TLDR
Before social media apps bombarded us with a thousand notifications, 90s kids were distracted by an entirely different set of beeps, boops, and alarms. Every 90s kid wanted to take good care of their Tamagotchi character (Tama), which meant listening for sound clues about their virtual pet’s mood and well-being. However, by today’s standards, these sounds can be a little grating, so you might wonder how to mute your Tamagotchi. Well, we’re here to be the ultimate user manual. So, put your earplugs away and read on for how to silence a Tamagotchi no matter what evolution of the iconic toy you own.
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How to mute an Original Tamagotchi (Gen 1 & 2, 1997)
If you want to turn the sound off on your Tamagotchi, press and hold the A button (far left) and immediately do the same with the C button (far right). This will open an option menu where you can simply choose whether you want the sound ON or OFF. To unmute your Tama, just follow the steps to open the settings menu again. Note that you can only open this menu after your Tamagotchi has hatched.
This method also works the same way for 2004’s Tamagotchi Connection.
How to mute a Tamagotchi Mini (2017)
Wondering how to mute a Tamagotchi Mini? The basic steps are the same as the original version, except that the button press sequence is reversed. On your Tamagotchi mini, press down the C button and then quickly do the same with the A button to open the menu and toggle the sound ON or OFF. This can only be done when your Tama is displayed on the screen.
How to mute a Tamagotchi m!x (2016) and Tamagotchi ON (2019)
Thanks to smaller and more efficient computer chips, the newer Tamagotchi m!x (2016) and Tamagotchi ON (2019) have much more functionality baked into the iconic egg-shaped toy. With these newer types of Tamagotchis, you can turn the sound OFF and ON from a dedicated settings menu. This is much more intuitive than a button combination, especially for today’s tech-savvy kids.
Beware of the dangers of muting your Tamagotchi!
If you’ve read our article on the history of the Tamagotchi phenomenon, then you’ll remember that Tamagotchis are all about helping kids experience what it would be like to take care of a real living pet. The sounds coming out of your Tamagotchi device are what prompt you to check in on the little critter as you go about your day.
So, if you use the mute function, you risk missing important alerts about your Tamagotchi characters’ health and happiness. If you’re a busy person, muting your Tamagotchi might mean you forget about it entirely!
It would be terrible if your virtual pets died returned to Tamagotchi planet just because you had them muted for too long. If you really want a break from your Tama without fear of risking its life, you should use the pause function instead.
Mini-Guide: How to pause a Tamagotchi
Original Tamagotchi/Tamagotchi Mini/Tamagotchi Connection: Start by pressing all three front buttons (A button, B button, and C button) simultaneously to adjust the clock on your Tamagotchi. This should display the word “SET” on the screen. The game will remain paused until you set the time.
Tamagotchi ON/Tamagotchi m!x: The Tamagotchi ON and Tamagotchi m!x both have various options that function as a type of pause (the game will still be running, but your Tama’s vitals won’t go down). Ways to do this include taking your Tama to a hotel, transferring it to your phone via an app, or sending it back to its parents’ place (kinda extreme if you ask us).
However, these methods have limitations. For example, the Tamagotchi hotel costs GP (Gotchi Points) per hour your Tama stays and can only be accessed for a limited time.
So, no matter what version you have, the most reliable way to pause your Tamagotchi will always be to open the time adjust menu, set it aside, and then set the time once you’re ready to give your Tama the TLC it needs.
Peeps Ask!
Each Tamagotchi emits a constant, subtle beep imitating the heartbeat of your Tama. This can be annoying, but the only way to stop it is to mute your Tamagotchi with one of the above methods.
No, Tamagotchis don’t have any way to adjust how loud they are. You can only mute or pause them to stop them from making sounds (or just take out the battery).
If you’re familiar with the legendary rivalry of Giga Pet vs Tamagotchi, you might wonder how to mute Giga Pets. Just press the mode button to enter clock mode, then press left to toggle to sound OFF and ON. Press mode again to return to the game.
Lee Davey
Lee is curator of nostalgia and a long-time collector of loveable junk. An 80s baby, 90s kid, he knows he had it good when it came to Saturday morning cartoons. Spends his life trying to recapture the dopamine hit of playing Game Boy for the first time and believes Beanie Babies will make a fortuitous comeback. Obsessed with everything (and anything) retro, he is your trusted guide to a world of 90s toys, games and collectables.
