Mac Sound Not Working? 4 Easy Fixes for Audio Problems on Mac
Although Macs are mostly reliable and elegant machines there are little niggles that come up from time to time. One of which is the sound. The sound on your Mac can fail in several ways and this can be both annoying and frustrating.
If the sound on your Mac is not working, try these ideas to get your device’s audio firing on all cylinders once more.
Is the Volume Muted?
It sounds a bit strange but it is very easy to mute the volume on your Mac unintentionally. This is the first thing to check and if this is the reason it is the cause of celebration as it is very easily fixed. Simply tap the F12 key to see if the volume unmutes and glorious sound can be heard once more.
Is it an App and only an App that has no Sound?
It could be the case that the sound is fine but it simply doesn’t play in a specific app. It could be that in the app the sound has been inadvertently muted, so check this. It could be that the app requires updating to play sound. So, as a golden rule check the app volume to ensure it isn’t muted, and update the app to the latest version.
Update MacOS
If the sound is still an issue it is advised by Apple to ensure you are running the latest version of macOS that your device can handle. To check this click the Apple menu, then About this Mac. Click the Software Update feature and your device will check for updates and if there is a later version install it.
It is a good idea to back up your files before you update. You don’t want to lose any mission critical files or precious photographs.
Check the Sound Settings
If at this point you still don’t have sound, the next thing to do is to check the sound settings. To do this select:
- System preferences from the Apple menu
- Click Sound pane
- In the Output tab click on built-in speakers. If that is not an option you’ll need to contact Apple Support.
- If you have built-in speakers check the slider. If it is low, move it to the right and recheck the sound.
- Ensure the Mute box is unticked.
If you find a USB device connected rather than built-in speakers, change it. If you can’t change it, disconnect all USB devices and try again.
Another factor that can stop your sound from working is that an app has hijacked your sound settings. This is common with apps such as screen recorders where they use their own audio output functionality and now have complete domain over your Mac sound settings. If you see in the Output tab that an app is the output option uninstall it. A driver conflict has occurred and this is probably why you can’t hear anything.
When uninstalling, you may want to get a dedicated uninstaller app to ensure every file is removed.
Hopefully, one of these fixes will bring audio back to your life.
