If the volume looks right and Bluetooth isn't stealing the audio, restart the tablet before digging any deeper. A temporary Fire OS or app glitch can interrupt sound even when the rest of the tablet behaves normally.

Hold the power button and choose Restart. Once the tablet is back on, play the same audio again and see whether anything changed.

5. Check for a Fire OS update

A sound problem that keeps coming back is worth checking against the latest Fire OS software.

Open Settings > Device Options > System Updates and install anything available. Keep the tablet connected to power and Wi-Fi while the update finishes, then test the speakers again.

6. Test headphones to narrow down the problem

By this point, we'd want to know whether the tablet can produce sound at all.

Connect compatible headphones or a Bluetooth speaker and play something. What happens next is useful:

• Headphones work but the tablet speakers don't: The built-in speakers may have a hardware problem.
• Nothing has sound: The issue may be with Fire OS or the tablet's audio hardware.
• Sound crackles or cuts out: Check the speaker openings for dirt or visible damage.

Don't poke anything into the speaker openings or try to dig debris out with a sharp object. If there's visible dust, gently clean the outside with a soft, dry brush or cloth.

If the tablet recently took a hard fall, got wet, or still has no speaker sound after these checks, that's when we'd start thinking beyond settings and software.

FAQ

Why does my Fire tablet suddenly have no sound?

First check the media volume and Bluetooth connection. If everything is silent, restart the tablet and check for Fire OS updates.

Why does my Fire tablet have sound with headphones but not through the speakers?

That points more strongly toward the built-in speakers or their hardware. Check the speaker openings for debris or damage before considering repair.

Why is there no sound in only one Fire tablet app?

If other apps sound normal, focus on the problem app. Restart it, check its audio controls, and install any available updates.

Can Bluetooth cause my Fire tablet to have no sound?

Yes. The tablet may automatically reconnect to previously paired headphones or speakers and send the audio there instead of through its built-in speakers.