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When I take a picture it makes a 'click' sound. As this is default behavior, I would like to turn it off. Is there a setting to do so; or if I find+delete the sound file, will there be repercussions?

**Please note I am looking for a basically permanent solution rather than one that I would need to set/unset with each use of the app. I like the idea of a root solution, or an app solution; but for the sake of non-root memory-hog slow-camera-app-starting people who can't afford to run another background service, let's make a...

Clarification: let's clarify that this is to do with the Motorola Droid (per the tag, sorry). I'm glad it works for other phone models, however to the best of my knowledge it is not a stock option (if I am wrong please point the way) from 2.0.1, 2.1, or 2.2 on the Motorola Droid. That is to say, unless you are referring to the overall volume controls, there is no volume control/mute for the camera application. (Settings options for camera are: zoom|flash|white balance|store location|focus/exposure settings).

I'd like to really tie this question's answer off with a bow: aside from the root option and app option, is there an option to turn off sound in the camera/system settings? [Temporarily muting the phone is a poor option.]

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  • 5
    The 'click' sound is required by law in some areas to alert those nearby that a photo is being taken. It is intended as a measure to prevent privacy violation.
    – JadeMason
    Sep 13, 2010 at 19:52
  • Yeah, I thought I had heard something like that, but for telephone voice recorder apps.
    – mfg
    Sep 13, 2010 at 20:22
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    @bryan & @wmitsuda : so what would be more effective on mem/speed (the droid is terrible at opening the camera app) - an app or deleting a sound or replacing the sound?
    – mfg
    Sep 20, 2010 at 20:35

10 Answers 10

Reset to default
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You'll need root to delete the sound file, but this should be it:

Delete /system/media/audio/ui/camera_click.ogg

Repercussions? It won't play the sound anymore? :)

Alternatively, you could download another camera app that does not produce a camera sound.

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    As some history for why you just can't turn it off, digital cameras (and camera phones in particular) were starting to be used by peeping toms precisely because they didn't make any sound when taking pictures.
    – MBraedley
    Sep 13, 2010 at 19:55
  • I am rooted, so thanks for the path. There's no internal setting to mute or change it? Maybe i will have to replace camera_click.ogg with light sabers or something
    – mfg
    Sep 13, 2010 at 20:21
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    Works perfectly for me! You might also delete the VideoRecord.ogg file to disable the annoying sound when you start/stop recording a video.
    – Willian Mitsuda
    Oct 18, 2010 at 4:43
  • Rename /system/media/audio/ui/camera_click.ogg to /system/media/audio/ui/camera_click_1.ogg or something,when you feel like getting the sound back,revert to the orignal name.
    – Ajith
    Oct 26, 2011 at 5:17
  • you could also chmod 000 this file instead of deleting it
    – AntonioK
    Oct 24, 2015 at 11:40
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If you have "Tasker" installed, then

  1. Create an application context for the camera app
  2. Create a task to set system volume down to zero.

When you exit the camera app, the system volume is restored to its original state.

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    Oh boy. This made me discover tasker. Quite a nice app.
    – V Maharajh
    Sep 22, 2015 at 15:47
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When you're in the camera, just use the normal volume to turn sound all the way down. This worked for me on stock Nexus One running Froyo.

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  • so you turn the sound all the way down just prior to taking a picture? Don't you find that if youre trying to take a picture that this method is less than ideal as it adds [time to zero volume] seconds to the moment you try to capture? Paint me impatient but I personally can barely handle the lag in bringing up the camera app.
    – mfg
    Oct 15, 2010 at 13:35
  • No, I run CyanogenMod on my phone which removes the sound completely.
    – Wayne
    Oct 18, 2010 at 17:25
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If you have a rooted phone you can edit the default.prop file to bring the "No Sound" back to the Shutter Sound menu.

Login to the shell using adb (part of the Android SDK), then switch to super user mode

$ adb shell
# su

Note - depending on how your phone is rooted you may need to confirm that "Unknown Application" can become super user - make sure your phone is unlocked and the screen visible before typing SU then accept this when prompted or it will just echo the commands out.

