IPhone randomly vibrates

treehorn · Oct 2, 2007, 04:33 PM

Seeing if anybody else has experienced this problem. My 8GB Iphone (3 weeks old) is randomly vibrating. The pulse lasts about a second and happens every 2-5 minutes. Happens when I'm on the phone (which gives my ear quite a jolt), if it's in standby mode (the unlock screen comes to life), or if it's active (then I get the crossed out bell icon). Doesn't seem to happen if it's in vibrate mode...oops! There it went! So I guess it does.

Called Apple (and was told all technical help was out of the office and to call back during normal business hours...umm...it's 4pm EST). Called AT&T (and was told they've never heard of it but to try and restore it when I get home)

Just curious if anybody else has experienced this, as I won't be able to try the restore for another 5 hours.

BBC B 32k · Oct 2, 2007, 04:35 PM

you may have a bee or some insect trapped inside.

plinden · Oct 2, 2007, 04:40 PM

It'll vibrate every time you get an email or SMS when in vibrate mode. Are you saying this is happening without you getting any messages?

ivi7 · Oct 2, 2007, 04:41 PM

Are you sure your mail isn't set up because my phone keeps vibrating when I get mail.
Try holding down the sleep and home button to reset it.

oaktomas · Oct 2, 2007, 07:45 PM

adding my voice to the first one here:

my phone is randomly vibrating, always thinking it's turning itself to vibrate mode (even if it's already in that mode). this happens when no message or reminder is happening and even if the phone is sitting still on a table, you can watch it repeatedly vibrate and the icon on the screen with the bell with a line through it appears.

restarting the phone gets rid of the problem for a while, leading me to believe this is a software issues and not something physically wrong with the switch.

haven't tried a full-on software restore yet, but that's probably a good idea. it DID however, do this before and after the latest update (1.1.1)

any ideas?

treehorn · Oct 2, 2007, 08:04 PM

Nope, doesn't do it when I have mail come in (I don't use it for mail as it always wants to download every $@#$$ piece of AOL mail, read, deleted or new). And I never do text messages (tool of satan and carpal tunnel).

I'm doing a restore of software (and thus I'm sure destroying all my ITonr ringtones...sigh) to be sure. 'feels' like a short of some kind (wondering if something got zapped last night. First time I ever plugged it into an outlet using the mini power cube instead of through the computer)

teamturbo · Oct 3, 2007, 03:11 PM

Try uninstalling iBrate you pervert.

atmenterprises · Oct 3, 2007, 06:08 PM

Mine does the same thing with 1.1.1.

treehorn · Oct 3, 2007, 06:12 PM

Well, after spending a couple of hours yesterday restoring my IPhone's software (and no, there were no 3rd party apps on it, mr. moral minority), and updating it to 1.1.1 (and Itunes to 7.4.2, thus wiping out any and all ringtones that were any fun), it still is zapping my ear and pocket. And even more fun, it won't unlock/unfreeze/activate when a call comes in.

Went to the Apple Store and need to bring it plus the box et al to do a swap, which I'll be doing tomorrow.

Joedelta · May 5, 2009, 06:50 PM

Yeah, mine started doing that. I did a software restore, and it seemed to help, but didn't completely solve the problem. Curious.

Another behavior before the restore was that it acted like the "volume up" button was being pressed regularly, so if I lowered the volume, it would immediately climb back to maximum.

The software restore fixed that, and substantially reduced the crazy mute/unmute vibration -- but doesn't seem to have completely eliminated it.

Odd.

vasche · May 26, 2009, 12:53 PM

I have same issue. When I shake phone it starts to vibrate as well. So it's unlikely a software issue.
Basically when switch is in the silent mode the phone reacts as if I were switching repeatedly to/from silent mode, the silent/normal mode icon appears and disappears.

patrickdunn · May 26, 2009, 03:00 PM

Or, it could just be Phantom Vibration Syndrome. Here is a story from USA Today.

No, it's not just in your head!!

mantzm · May 26, 2009, 10:37 PM

I had a similar problem and had to have my phone replaced sunday because the switch on the side was faulty.

alphatectz · May 26, 2009, 10:47 PM

i've been having the same issue as everyone else, my iphone seems to vibrate here and there, no new messages emails or anything. it has to be something with the iphone.

xyzstarr · Jun 10, 2009, 03:50 AM

after so many months since the problem was first reported, there is no official fix.

Oct 2, 2007, 04:33 PM	#1
treehorn macrumors 6502 Join Date: Aug 2007	IPhone randomly vibrates Seeing if anybody else has experienced this problem. My 8GB Iphone (3 weeks old) is randomly vibrating. The pulse lasts about a second and happens every 2-5 minutes. Happens when I'm on the phone (which gives my ear quite a jolt), if it's in standby mode (the unlock screen comes to life), or if it's active (then I get the crossed out bell icon). Doesn't seem to happen if it's in vibrate mode...oops! There it went! So I guess it does. Called Apple (and was told all technical help was out of the office and to call back during normal business hours...umm...it's 4pm EST). Called AT&T (and was told they've never heard of it but to try and restore it when I get home) Just curious if anybody else has experienced this, as I won't be able to try the restore for another 5 hours.

