Fix Silent imo Calls and Messages on Android and iPhone
imo going silent is maddening — the app opens fine, messages arrive, calls connect, and you hear nothing. But “no sound on imo” is actually two different problems wearing the same name, and they have completely different fixes. In one, the call connects and then stays silent. In the other, incoming calls never ring at all — you only find out someone called when you open the app and see the missed call.
Which Silence Do You Have?
Start with this split. Make an outgoing call to a friend: if it connects and you can’t hear them, you’ve got the in-call problem — volume, microphone, speaker routing or Bluetooth. If outgoing calls work fine but incoming calls never ring, you’ve got the notification and background problem — the phone is stopping imo from waking up when a call comes in, and it’s almost always a battery or background setting, not the speaker.
Test it cleanly: ask a friend to call you while the phone is locked on the table. If it doesn’t ring, that’s the fault to chase. Then make an outgoing call and check whether you can hear them.
The Call That Never Rings
This is the fault imo’s own help pages describe most clearly, and it’s the one people misdiagnose most. Incoming calls may not ring when notifications, background activity or battery settings restrict the app. Check, in order: call notifications on inside imo, notifications allowed in phone settings, silent mode off, and Do Not Disturb allowing calls.
The deeper cause: some Android phones stop apps aggressively once the screen is locked, delaying incoming calls until the app is opened again. If incoming calls appear late but outgoing calls work normally, check notifications, background activity and battery settings before changing camera or microphone permissions — those aren’t the problem here. Open Settings, then Apps, then imo, then Battery, and make sure it isn’t restricted from running in the background. Then check the Calls notification category specifically: on Android, go to Settings, then Notifications, then App notifications, find imo, and open the Calls category to confirm it’s on and set to show on the lock screen.
In-Call Volume and the Speaker Switch
If the call connects but stays silent, start an imo call and press volume up while it’s live. Call volume is a completely separate channel from media and ringtone volume — your phone can blast music at full volume and still be dead silent on a call. Watch the on-screen slider as you press the button. If it climbs up from near zero, you just found the problem.
While you’re still on the call, tap the speaker icon to move audio between the earpiece and the loudspeaker. If the other person is suddenly audible only on loudspeaker, the earpiece is your suspect — dust in the grille, or a case lip covering it. Give the grille a gentle clean and pull the case off for a test call. Voice messages need the same treatment: play one, press volume up, and tap its speaker icon. A message routed to the earpiece at low volume is easy to mistake for a dead file. Play a song in another app — if other apps sound fine, the fault is inside imo.
The Microphone Test That Settles It
If the other person can’t hear you, work through imo’s own checklist. First, make sure you aren’t muted on the call screen — the mute button is small and easy to brush mid-call. Then confirm the app has microphone permission: on Android, go to Settings, then Apps, then imo, then Permissions, and allow Microphone; on iPhone, open Settings, scroll to imo, and switch Microphone on. Close imo fully and reopen it — audio permissions sometimes only take effect on a fresh launch.
Then close voice recorders, meeting apps and any other app that may be using the microphone — one app holding the mic blocks every other app from using it, and imo won’t always tell you that’s happening. Here’s the test that settles it: open your phone’s voice recorder and record ten seconds of yourself talking. If the recording is silent or distorted, the microphone itself is the problem — remove any case blocking the microphone opening and test again. If the recording is clear but imo still can’t hear you, the fault is inside imo.
Bluetooth Steals imo Calls Too
Bluetooth is the most common reason an imo call connects and yet produces nothing. Earbuds forgotten in a pocket, a speaker still paired from yesterday, a car stereo that reconnects itself the moment you sit down — any of them can claim the audio while your phone stays quiet. Turn Bluetooth off completely and make a test call. If the voice comes back, your phone was sending sound to the wrong device all along.
Silent mode and Do Not Disturb do the same to ringtones: on Android check the sound and DND tiles; on iPhone, the Ring/Silent switch and Focus in Control Center. Once both are off, ask a friend to call you on imo and listen for the ringtone before changing anything else. And if the speaker itself sounds faint or muffled across every app, the free speaker test at Fix My Speaker can help you check whether water or dust in the grille is the real problem before you dig through imo settings.
Cache, Update, Reinstall — in That Order
A damaged cache can stop imo playing voice messages or notification sounds properly, and clearing it doesn’t delete your chats or contacts. On Android, open Settings, then Apps, then imo, then Storage, and tap Clear cache. On iPhone there’s no direct button, so go to Settings, then General, then iPhone Storage, offload imo, and reinstall it.
Update next: search for imo in the Play Store or App Store, install any update, restart the phone, and test again. Audio faults get fixed in updates all the time. Reinstalling is the last step, not the first. Make sure you know your login details, then uninstall and install a fresh copy from the official store. If sound comes back, the old installation was at fault. If imo alone stays silent, contact imo support with your phone model, app version and what you tried — and if only one contact is inaudible, the fault is probably theirs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there no sound on imo calls but other apps work fine?
Call volume, microphone permission and Bluetooth routing are all specific to imo calls. Raise volume during a live call, turn Bluetooth off, and confirm imo has microphone permission.
Why do my imo calls never ring, even though I get messages?
Your phone is probably stopping imo from waking up when locked. Check battery optimisation and background activity, and confirm the Calls notification category is on.
Why do imo messages arrive with no notification sound?
The sound may be off inside imo, the chat may be muted, or your phone may be on silent or Do Not Disturb. Check imo’s settings, the chat mute, and your phone’s sound mode.
Will clearing the imo cache delete my chats?
No. Clearing the cache only removes temporary files and leaves your chats, contacts and account alone. Just make sure you know your login details before a full reinstall — that’s the bigger step.