Why Does your Android phone vibrate? Why Does Your Android Phone Vibrate?

Buzz. As the screen of your Android phone lights up, you look at it, expecting to see a message, or notification. But nothing. Your phone vibrated without any reason. It’s not a phantom, because you did not imagine it.

You’re not going crazy. Android phones can sometimes behave in this manner, and it’s usually for several different reasons. Take a closer inspection.

1. App Notifications Vibration

Even if you have your app notifications off, some apps that are problematic can still cause vibrations. This makes it difficult to identify the culprit.

To fix this, identify the apps that you have installed recently. Disable all notifications from their notification settings. Select the app that you think is causing random vibrations and disable all notification categories.

If the vibrations occur because background apps are running unchecked, you can clear their cache or data and restart your Android device.

2. Touch Back

It’s possible that you accidentally activated your phone’s “haptic feedback” which will cause any random touch to be accompanied by a flurry of activity.

You may be surprised, especially if you don’t remember ever enabling touch feedback and your phone suddenly vibrates for no apparent reason. In settings, you can disable vibrations caused by touch interactions or accidental touches.

You can disable all vibrations by going to Settings and clicking on Sound and Vibration. On a Samsung, you’ll find the settings under System Vibration/Sound Control.

There’s also a feature called Smart Alert on some Samsung smartphones that vibrates when you pick up the phone if you miss a message or missed a call. Click Settings, Advanced Features, Motions and Gestures and turn off Smart Alert.

3. Bugs in the operating system

Android can sometimes be prone to bugs popping up for random reasons. Bugs can cause all kinds of problems. For example, incoming calls may cause your phone’s screen to light up, but the vibration might not.

Updates to your Android software will help you eliminate many of these bugs and often bring performance improvements.

If you’re using the latest software on your phone and are experiencing random vibrations, a restart may be all that is needed to restore normalcy. You may want to consider factory reset your phone if that does not solve the problem.

You should be aware that apps downloaded from unknown sources may not function as you expect and cause random vibrations. Uninstall any app you’re not sure about, and try to download only from the Play Store in the future.

4. Hardware Issues

Continuous vibrations can also be a sign of underlying hardware problems, such as a defective vibration motor. can run a secret menu that will test the motor to determine if there is a problem. You can also run a Hardware Diagnostic test on a Samsung device via the Samsung Members App.

Do not try to disassemble your phone yourself if any of the tests indicate that hardware problems are the cause of vibrations. Go to a service center authorized by the manufacturer or hire a technician to diagnose and fix the issue. If this occurs within the warranty period, then your phone may be covered by its warranty.