What to Know
- On the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, you might see a bell icon with a slash through it next to the time.
- This new icon makes it easy to tell when Silent mode is enabled now that the Ring/Silent switch is gone.
- You can disable this icon in the Sounds & Haptics section of Settings.
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max dropped the Ring/Silent switch in favor of the new Action Button, which can be customized to perform a variety of functions. As a result, a new status bar symbol has appeared to indicate when your iPhone is in Silent mode.
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What Is the Bell Icon on iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max?
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have an Action Button, which can be used to put your iPhone on silent, or customized to perform various actions (hence the name). Some actions you can assign to the Action Button on your iPhone include opening the camera, turning the flashlight on or off, activating a Focus, running a custom shortcut, and more.
Since you can no longer verify whether or not your iPhone is silenced based on the Ring/Silent switch on the side of the device, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will now display a bell icon with a slash through it next to the time when the device is muted:
This is a handy way to tell if your iPhone is on silent. But for people who always keep their devices on silent mode, there is not much need for this icon. Luckily, there is an easy way to disable it. For more iPhone shortcuts and tricks, check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter.
How to Turn Off the Silent Mode Icon on iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max
If you want to disable the bell with a line through it on your iPhone, you can do so in the Settings app:
- Open Settings, and tap Sounds & Haptics.
![iphone settings with a red box around sounds & haptics]()
- Tap the toggle next to Show in Status Bar.
![iphone sounds and haptics settings with a red box around show in status bar toggle]()
- When this toggle is disabled, the bell icon will no longer be displayed.
![iphone sounds and haptics settings screen with a red box around time with the silent bell icon no longer displaying]()
That’s how to turn off the Silent mode icon on your iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Next, find out the best uses of the iPhone action button.
FAQ
- What does a bell with a line through it mean? While the bell icon next to the clock on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max means that Silent mode is enabled, this icon is also used throughout iOS. It usually means alerts are muted. For example, if you see the bell with the slash through it next to a specific contact, that means you have muted that contact on your iPhone, so you will no longer receive notifications when you receive texts from that person.
- How do I take my iPhone off silent? If your iPhone has Ring/Silent switch, you can toggle silent mode on and off with that switch. Alternatively, you can use Focus modes on your iPhone to control when your notifications are muted.
- What are the little symbols at the top of my iPhone? If you are seeing icons in your iPhone status bar that you don’t recognize, check out our guide to iPhone symbols on top of the screen.