Mount the System Drive in read write mode, and copy default.prop to your SD Card

# mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/mtdblock2 /system
# cp /system/default.prop /sdcard/

Copy the file to your desktop (I used SWIFTP), then change the line (I used Notepad++ so the line endings weren't mangled) which reads

ro.camera.sound.forced=1

to

ro.camera.sound.forced=0

Copy the file back to your SD card then

# cp /sdcard/default.prop /system/

Exit the ADB Prompt

$ CTRL + C

Reboot your phone.

When you next go into the camera app choose the settings menu and the "No Sound" option should be available.

Alternatively after mounding the /system partition overwrite the shutter.ogg by issuing the following commands

# cd /system/media/audio/camera
# cp sound0/no_sound.ogg sound3/shutter.ogg

Kill the camera app if it's already running, start the camera app, choose "sound3" and then you'll have a silent shutter.

Works on my T-Mobile-UK customised Sony Ericsson Xperia X10i, but should work on most (all?) rooted Android phones.

If you actually enable the "No Sound" option, not only does it disable the really loud camera shutter racket but it means when listening to music it no longer goes silent to allow the shutter sound to be played, and it seems to take photos much faster. Changing the .ogg files doesn't gain you these advantages.

Thanks to zephyrix's hint at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=713295 and for j4mm3r's note on how to make /system writeable.

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    Just for information, this trick does not work on Motorola Milestone. There is no setting "ro.camera.sound.forced", and there is no /system/media/audio/camera directory.
    – Willian Mitsuda
    Oct 18, 2010 at 4:31
  • On the Motorola RAZR-i the setting is not in the default.prop but in the build.prop. Thanks to Kev and the xda-developers
    – cfi
    Jan 26, 2014 at 11:39
3

I suppose this must be new for Froyo but in the camera settings there is an option to turn off the shutter sound.

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  • Good to know, now im going to have to reupgrade to the non beta nexus build and use the appropriate moto-droid build; too bad i just bought SetCPU and the build VZW is passing out is the FR33 one that one-click root doesn't work for yet
    – mfg
    Sep 27, 2010 at 13:23
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I use an app called Silent Camera.

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The option to turn the shutter sound off is not new in Froyo. I am using 2.1 Eclair on a Samsung Vibrant (Galaxy S) and under Settings:[Wrench Icon] scroll to the second page there is the "Shutter sound" option where you can select one of three different sounds or "Off."

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    I did not have that option for either OS with my motorola droid; perhaps it is a setting for your particular model?
    – mfg
    Oct 12, 2010 at 20:39
  • Are you using some kind of ROM? I have stock Nexus One 2.2.1, and I don't have it.
    – kkaploon
    Oct 14, 2010 at 14:54
  • @kkap what is the build # of 2.2.1? Im running 2.2 FRG22D. Also, I am curious to know if all of these answers about an option are unique to the Nexus, or if the lack of an option is unique to the droid.
    – mfg
    Oct 15, 2010 at 13:37
  • @mfg it's FRG83. I just suspect that that option is part of some ROM. Does anyone with a stock version of android have it?
    – kkaploon
    Oct 18, 2010 at 11:50
  • Must be a regional thing, pretty sure I always had that setting on my old HTC Magic from Cupcake onwards, and I still have it on my Galaxy S (International) from Eclair to Gingerbread 2.3.3, stock ROMs on all, I'm in the UK.
    – GAThrawn
    Sep 1, 2011 at 22:46
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Placing the volume level at silent (below vibrate) will eventually turn off all the sounds including the one for camera.

Note: I use SonyEricsson X10 series.

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Without ROOT you can use this application it works on a range of phone's although not all of them:

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.blundell

Stock Camera / No Shutter Noise

The original silent camera app! :-)

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If you are using a Lenovo mobile, please process should work:

Turn on your camera --> Go to Settings --> Click on the 3 dots to pull up more options --> Set Snap Sound to OFF

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  • He specifically asked for 'Motorola Droid' and my dear friend, this is 6 years old question.
    – Alam
    Mar 24, 2017 at 16:15

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