If your iPhone 15 isn't vibrating for calls or notifications, it's a surprisingly common hiccup. The good news is it's almost always a software setting or a minor glitch you can fix yourself in a few minutes.
Start With a Force Restart
Before you dive into settings, try a force restart. This clears out any temporary software bugs that might be telling the Taptic Engine (that's Apple's fancy name for the vibration motor) to stay quiet. On the iPhone 15, you do this by quickly pressing and releasing the Volume Up button, then the Volume Down button, and finally holding down the Side button.
Keep holding the Side button until you see the Apple logo appear, then let go. This doesn't erase any of your data, and I've seen it solve vibration issues more times than I can count.
Check Your Ring/Silent Switch
This one seems obvious, but it's the most common culprit. Look at the left side of your iPhone 15, above the volume buttons. If you see an orange stripe, the ring/silent switch is set to silent mode.
In silent mode, your phone won't ring, but it should still vibrate by default. However, if someone has toggled a specific setting, it might not. Flip the switch so the orange stripe is no longer visible. You should feel a haptic tap and see a "Ring" indicator on your screen.
Verify Your Sound Settings
Open the Settings app and go to Sounds & Haptics. Right at the top, make sure the switch for Vibrate on Ring is turned on (green). While you're here, also check that Vibrate on Silent is enabled.
It's worth toggling both of these off and back on again. Sometimes the software just needs a nudge to re-engage the vibration function properly.
Test With Different Vibration Patterns
Still in Settings > Sounds & Haptics, scroll down to the "Sounds and Vibration Patterns" section. Tap on Ringtone or Text Tone.
At the top of the tone list, you'll see "Vibration." Tap it. Try selecting a different pattern like "Symphony" or "Quick." If your phone vibrates with the new pattern, you know the hardware is working. You can then go back and set your preferred pattern again, which often resolves the glitch.
Review App-Specific Notification Settings
If your iPhone 15 vibrates for some alerts but not others, the problem is likely in the notification settings for a specific app. Go to Settings > Notifications and tap on the app that's not vibrating.
First, ensure "Allow Notifications" is on. Then, tap on the specific notification type (like "Messages" for the Mail app). Make sure Sounds is enabled, and importantly, that the Haptics option is turned on. Some apps let you customize haptics per alert type.
Check for Focus Modes
Focus modes like Do Not Disturb, Sleep, or a custom Focus can silence notifications, including vibrations. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open the Control Center and look for the Focus icon (a crescent moon or another symbol).
If a Focus is active, tap the icon to turn it off. You can also go to Settings > Focus to see which ones are configured and check their notification allowances.
Update iOS
A software bug in your current version of iOS could be interfering with the haptic system. Apple frequently patches these kinds of issues. Connect your iPhone 15 to Wi-Fi and go to Settings > General > Software Update.
If an update is available, tap "Download and Install." I'd recommend doing this while your phone is charging, as the iPhone 15's update can take a few minutes.
Reset All Settings
If none of the above steps work, a settings reset is a strong next move. This will revert all your preferences (like Wi-Fi passwords, wallpaper, and privacy settings) back to factory defaults without deleting any of your personal data, photos, or apps.
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone. Tap Reset and then choose Reset All Settings. Enter your passcode and confirm. Your iPhone will restart, and you'll need to reconfigure things like Face ID and Apple Pay, but it often clears persistent glitches.
Consider a Recent Drop or Impact
The Taptic Engine in the iPhone 15 is a small, precise mechanical component. If your phone has been recently dropped or suffered a significant impact, the motor could be physically damaged. This is less common than a software issue, but it's possible.
If you've tried every software fix here and the phone never vibrates, not for calls, not in the vibration test pattern, not for system haptics, it might be time to contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store for a hardware diagnostic.
