diff --git a/src/UniversalTelegramBot.cpp b/src/UniversalTelegramBot.cpp
index 86cd747..af01734 100644
--- a/src/UniversalTelegramBot.cpp
+++ b/src/UniversalTelegramBot.cpp
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ bool UniversalTelegramBot::sendSimpleMessage(const String& chat_id, const String
 }
 
 bool UniversalTelegramBot::sendMessage(const String& chat_id, const String& text,
-                                       const String& parse_mode, int message_id) { // added message_id
+                                       const String& parse_mode, int message_id, bool silent) { // added message_id
 
   DynamicJsonDocument payload(maxMessageLength);
   payload["chat_id"] = chat_id;
@@ -572,6 +572,9 @@ bool UniversalTelegramBot::sendMessage(const String& chat_id, const String& text
   if (parse_mode != "")
     payload["parse_mode"] = parse_mode;
 
+  if (silent) // if the message should be sent silently (no ringtone) - default is not silent
+    payload["disable_notification"] = true;
+
   return sendPostMessage(payload.as<JsonObject>(), message_id); // if message id == 0 then edit is false, else edit is true
 }
 
diff --git a/src/UniversalTelegramBot.h b/src/UniversalTelegramBot.h
index 5fc97ee..554c1bf 100644
--- a/src/UniversalTelegramBot.h
+++ b/src/UniversalTelegramBot.h
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class UniversalTelegramBot {
   bool getMe();
 
   bool sendSimpleMessage(const String& chat_id, const String& text, const String& parse_mode);
-  bool sendMessage(const String& chat_id, const String& text, const String& parse_mode = "", int message_id = 0);
+  bool sendMessage(const String& chat_id, const String& text, const String& parse_mode = "", int message_id = 0, bool silent=false);
   bool sendMessageWithReplyKeyboard(const String& chat_id, const String& text,
                                     const String& parse_mode, const String& keyboard,
                                     bool resize = false, bool oneTime = false,