How to Set an iPhone on Vibrate for Text Messages

By Tammy Columbo

Customize your text message notification to vibrate, ring or both on the iPhone.
i Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Set your iPhone to vibrate when you receive a text message. You can configure the iPhone to vibrate when in “Silent” or “Ring” mode, which means you can set the device to vibrate whether or not a ring tone notification is set for text messages. First, enable vibrate for Silent and/or Ring modes, and then configure the text notification vibration for text messages. Next, choose from a selection of vibration patterns, including “Heartbeat,” “Quick,” “Rapid,” “S.O.S.” and more.

Step 1

Tap the “Setting” icon in the iPhone home screen to launch the Settings app.

Step 2

Tap the “Sounds” tab to open the Sounds Settings menu.

Step 3

Tap the “Vibrate on Ring” option, and then slide the toggle switch to “On.”

Step 4

Tap the “Change with Buttons” option, and then slide the toggle switch to “On” to enable button control over vibrations and rings, if desired.

Step 5

Tap the “Vibrate on Silent” option, and then slide the toggle switch to “On.” Vibrate is now enabled for both Ring and Silent modes.

Step 6

Tap the “Text Tone” option in the Sounds and Vibration Patterns section, and then tap “None” to turn off the audible ring tone. When this setting is set to None, the iPhone will vibrate but will not sound a tone when a new text message arrives.

Step 7

Tap the “Vibration” tab, and then tap the desired vibration pattern. The selected vibration pattern now displays a check mark. The iPhone is configured to vibrate for incoming text messages.

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