Oct 2, 2007, 04:35 PM	#2
BBC B 32k macrumors 6502 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: London	you may have a bee or some insect trapped inside. __________________ Acorn Electron 32K tape Master Compact 128k 3.5" floppy iMac 24" 2+250GB MacBook Pro 13" 2+160GB

Oct 2, 2007, 04:41 PM	#4
ivi7 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2007	Are you sure your mail isn't set up because my phone keeps vibrating when I get mail. Try holding down the sleep and home button to reset it. __________________ Macbook Pro 2.16 GHz Core Duo 2 GB DDR2 Macmini 1.83 GHz Core Duo 2 GB DDR2 8 GB Iphone

Oct 2, 2007, 07:45 PM	#5
oaktomas macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2007	also randomly vibrating adding my voice to the first one here: my phone is randomly vibrating, always thinking it's turning itself to vibrate mode (even if it's already in that mode). this happens when no message or reminder is happening and even if the phone is sitting still on a table, you can watch it repeatedly vibrate and the icon on the screen with the bell with a line through it appears. restarting the phone gets rid of the problem for a while, leading me to believe this is a software issues and not something physically wrong with the switch. haven't tried a full-on software restore yet, but that's probably a good idea. it DID however, do this before and after the latest update (1.1.1) any ideas?

Oct 3, 2007, 06:08 PM	#8
atmenterprises macrumors member Join Date: Jan 2006	Mine does the same thing with 1.1.1. __________________ iMac 17" Intel w/2 GB RAM 13" MacBook w/2 GB RAM 1G 8GB iPhone 30GB 5G Black iPod Formerly owned a 3G Green iPod Mini & 4G White iPod Color

Oct 2, 2007, 04:40 PM	#3
plinden macrumors 68040 Join Date: Apr 2004	It'll vibrate every time you get an email or SMS when in vibrate mode. Are you saying this is happening without you getting any messages?

Oct 2, 2007, 08:04 PM	#6
treehorn Thread Starter macrumors 6502 Join Date: Aug 2007	Nope, doesn't do it when I have mail come in (I don't use it for mail as it always wants to download every $@#$$ piece of AOL mail, read, deleted or new). And I never do text messages (tool of satan and carpal tunnel). I'm doing a restore of software (and thus I'm sure destroying all my ITonr ringtones...sigh) to be sure. 'feels' like a short of some kind (wondering if something got zapped last night. First time I ever plugged it into an outlet using the mini power cube instead of through the computer)

Oct 3, 2007, 03:11 PM	#7
teamturbo macrumors member Join Date: Jan 2007	Try uninstalling iBrate you pervert.

Oct 3, 2007, 06:12 PM	#9
treehorn Thread Starter macrumors 6502 Join Date: Aug 2007	Well, after spending a couple of hours yesterday restoring my IPhone's software (and no, there were no 3rd party apps on it, mr. moral minority), and updating it to 1.1.1 (and Itunes to 7.4.2, thus wiping out any and all ringtones that were any fun), it still is zapping my ear and pocket. And even more fun, it won't unlock/unfreeze/activate when a call comes in. Went to the Apple Store and need to bring it plus the box et al to do a swap, which I'll be doing tomorrow.

May 5, 2009, 06:50 PM	#10
Joedelta macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2009	Yeah, mine started doing that. I did a software restore, and it seemed to help, but didn't completely solve the problem. Curious. Another behavior before the restore was that it acted like the "volume up" button was being pressed regularly, so if I lowered the volume, it would immediately climb back to maximum. The software restore fixed that, and substantially reduced the crazy mute/unmute vibration -- but doesn't seem to have completely eliminated it. Odd.

May 26, 2009, 12:53 PM	#11
vasche macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2009	Same issue I have same issue. When I shake phone it starts to vibrate as well. So it's unlikely a software issue. Basically when switch is in the silent mode the phone reacts as if I were switching repeatedly to/from silent mode, the silent/normal mode icon appears and disappears.

May 26, 2009, 03:00 PM	#12
patrickdunn macrumors 6502a Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Boulder, CO	Or, it could just be Phantom Vibration Syndrome. Here is a story from USA Today. No, it's not just in your head!! __________________ Patrick twitter.com/patrick_dunn

May 26, 2009, 10:37 PM	#13
mantzm macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2009	I had a similar problem and had to have my phone replaced sunday because the switch on the side was faulty.

May 26, 2009, 10:47 PM	#14
alphatectz macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: New York, NY	having the same issue i've been having the same issue as everyone else, my iphone seems to vibrate here and there, no new messages emails or anything. it has to be something with the iphone. __________________ apples & berrys MRoogle has your answers.

Jun 10, 2009, 03:50 AM	#15
xyzstarr macrumors newbie Join Date: Jun 2009	this is extremely frustrating after so many months since the problem was first reported, there is no official fix.

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