If your Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has suddenly gone silent, missing calls and notifications because the vibration motor isn't working, 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.
Perform a Quick Restart
Before you dive into settings, give your phone a fresh start. Press and hold the Volume Down button and the Side button together for about ten seconds. Release them when you see the Samsung logo appear. This force restart clears out any temporary software bugs that might be stopping the vibration motor from responding.
Check Your Sound and Vibration Mode
It sounds obvious, but the first place to look is your sound profile. Swipe down twice from the top of your screen to open the Quick Settings panel. Look for the sound mode icon, it might say "Sound," "Vibrate," or "Mute." Make sure it's set to either "Sound" or "Vibrate." If it's on "Mute," your phone won't vibrate at all.
You can also check this in Settings > Sounds and vibration > Sound mode. I'd set it to "Sound" to test, as this mode should allow both ringtones and vibrations to work.
Verify the Core Vibration Settings
Sometimes a specific setting gets turned off. Open Settings > Sounds and vibration. Scroll down and make sure "Vibrate while ringing" is toggled on. If it's already on, try turning it off and back on again.
Right below that, tap on "Vibration intensity." Here you can adjust the strength for calls, notifications, and touch feedback. If these sliders are all the way down, you might not feel anything. Crank them up to the max and test it out.
Inspect App-Specific Notification Settings
If your S25 Ultra vibrates for some apps but not others, the problem is with that app's notifications. Go to Settings > Apps, select the app that's not vibrating (like Messages or Gmail), and tap "Notifications."
Make sure notifications are enabled for the app overall. Then, tap into specific notification categories, like "New messages." Look for the "Vibrate" option and ensure it's turned on. Some apps bury this setting deep within their own in-app menus, so you might need to check there too.
Test for a Third-Party App Conflict
A recently installed app could be interfering with system functions, including vibration. Booting into Safe Mode disables all downloaded apps. To enter Safe Mode, press and hold the Side button until the power menu appears.
Then, tap and hold the "Power off" option on your screen. You'll get a prompt to restart in Safe Mode, tap "OK." If vibration works normally in Safe Mode, you'll know a third-party app is the culprit. Start by uninstalling apps you installed around the time the problem began.
Update Your Software
Running outdated software can lead to little bugs like this. Samsung frequently releases updates that fix these kinds of issues. Go to Settings > Software update > Download and install. If an update is available, install it. Your phone will restart, and the update might just resolve the vibration problem automatically.
Check for Interference from Themes or Modes
If you're using a custom theme from the Galaxy Store, try switching back to the default one. Some themes can accidentally alter system behaviors. Long-press on an empty spot on your home screen, tap "Themes," and apply the "Default" theme.
Also, check if you have any power-saving modes enabled. Go to Settings > Battery and device care > Battery. If "Power saving" or "Adaptive power saving" is on, try turning it off. These modes can sometimes limit vibration to conserve battery.
Run a Hardware Diagnostic Test
If you've tried everything software-related, it's time to check the vibration motor itself. Samsung has a built-in diagnostic menu. Open your Phone app and dial *#0*#. This will open a secret service menu.
Tap the "Vibration" test button. If your S25 Ultra vibrates in a strong, consistent pattern, the hardware is perfectly fine and the issue is definitely software. If you get no vibration at all during this test, the motor itself might have a connection issue or have failed.
Reset All Settings
As a last resort before considering a factory reset, you can reset all your system settings. This won't delete your photos, apps, or personal data, but it will revert all your preferences to factory defaults. Go to Settings > General management > Reset > Reset all settings.
Confirm the action and let your phone reboot. Afterward, you'll need to reconfigure things like Wi-Fi passwords and wallpaper, but it often clears up persistent glitches that simpler restarts can't fix.
