When your OnePlus 13 goes silent, it can throw a wrench in your day, whether you're missing a call or your media just won't play. This is a common hiccup that can pop up for a few reasons, but I've found most sound issues on the OnePlus 13 are pretty straightforward to fix yourself. Let's walk through the steps to get your audio back.
Check Your Volume and Sound Mode
First, press the volume up button on the side of your phone. If you see a volume slider on screen but still hear nothing, the issue might be deeper. Also, swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Quick Settings panel and make sure the sound mode isn't set to Silent or Vibrate.
For more control, go into Settings > Sound & vibration. Here, you can adjust the media, ringtone, and alarm volumes individually. Sometimes an app's volume can get turned down independently, so it's worth checking each slider.
Disconnect Bluetooth and Accessories
Your OnePlus 13 might be trying to send audio to a paired device. Open your Quick Settings panel again and tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off, or go to Settings > Connected devices and disconnect any headphones, speakers, or car systems.
Also, remove any phone case, especially a bulky one, as it can sometimes muffle or block the bottom-firing speaker grill. If you were using wired headphones, unplug them and give the USB-C port a quick visual check for any lint or debris.
Clean the Speaker Grill
Dust and pocket lint love to collect in the slim speaker cutout at the bottom of the phone. This can drastically reduce sound volume and quality. Power off your OnePlus 13 first for safety.
Then, use a soft, dry toothbrush or a clean, dry paintbrush to gently sweep across the speaker grill. You can also use a can of compressed air, but hold it upright and use short, gentle bursts from a few inches away. Never insert anything sharp like a pin or paperclip into the grill, as you can easily damage the speaker behind it.
Restart Your OnePlus 13
A simple reboot clears out temporary software glitches that can affect the audio system. Just hold the power button until the power menu appears, then tap "Restart." If your screen is unresponsive or the phone seems frozen, you'll need to perform a force restart.
For the OnePlus 13, press and hold the Volume Down button and the Power button together for about 10 seconds. Release when you feel the device vibrate and see the OnePlus logo. This is a safe way to reboot without losing any data.
Check for Software Updates
Since the OnePlus 13 runs OxygenOS 15, early software builds can have bugs that affect system functions like audio. OnePlus is typically quick to release updates that address these kinds of issues.
Go to Settings > About device > OxygenOS version and tap on "Check for update." If an update is available, I'd recommend installing it while connected to Wi-Fi. Keeping your software current is one of the best ways to prevent and fix these random glitches.
Boot Into Safe Mode
If the sound works in Safe Mode, you'll know a third-party app you installed is causing the conflict. To enter Safe Mode, press and hold the power button until the power off menu appears.
Then, touch and hold the "Power off" option on your screen. A prompt will appear asking if you want to reboot to Safe Mode; tap "OK." Your phone will restart with "Safe Mode" visible in the bottom corner. Test your sound now with a ringtone or video.
To exit Safe Mode, just restart your phone normally. If the sound works in Safe Mode, start uninstalling recently downloaded apps one by one until the problem goes away.
Review App-Specific Sound Settings
Sometimes the problem isn't with your phone, but with a specific app's configuration. Open the app that's having no sound, like YouTube or Spotify, and look for a sound or audio settings menu within the app itself.
Also, check your system settings for any per-app audio controls. Go to Settings > Apps > [select the problematic app] > Notifications. Make sure notifications are enabled and set to make a sound. Some apps have a separate "Sound" category in their notification settings that can be toggled off.
Reset All Settings
This is a more thorough step that will reset your ringtones, network settings, and custom preferences back to default, but it won't delete your personal data like photos or messages. It can resolve conflicts caused by a misconfigured setting.
Navigate to Settings > Additional settings > Back up and reset > Reset phone. Here, tap on "Reset all settings." Confirm your choice and enter your lock screen password if prompted. Your phone will reboot and you'll need to reconfigure things like Wi-Fi and wallpaper, but it often clears up persistent system issues.
Perform a Factory Reset
Consider this your last resort if no sound persists through all other steps. A factory reset will erase everything on your OnePlus 13 and return it to its original out-of-the-box state.
Before you do this, ensure you have a complete backup of your important data to Google Drive or another service. To proceed, go to Settings > Additional settings > Back up and reset > Reset phone > Erase all data (factory reset). Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. After the reset, set up your phone as new to see if the sound issue is resolved before restoring your backup.
