Troubleshooting
TV stuck on mute? Why it happens and how to fix it
Nefarius Apps12 min read
A TV that is stuck on mute is often not muted at all. The TV can send its sound to a soundbar, a receiver or Bluetooth headphones, or a connected device can have its own mute on. A remote with a stuck button can also send the mute command again and again. First, set the sound output of the TV to the TV speakers. Then check the soundbar or set-top box, and remove the batteries from the remote to test it. If the TV still has no sound, restart it and run its sound test.
Is the TV muted, or does the sound go somewhere else?
First, press Mute one more time, or press Volume Up. TCL gives this step for Roku TVs. If the TV stays muted, look at the screen. The mute icon, the volume bar and the input that you watch tell you where to look.
| What you see | Probable cause | Section to read |
|---|---|---|
| No volume bar, or a mute icon, when you press the volume buttons | The TV sends the sound to an external speaker | Check the sound output setting |
| The TV speakers work, but the soundbar or receiver is silent | The soundbar, its input or its HDMI connection | Check the soundbar, receiver or set-top box |
| No mute icon, but one input or app has no sound | The set-top box or streaming device is muted | Check the soundbar, receiver or set-top box |
| The mute comes back by itself | A stuck button, another remote or a connected device | Check the remote, then other remotes and devices |
| A mute icon that flashes on a Samsung TV | A problem that owners report and fix with the volume at 0 | The Samsung mute icon that keeps flashing |
| No sound on any input and no sound in the sound test | A fault in the TV | Restart the TV and run its sound test |
Menu names change with the brand, the model and the year. The paths below are the ones that each manufacturer gives. If your menu is different, look for the same words in the sound menu of your TV.
Check the sound output setting
A TV can send its sound to its own speakers or to another device. If the setting points to a soundbar that is off, or to headphones that are not connected, you hear nothing. LG says that if the volume bar does not appear, the output is set to an external speaker.
Samsung TVs
Samsung's soundbar troubleshooting page gives this path to test the TV speakers:
- Open Settings, then select All Settings.
- Select Sound, then select Sound Output.
- Select TV Speaker.
Bluetooth headphones and speakers are in the same menu. Samsung puts the Bluetooth Speaker List under Sound Output. If a Bluetooth device is selected, select TV Speaker.
LG TVs
LG gives the same check:
- Open Settings, then select All Settings.
- Select Sound, then select Sound Out.
- If Sound Out is not set to TV Speaker, change it to TV Speaker.
On some models, the option is named TV Internal Speaker. LG's 2026 checklist for a TV with no sound uses that name.
Roku TVs
TCL's guide for Roku TVs gives this path: press Home, go to Settings, then Audio, and under Audio Output select TV speakers. TCL also says that a Roku TV uses one audio output at a time. Bluetooth headphones or a sound system that you used before can still get the sound.
If the sound comes back on the TV speakers, the TV itself works. The problem is the external device or its connection. Check it in the next section, then select it again as the output.
Check the soundbar, receiver or set-top box
Each device in the chain has its own volume and its own mute. The TV can be at a normal volume while the soundbar, the set-top box or the streaming device is muted.
LG says to make sure that the set-top box or the external device is not muted or at 0. Try the volume buttons on the TV remote and on the remote of the device. If you watch through a cable or satellite box, LG adds that a program error in the box can stop the sound while the picture still shows.
A soundbar on HDMI ARC
ARC lets one HDMI cable carry the sound from the TV to the soundbar. Samsung gives these checks for a Samsung TV and soundbar:
- Connect the HDMI cable to the HDMI (ARC/eARC) port on the TV.
- Connect the other end to the HDMI TO TV port on the soundbar.
- Turn on Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC): open Settings, All Settings, Connection, External Device Manager, then Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC).
- Set the soundbar source to D.IN. The soundbar shows "D.IN" and then "TV ARC".
- In Sound Output on the TV, select the soundbar.
- If there is still no sound, turn off the TV and the soundbar, then turn them on again.
Owners report the same problem on LG TVs. On a Reddit thread about an LG C1, the owner used a receiver on HDMI ARC. The TV stayed muted, and the TV remote could not change its volume. The sound played only with the output on the TV speakers. Other owners on the thread fixed it with a full power cycle, or with the cable in the port labelled eARC.
