To shut off system haptics on an iPhone, open Settings, tap Sounds & Haptics, scroll to the bottom, and turn off System Haptics. That stops the small taps you feel when you use system controls, such as toggles, pickers, and Control Center. It doesn’t stop vibrations for calls, texts, or the keyboard; those have their own settings, covered below. These steps work in iOS 17 and later versions, including the current release.
What System Haptics does
Haptics are the light vibrations the iPhone’s Taptic Engine plays to confirm what you’re doing. With System Haptics on, you feel a tap when you flip a switch in Settings, scroll a date picker, pull down to refresh, or touch and hold an icon. Turning it off makes the phone feel quieter and can save a little battery, but you lose that feedback.
How to turn off System Haptics
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Sounds & Haptics.
- Scroll to the bottom.
- Turn off System Haptics.
The change takes effect right away. Turn the switch back on to restore it.
Turn off other iPhone haptics
Keyboard vibration
- Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback.
- Turn off Haptic. You can keep or turn off Sound separately.
Vibration for calls and alerts in Ring or Silent mode
In Settings > Sounds & Haptics, tap Haptics and choose when the iPhone vibrates for calls and alerts: Always Play, Play in Silent Mode, Don’t Play in Silent Mode, or Never Play.
Vibration pattern for a specific sound
Tap a sound category such as Ringtone or Text Tone, then tap Haptics and choose None to make just that alert silent to the touch. You can also pick a different pattern or create your own.
Turn off all vibrations
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
- Turn off Vibration.
This disables every vibration on the iPhone, including vibrations for emergency and public safety alerts, so use it only if you really need it.
When to keep System Haptics on
- Typing and toggling without looking: the taps confirm actions when the screen is hard to see.
- Accessibility: people with low vision often rely on haptic feedback.
- Battery: the savings from turning haptics off are small. If battery life is the issue, Low Power Mode and screen brightness make a much bigger difference.
Troubleshooting
- The phone still vibrates after turning off System Haptics: that vibration probably comes from a call, text, keyboard, or app notification. Use the settings above for those.
- An app still vibrates: some apps, especially games, have their own haptics or vibration setting inside the app.
- Haptic Touch feels too slow or fast: that isn’t controlled by System Haptics. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Haptic Touch to change the touch duration.
Frequently asked questions
Does turning off System Haptics affect Face ID or Apple Pay?
No. Those features work the same; you just won’t feel some confirmation taps.
What’s the difference between haptics and vibration?
Both come from the same motor. “Haptics” usually means short, precise taps for interface feedback, while “vibration” means longer buzzes for calls and alerts. Learn more in what haptics are on iPhone.
Apple’s guide to changing iPhone sounds and vibrations lists every related setting. For older models, see how to disable vibration on iPhone 13.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.