Re: Is silent mode really silent.
 

It also apparently silences pianobar.

Since mplayer and pianobar silence with silence mode it's gotta be setting a system volume down.. but the official media player apps such as Youtube and Music use a different volume area that gets around the "silencing".

I guess the logic would be that if you open a Media App, whether in silent mode or not, you probably want to listen to media?

This makes me curious where the sound output levels are stored..

Re: Is silent mode really silent.
 

I agree with that, but at the same time I think that at this point (for me) it's not bad at all how the silent mode works. My phone is silent for all the things I can't control (for instance I don't know when I might get a phone call, receive a text, ...) so if I put it in silent mode, none of these things would bother me (whether you're in a meeting or in class or whatever). What's NOT silenced by the silent mode are all (or so it seems to me) user initiated actions. If you start watching a youtube video, start playing music, ... it's something you start yourself, so you can anticipate it.
I think it would be best to have the option for a "semi silent mode" like the current silent mode, and a "full silent mode" like you guys suggest. For instance I might want to play a song or present a movie in class, but I don't want the sound of a text message disturbing this, in this situation the current silent mode would be just fine.

That's also why I think it's probably a "feature request" and not a bug :)

Re: Is silent mode really silent.
 

You can't always know when/how a program would make audible output, especially when you're trying out new programs or going to new sites, or even if a site that you're on pops up an audible advertisement.

Yes, you can say 'but this is your own initiated actions, you should know blah blah blah'. So it all goes back to the primary reason that the silence mode is there. What is it for?

The common usage is to ensure that your device is silenced for the situation/event that you're about to enter:
- meetings
- shows/cinemas
- churches, wakes, etc

The 'normal' behavior of silenced profile in this situation is to:
- silence ALL audio via speakers out
- outputs the sound via earphones normally
- optionally offers vibration feedback for 'important' events (call/sms ringtones, alarms, system warnings).

Re: Is silent mode really silent.
 

hmm.. interesting point I think.. this happened to me accidently in work. I had silent profile activated, and I have a media player widget on one of my desktops. - Through accidental tapping of th play button whilst trying to chnage dekstops, it started blaring full volume music out.. Was very surprising, and forced me to panic (not knowing the phone well yet) and turn it off!

I would be interested in a mod to maybe allow complete silence - could this be done? I know theres a mod for more profiles.. so could this maybe be enhanced to include this?

Re: Is silent mode really silent.
 

I'm glad i stumbled on this thread!!! I'm an actor and you should see the faces of directors when someone's phone goes off during a rehearsal! I've even seen one well known film/theatre actor throw someone's phone across the room! So Thanks :-)...mind you, if he tried that with my N900 i'd chin him.

Re: Is silent mode really silent.
 

Except for the Music Player my device doesn't make any sounds in Silent Mode. Even Games (Angry Birds, Scummvm) don't play sounds.

Re: Is silent mode really silent.
 

Yeah, but the music player, and websites will.. Im concerned about them.. Im not completely used to the phone yet, and have often found it browsing the net from my pocket (i tend to just put it in my pocket after sliding it closed.. which doesnt lock it (so it seems anyway))..

In this state, it could find its way onto youtube (which I have as a desktop shortcut), or play music from the widget on th desktop..

I fel that, although not everyone would want it, I and im sure some others would love something they could 'rely' on to make the phone completely silent, no matter wat.. :)

Re: Is silent mode really silent.
 

I personally can say with 100% certainty that I experience no system sounds when the silent profile is activated. The phone does however vibrate, as it should when emails or SMS' are received. I've also just tested, and Youtube does in fact play sound while in silent mode, though I can't say I've noticed any other apps play sound while in silent.

In my opinion, silent mode should be a global mute/unmute button. It's plain ridiculous to activate what most people would assume is a mute, and then have it not enforced by the system. It's even more egregious that this is how every phone has worked since forever.

I think the devs are wrong - you are setting the phone to silent mode, not just system sounds.

Alarms however, do override the silent mode - again, it's an alarm so I think it's right that it should.

Re: Is silent mode really silent.
 

@rivierakid: you'd want the alarms to sound, until you make use of repeating alarms to remind you of recurring events. AFAIK no other phones make any pips when they're put in SILENT mode. They may convert those alarms to vibration, but not sound...

From a design viewpoint and compliance (to existing practice and common sense), I'd say the SILENT mode shouldn't make any unannounced exceptions. Any exceptions should be optionally and manually set by the users from the profile settings..

Then again, the N900 is a mobile computer FIRST...

Re: Is silent mode really silent.
 

- Thing is, I can also see a need for having some things with volume ven though its on silent.. so I guess really, we need an other profile. Make th silent one SILENT, and create a new one fo silent systm sounds only..