A Google TV streaming device
A Chromecast with Google TV or a Google TV Streamer can control the volume of the TV, a receiver or a soundbar. It can also control its own volume. Google warns that the two volume settings can give unexpected results. For example, if you mute the TV with its own remote and then change the volume with your voice, the TV stays muted.
Unmute the device that shows the mute. To choose which device the volume buttons control, go to All settings, Remotes & Accessories, Set up remote buttons, then Volume.
Check the remote for a stuck mute button
If the mute comes back by itself, test the remote before the TV. A button that sticks can send the same command many times. Sony gives these steps for a TV whose sound goes up, goes down or mutes on its own:
- Turn off the TV.
- Make sure that the volume and mute buttons on the TV and on the remote are not stuck.
- Remove the batteries from the remote.
- Turn on the TV with the power button on the TV.
- Remove other devices that send infrared signals from the room.
If the TV stays unmuted while the remote has no batteries, the remote is the cause. Until you replace it, unmute the TV with the button on the TV or a phone app, as the last section shows.
On an LG remote, the Mute button has a second job. LG says that three presses in a row open a pop-up named Select functions you want to access. If this pop-up opens when you did not ask for it, the Mute button can be the cause.
Check other remotes and connected devices
Some mute commands come from a device that you did not touch.
Another infrared remote can reach your TV. Remotes of the same brand often use the same codes, so a remote in the next room can control your TV too. The article on one remote controlling two TVs explains why and how to stop it.
HDMI-CEC lets a connected device send commands to the TV through the HDMI cable. Samsung calls it Anynet+. Roku says that with CEC on, a Roku player can turn off the TV and adjust its volume, also from the Roku mobile app. To test this cause, turn off HDMI-CEC on the TV for a day. If the mute stops, a connected device sends it. Then turn HDMI-CEC on again if you use a soundbar on ARC, because Samsung's ARC set-up needs it.
The Samsung mute icon that keeps flashing
Some Samsung owners see a mute icon that flashes and does not go away. We did not find a Samsung support page about it.
On a Reddit thread from the owner of a Samsung UE75MU6100, many replies say that one step fixed it: turn the volume all the way down to 0. One owner unplugged the TV for 30 seconds instead. Signagelive, a company that makes software for Samsung display screens, gives a similar fix. Go through each source and unmute the source that shows the mute icon. Then lower the volume to 0.
Restart the TV and run its sound test
A restart clears many software faults. After the restart, the sound test of the TV tells you if the fault is in the TV or in a connected device.
| TV | Restart | Sound test | Reset the sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung | Press and hold Power on the remote until the TV turns off and on again | All Settings, Support, Device Care, Self Diagnosis, Sound Test | Sound, Expert Settings, Reset Sound |
| LG | Turn off the TV and the external device, then turn them on again | webOS 6.0 or later: Settings, All Settings, Support, Sound Self-Diagnosis | Press Mute three times, then select AV Reset |
| Roku TV | Settings, System, Power, System Restart, or unplug the TV for 30 seconds | Not in TCL's steps | Not in TCL's steps |
Samsung's sound test plays a melody. On some LG models, the test is in the Sound menu as Sound Test. LG says that AV Reset sets the picture and sound settings back to their defaults, and that some models do not have it.
If the test sound plays normally, the TV speakers work. Samsung and LG both point to a connected device or its connection. If the problem also occurs in the test, Samsung says to request service. LG says to contact LG Customer Support if you cannot hear the test sound. Sony lists a factory reset as the last step before service.
Unmute the TV without the remote
If the remote is the cause, you can still unmute the TV.
Use the button on the TV. Samsung says that all its TVs have a control button that can change the volume. On LG TVs, the jog button that moves in four directions changes the volume when you move it left or right. LG's page shows no volume control for the jog button that you can only press.
Use a phone app. If the TV is a smart TV on your Wi-Fi network, a phone remote app sends the mute and volume commands of the TV over the network. The app is also a test: if the TV unmutes from the phone but not from the remote, the remote is the cause.
