Sound Not Working on Mac: How to Fix

Even on Mac we can run into problems with audio devices: the speakers no longer emit any sound, the connected headphones do not work or we cannot hear the audio from the monitor (with integrated speakers).

Luckily on Mac we can control audio devices from a single screen, without having to open too many menus or control panels. In the following guide we have collected all the tricks to fix audio problems on Macso you can go back to hearing the sounds made by apps, the operating system or browsers.

READ ALSO -> Improve headphone sound on Mac

1) Check volume of audio devices

The first trick to use to restore audio on the Mac involves a quick check of the audio settings of the operating system, so as to understand which devices we are using and what volume is set on it.

To proceed, click on the icon at the top left Applewe press on System settingslet’s go to the menu Sound and check the system-managed audio devices under the card Exit.

If we were using the internal audio of the Mac (for example the speakers of the MacBook or the speaker of the Mac Mini) let’s make sure that the item is selected speakers and that the item is not ticked Sound muted.

Always from the same screen, make sure that the output volume is high enough to be heard: bring the volume bar to half or more and try to emit a sound or start a test video on YouTube.

2) Switch audio output

Always from the same screen seen in the previous chapter (System Settings -> Sound -> Output) let’s try to change the audio device used for the Mac; if for example we have connected a new monitor to the MacBook or Mac Mini we can set the DisplayPort or HDMI output to pass the audio directly to the monitor’s built-in speakers.

With some digital connections (for example DisplayPort) and on some monitors the audio management goes directly from the Mac to the monitor: in this scenario we will not have any volume entry settable by the operating system but we will have to adjust the volume of the Mac using the Volume keys on the monitor (if equipped with built-in speaker boxes).

If your monitor doesn’t have built-in speakers make sure you set it as audio output speakers (of type Integrated), in order to use the Mac speakers even when we connect an external monitor without audio speakers.

3) Restore Mac system sounds

If system sounds are missing on Mac (while apps and internet sites feel good) we can restore them fast by taking us to the path Apple -> System Settings -> Sound and activating the switches next to the following items:

• Play sound on startup
• Play UI sound effects

We choose a warning sound next to the voice of the same name and use the small Play button to start playing the test sound; if we have problems with the volume we move the bar Warning volume to the utmost.

If the warning sounds are played by another audio device or are absent, we also check the voice Play audio effects throughtaking care to select the item Audio output devices selected or to directly select the device we use to hear the sounds of the Mac.

4) Troubleshoot Bluetooth headsets and peripherals

The sound problem only occurs when connect headphones or Bluetooth peripherals? In this specific case we must first check if the Bluetooth device is connected correctly and only then check the audio output.

To proceed, let’s go to the path Apple -> System Settings -> Bluetoothmake sure that the switch next to the Bluetooth item is active and check that the Bluetooth headphones (or any other Bluetooth device) is present in the list and has the writing Connected under his name; if we find the writing Disconnect click on it and press on Connect to enable it.

If your headphones are not listed we check that they are turned on correctly and also check the charge level of the built-in battery (or change the batteries, if it uses alkaline batteries to work).

For safety, we also hold down the power button at startup to lose the previous pairing and, as soon as the light on the headphones flashes quickly or with various colors, we open the Bluetooth menu again to check for the presence of the headphones in the section Nearby devices.

5) Solve problems with USB speakers, Jack headphones or digital devices

Those who use USB speakers for audio reproduction must first of all check that the speakers are turned on and well connected, especially if the power supply is separate from the USB cable; after this brief check, click on the icon at the top left Applewe select the menu System settingswe press on generalsthen up System report and, in the new window, press on the menu USB to open the list of USB devices, so as to check that they are actually recognized by the system.

If they are recognized, all we have to do is open the path Apple -> System Settings -> Sound and select them in the section Exit; the same goes for headphones connected via 3.5mm Jack or for digital devices connected via USB Type-C cable, via HDMI cable and via external video cards.

Conclusions

Sound problems are quite rare on Macs but in case of problems we can quickly access the sound settings and verify that the correct audio output is selectedthat an audible volume level is active and that it is not muted.

If the problems are so serious that they cannot be solved with the methods seen in this guide, we advise you to save all documents and personal files and format the Mac.

To solve problems with other types of peripherals we can read our articles on how to connect printer to mac come on how to add new usb ports on mac.