If your Nothing Phone 2a has gone silent and stopped vibrating for calls or notifications, it's a surprisingly common hiccup. The good news is that it's usually a quick software or settings fix, not a sign of a broken phone.
Restart Your Phone
Before you dive into settings, give your phone a quick restart. This clears out any temporary software glitches that might be stopping the vibration motor. Just press and hold the Power button for 10 to 15 seconds until you see the screen go black and the phone reboot.
It's the simplest fix and often the most effective. I'd start here every time.
Check Your Sound Mode
On Nothing OS, your sound profile is key. If your phone is set to Silent mode, it won't vibrate at all. Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Quick Settings panel and look for the sound mode icon.
Make sure it's set to either Sound or Vibrate. If it's on Silent, tap it to switch. You can also go to Settings > Sound & vibration and check the "Sound mode" setting there.
Verify Vibration is Enabled
Head into your sound settings to make sure vibration didn't get turned off by accident. Open Settings > Sound & vibration. Here, you'll find several important toggles.
Look for "Vibrate for calls" and make sure it's switched on. Also, check "Vibrate on tap" if you want haptic feedback for typing and navigation. If these are already on, try turning them off and back on again.
Adjust Vibration Strength
Sometimes the vibration is working, but it's just too faint to feel, especially if the phone is in a pocket or on a soft surface. Nothing OS lets you crank up the intensity.
Go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Vibration intensity. You'll see separate sliders for calls, notifications, and touch feedback. Slide them all to the right to increase the strength and see if that makes the vibration noticeable again.
Inspect App-Specific Notifications
If the problem is only with one app, like WhatsApp or your messaging app, the issue is likely in that app's notification settings. Your phone might be vibrating for some alerts but not others.
Go to Settings > Apps, select the app that's not vibrating, and tap "Notifications." Make sure notifications are enabled for that app and look for a "Vibrate" toggle within each notification category. Some apps bury this setting deep within their own in-app menus, so check there too.
Update Nothing OS
Software bugs can occasionally disable hardware features like the vibration motor. Nothing regularly releases updates that fix these kinds of issues. It's worth checking if you're running the latest software.
Go to Settings > System > System update and tap "Check for update." If an update is available, download and install it. Your phone will restart, and the update might resolve the vibration problem.
Test in Safe Mode
If the vibration suddenly stopped after installing a new app, that app could be the culprit. Booting into Safe Mode temporarily disables all third-party apps, letting you test the basic system.
To enter Safe Mode, press and hold the Power button until the power menu appears. Then, long-press the "Power off" option on your screen. A prompt will ask if you want to reboot to Safe Mode. Tap "OK."
Once in Safe Mode (you'll see "Safe mode" in the bottom corner), test if vibration works by changing the settings. If it does, a recently installed app is likely causing a conflict. Restart normally to exit Safe Mode and try uninstalling apps one by one to find the offender.
Reset App Preferences or Settings
If you've changed a lot of settings, something might have gotten misconfigured. You can reset your app notification preferences without losing any app data. Go to Settings > System > Reset options and tap "Reset app preferences."
This resets notification settings, default apps, and background restrictions. For a broader reset, the same menu has a "Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth" option, which can sometimes help with deeper system glitches.
Consider a Factory Reset
This is your last resort before assuming it's a hardware fault. A factory reset will erase all data on your phone and return it to its original out-of-the-box state.
Before you do this, make absolutely sure you have backed up everything important. Then, go to Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data (factory reset). Follow the prompts to complete the reset.
If your Phone 2a still doesn't vibrate after a factory reset, the issue is likely with the physical vibration motor itself, and you would need to contact Nothing support for a repair.