If the sound on your Mac has stopped working, at that place are several possible explanations and solutions. The first affair to check is that the sound definitely is not working. Below we'll explicate what to cheque.

No sound on Mac? Check these things first

1. Check the volume

Equally simplistic as information technology may seem, the beginning thing to check is that the volume hasn't been muted intentionally. Tap the book upwards (F12) key to turn up the sound level.

Pro tip: If you lot hold down Pick+Shift when you press F12 or F11 to increase or decrease the volume, it will move in smaller increments than the full step changes that occur when yous use the keys on their own.

2. Is information technology an app problem?

It may be that there's no sound on your Mac because it won't play audio in a specific app. If, for instance, yous can't hear sound from a video in Safari, make certain the audio isn't muted past clicking the volume control in the video. You should likewise check other audio sources, similar iTunes and QuickTime movies, to find out if they tin can play sound.

Tip: if y'all're fed up with websites you visit automatically playing video with audio when you're working, go to Safari > Preferences and click the Websites tab. Click Autoplay, and in the bottom right of the window, cull Stop Media with Sound.

3. Run Maintenance scripts

If you've determined your Mac's sound definitely isn't working, consider running CleanMyMac Ten's  and its tool called Maintenance scripts. This is a popular app for do-it-yourself Mac troubleshooting. What are Maintenance Scripts? These optimize the performance of your Mac by running a number of routines such every bit repairing disk permissions, verifying your startup disk, and rebuilding the launch services database.

Here'due south how to run Maintenance scrips:

Download CleanMyMac X here (information technology'south gratuitous to download).

  1. Launch the app.
  2. Click Maintenance.
  3. Choose Run Maintenance Scripts and click Run.
Maintenance Scripts in CleanMyMac X

iv. Check for hardware issues

Next, check there'south aught plugged into the headphone/line out port and await to encounter if in that location'south a reddish light on that port. If in that location is, it could exist in that location'due south a trouble with the port or something blocking it. Attempt bravado on it to clear dust, if that'due south the instance.

five. Are you running the latest version of macOS?

If there's still no audio on your Mac, Apple'southward advice is that the get-go thing y'all should do is make certain you're running the latest version of macOS.

To check which version of macOS your Mac is running, click the  Apple carte du jour and and so About this Mac. The window that opens will have the proper noun of the version of macOS currently installed at the top. Now the latest version is macOS Monterey. If you're non running Monterey, y'all should consider installing it by going to the App Store app and clicking on it in the sidebar on the right-hand side of the main window.

If you don't want to install Monterey, at least make certain you're running the latest update to whichever version of the OS is installed. To cheque that, click Software Update in the About This Mac window. That will cheque for updates and let you know if at that place's ane available. If in that location is, install it.

Before installing either a new version of the Os or an update, back up your Mac using Time Machine or whatever backup tool you commonly use.

How to check your audio settings

If you're running the latest macOS version and your sound still isn't working, the side by side step is to check your Sound settings.

  1. Click on the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.
  2. Click on the Sound pane.
  3. Select the Output tab and choose built-in speakers. If that's non available as an option, contact Apple Support.
  4. Check if the volume slider is low; if so, slide it to the right and recheck the audio.
  5. Brand sure the Mute box isn't checked.

If yous check your sound settings, you see a USB device selected rather than congenital-in speakers, and yous can't change it, disconnect all USB devices from your Mac and try again.

Is there an app interfering with the sound?

Some applications, like screen recorders, install their ain audio output drivers and so that when you tape the screen, you can direct your Mac's output to the recording app. It's possible that if yous've installed an app similar that, its driver could be interfering with your Mac'due south sound output.

  1. Get to System Preferences and choose Audio.
  2. Click on the Output tab.
  3. If there'due south an output selection that looks like a software app and information technology'south selected, that may exist why the sound is non working on your Mac.

The best thing to do in that instance is to uninstall the app. You could just drag the app to the Trash, merely that won't uninstall it properly or remove all the files the app has placed on your Mac. To exercise that, you should apply a dedicated uninstaller like CleanMyMac 10.

CleanMyMac X makes information technology very easy to completely uninstall any app so that information technology doesn't leave whatsoever fragments or stray files behind. By using CleanMyMac X, you can be sure you lot've deleted all the files associated with the app and that it hasn't left anything behind. Yous can download CleanMyMac 10 for free hither.

Restart the sound controller

Mac audio not working still? If no software audio drivers interfere with your Mac's sound output, nothing plugged into the headphone jack, USB, or Thunderbolt ports, and your audio still doesn't work, the side by side footstep is to restart the sound controller. This requires launching Activity Monitor and quitting a process, only don't worry, it'due south not besides scary!