Tivi is a universal TV remote app for iPhone from Nefarius Apps. It finds the TVs on your Wi-Fi and controls Samsung, LG, Android TV and Google TV sets without an account. Its remote has volume down, mute and volume up buttons, and the free version runs the full remote on one TV. The iPhone and the TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Tivi does not control Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV devices. It sends its commands to the TV, not to a soundbar or a set-top box.
Connect the app for the first time without a remote
The first connection to a TV needs a confirmation. On LG, Android TV and Google TV sets, you give it on the phone:
- An LG TV shows a PIN on the screen, and you type it into the app. See the LG webOS pairing PIN.
- An Android TV or a Google TV shows a code, and you type it into the app. See how to control an Android TV or Google TV from an iPhone.
A Samsung TV asks you to allow the connection on the TV screen. You must answer on the TV, and Samsung's page about the control button does not say if the button can answer it. Samsung's allow-device prompt explains the prompt, and how to control a Samsung TV with your iPhone gives the full set-up. For LG, read how to control an LG TV with your iPhone.
If the remote is broken, the guide on what to do when you lose the TV remote shows how to find the model code and get a replacement.
The short version
First, set the sound output of the TV to the TV speakers: Sound Output on Samsung, Sound Out on LG, Audio Output on a Roku TV. If the sound comes back, check the soundbar, the receiver or the set-top box. Each device has its own mute.
If the mute comes back by itself, remove the batteries from the remote. If the mute stops, the remote is the cause. Also check other remotes in the room and HDMI-CEC devices.
On a Samsung TV with a flashing mute icon, owners fix it with the volume at 0. If nothing works, restart the TV and run its sound test. No test sound points to a fault in the TV. Until you fix or replace a faulty remote, use the button on the TV or a phone app.
Common questions
Why is my TV stuck on mute?
Often the TV sends its sound to another output, such as a soundbar, a receiver or Bluetooth headphones. That device is off, muted or not connected. Set the sound output to the TV speakers to test it. Other causes are a stuck mute button on the remote, another remote or a connected device that sends mute, and a muted set-top box.
Why does my TV keep muting itself?
A mute that comes back by itself often comes from outside the TV. Sony says to check that the mute and volume buttons are not stuck, remove the batteries from the remote and remove other infrared devices from the room. A device that is connected with HDMI-CEC can also change the TV volume.
Why does my TV show a mute icon when I use a soundbar?
When the TV sends its sound to a soundbar, the volume buttons of the TV remote may not control the TV speakers. LG says that the volume bar does not appear when the output is an external speaker. Make sure that the soundbar is on, set to the correct input and connected to the ARC or eARC port of the TV. Then use the soundbar remote for the volume.
Can I unmute my TV with my phone?
Yes, if the TV is a smart TV on the same Wi-Fi network as the phone. A phone remote app sends the mute and volume commands of the TV over the network. Tivi does this on Samsung, LG, Android TV and Google TV sets without an account. A TV remote app sends its commands to the TV, so use the remote of the soundbar or set-top box for the mute of that device.
Sources
- LG (2025). LG OLED TV Troubleshooting - No Sound.
- LG (2026). What to check if your LG TV has no sound.
- LG (2025). How do I initialize the picture and sound settings?
- LG (2025). How to use the jog button.
- Samsung. No sound from your Samsung soundbar.
- Samsung. Samsung TV has very low or no audio.
- Samsung. Diagnose sound issues using sound test on Samsung TV.
- Samsung. How to control a Samsung TV without a remote.
- Sony (2018). The TV sound raises to maximum or lowers to nothing on its own.
- Google. Set up volume, power and input control on your Chromecast or Google TV Streamer Voice Remote.
- TCL. Troubleshooting Basic Sound Issues on Your Roku TV.
- Roku (2026). How to use the 'TV Off' shortcut and control your TV with a Roku streaming player.
- Reddit r/LGOLED (2021). Lg C1 stuck on mute.
- Reddit r/techsupport (2023). Samsung TV mute sign flashing.
- Signagelive (2024). Why is the Mute Icon showing on my Samsung Player?