  1. Become to Applications >Utilities and double-click on Activeness Monitor to launch it.
  2. In the search bar, type 'coreaudiod' to locate the Core Audio controller.
  3. Click on coreaudiod, then click '10' in the toolbar to quit information technology.
  4. Coreaudiod volition restart.

Why is the volume depression on Mac?

If yous've faced issues with the speaker volume on your Mac, it's likely a software-related problem. Mayhap some app conflicts with your speaker settings, or maybe there's something else. The first affair you can practise to troubleshoot the issue is to reset NVRAM/PRAM. These are small parts of your Mac'southward memory that control sound volume, time zone, display resolution, and other settings on your Mac.

To reset NVRAM/PRAM, close downwards your Mac, and printing Selection-Control-P-R on its start-upward. Release the keys after nearly 20 seconds. Later on your Mac restarts, bank check if the volume is dorsum to normal.

Mac volume non working and stuck on mute?

If the volume control is not working on your Mac, either using the keyboard or the slider in the carte bar or System Preferences, it could be 'stuck' on mute. The nigh common occurrence of this problem is on pre-2015 Macs that had digital audio output support in the headphone jack.

On those Macs, there was a sensor in the port that detected whether a headphone jack or a digital sound device was plugged in. The Mac would then change the output to headphones or digital output accordingly. However, sometimes the sensor failed to recognize when a digital audio device had been unplugged, and then the audio output remained locked on digital output, with no way to change information technology. With no digital audio output connected, in that location is no style to modify the volume or hear a sound.

In that case, the solution is to plug the cable back into the socket and remove it again.


Some people recommend that y'all practise both at the same time: click on the device name in the Audio pane, and unplug the audio jack/usb connector. The Mac'south logic board seems to have problem switching off betwixt two output modes. In this case, you may try to reset SMC (see the next step).

Try it a few times, if necessary, to 'trip' the sensor and make the Mac recognize the digital sound device is no longer connected. If that doesn't work, at that place could exist some gunk blocking the socket. Effort blowing on it to remove any grit. If that doesn't work, purchase a can of compressed air and, carefully, spray the socket to blow out the dust.

If that still doesn't do the fox, buy a foam-tipped swab (don't employ a cotton bud as these get out tiny threads behind) and dip it in rubbing alcohol. Put the swab into the headphone jack and clean it, wiping away as much of the link as possible.

Reset the SMC

Another built-in controller that may affect sound is SMC (System Management Controller). It's possible to reset, it only takes a minute.

  1. So, shut downward your MacBook completely.
  2. Concur down Shift + Control + Option keys and press the Ability cardinal.
  3. Proceed holding all these keys for 10-15 seconds.
  4. Start your Mac commonly.

Bluetooth sound not working on Mac

Your Mac tin play audio wirelessly via Bluetooth, so if yous have Bluetooth speakers or headphones, yous can use those to mind to music or anything else on your Mac. Sometimes, however, they don't work.

Brand certain Bluetooth is switched on

  1. Go to Arrangement Preferences and click the Bluetooth pane.
  2. If it says, Bluetooth turned off, turn information technology on.

Make sure your headphones or speakers are connected.

  1. Look in the listing of devices in the main window to meet if your headphones or speakers are listed.
  2. If not, put them in pairing mode (you'll need to refer to their instructions to detect out how to do that) and when they announced, click Connect.
  3. If they are listed but not connected, brand sure they're switched on, and Command-click on them in the master window and choose Connect.

Tip: If you lot check the box labeled Show Bluetooth in the menu bar in Bluetooth preferences, y'all can connect from the menu bar item.

Once your headphones or speakers are connected, click on the book control in the menu bar and choose them. If you don't have the volume control displayed on the card bar, go to Organization Preferences, choose Sound and then the Output tab and select the Bluetooth speaker or headphones. While you're there, it's a adept idea to check the box labeled Show volume in the menu bar — information technology'south in the Audio Effects tab.

To conclude, there are a number of reasons why the sound is not working on your Mac. If yous follow the guide to a higher place and take it one pace at a time, you should be able to ready the problem. If none of the steps above work for you lot, the next step is to contact Apple support and, if possible, make an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple tree Shop. Finally, information technology wouldn't harm if you check your Mac for malware and remove system junk with the mentioned app, CleanMyMac X. The basic arrangement cleanup may assistance you lot to get your audio working over again.