How to Fix sound not working on MacBook?

A MacBook is an outstanding laptop and has many amazing features, but there are a few things that can go wrong with it. If your MacBook has any problems, you should try to fix them as soon as possible. But if you don’t know how to fix them, then you might need to get help. Here are some tips and tricks to assist you to fix ‘Sound not working on MacBook.’

How to Fix Sound not working on MacBook?

1. Check the volume

To start with, make sure that the volume hasn’t been intentionally muted. You can increase the volume by tapping the volume up key (F12).

If you press F12 or F11 when you hold down Option+Shift, the volume will increase or decrease in smaller steps than if you press the keys on their own.

In case, the F11 and F12 buttons do not function properly, then check this guide on How to make f11 and f12 control volume on Mac?

2. Is it an app problem?

Audio may be missing from specific apps, but not all apps are created equal when it comes to playing music.

If you cannot hear the music from your video in Safari, find that your volume is not set to zero. You may also want to ensure that Safari is closed.

It is important to find whether you have sound playback capabilities in other apps. If not, you can search for more apps with the music output.

If you’re tired of websites that automatically play videos or have background noise, you can go to the Safari > Preferences and click the Websites tab to disable this setting.

Choose Playback Controls, and then click Stop Media With Sound. In the bottom right of the window, choose Auto-play. 

3. Run Maintenance scripts

CleanMyMac X’s and its Maintenance scripts are designed to help diagnose and repair a variety of errors, including audio and video issues.

This is a simple utility that lets you optimize the most popular apps for Mac devices.

Maintenance scripts run a number of important maintenance tasks to keep your Mac running smoothly. They can repair disk permissions, verify your startup disk, and rebuild the launch services database. 

You can run the maintenance scripts by following the steps given below:

Download CleanMyMac X here (it’s free to download).

1. You have to launch the app. 
2. Click on the Maintenance button. 
3. Click the Run button if you want to run the maintenance script. 

4. Hardware issues should be checked out

Make sure no cables are connected to the headphone/line out port and check to see if there’s a red light on the port. If there is, the error could be with the port or something else blocking it. If there is dust on it, blow on it to clear it.  

5. Are you running the latest version of macOS?

In the event that your Mac still lacks Sound and video, Apple suggests checking that it’s running the most recent version of macOS to fix the issue.

If you are unsure what version of macOS your Mac is running, click the Apple menu and then About This Mac.’ A window will open with the current macOS version’s name at the top. For example, macOS Monterey is the current version. In case Monterey isn’t installed, you should consider installing it by selecting on the App Store icon in the right-hand sidebar on the main window.

Regardless of whether you want to install Monterey, at least make sure you are running the latest updates for whatever OS version you have installed. You can find that by going to About This Mac and selecting Software Update. You will be notified if there are any updates. Install them if necessary.

Use Time Machine or whatever backup tool you use to back up your Mac before you install a new version of the OS or an update. Once done with this step, the issue will be resolved automatically.

How to check your sound settings?

Check your Sound settings when you’re running the latest macOS version and your Sound still doesn’t work.

1. Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu.
2. Select the Sound tab.
3. Under Output, choose Built-in Speakers. If that option does not appear, call Apple Support.
4. Slide the volume slider to the right if it is low; if so, check the Sound again.
5. Uncheck the Mute box if it is enabled.

When analyzing your sound settings, if you see a USB device selected instead of built-in speakers and you can’t change it, you may have to disconnect all USB devices.

Check this guide, in case the Volume buttons are not working on Macbook.

Is there an app that interferes with the Sound?

Whenever you record the screen, some applications, such as screen recorders, install their own audio output drivers, which allows you to direct the output of your Mac to the recording application. It’s possible that an app like that could interfere with your Mac’s sound output if its driver has been installed.

1. Select Sound in System Preferences.
2. Navigate to the Output tab.
3. There may be an output option that looks like a software application selected, which may cause the Sound not to work on your Mac.

In that case, you should uninstall the app. Although you can drag the app to the Trash, that won’t properly uninstall it or delete all the files it has left on your Mac. CleanMyMac X is a good uninstaller that can help you achieve that.

CleanMyMac X can remove every app and program that you want to remove from your Mac completely and safely. It’s the easiest solution to completely uninstall apps. You’re sure to get rid of the app if you use CleanMyMac X. Download CleanMyMac X for free at the link here. 

Restart the sound controller

Is the Mac sound still not working? It is recommended to restart the sound controller if neither software audio drivers nor devices plugged into the headphones jack, USB, or Thunderbolt ports interfere with your Mac’s Sound. You’ll need to launch Activity Monitor and end the process, but don’t worry, it’s not that scary! It is a very simple solution you can try!

1. Launch Activity Monitor by double-clicking on Applications > Utilities.
2. Find the Core Audio controller of the Macbook by typing ‘coreaudiod’ into the search bar.
3. You can quit coreaudiod by clicking the ‘X’ in the toolbar.
4. This will restart the program. 

Why is the volume low on Macbook?

Your Mac’s speaker volume is likely to be affected by hardware or software issues.

There could be a lot of reasons why you’re having issues syncing your notes. We recommend starting with the basics. Is the speaker plugged in and turned on?

The first thing you should do to troubleshoot this issue is reset PRAM and NVRAM, which will return the system to factory settings.

These are the small pieces of the hardware in your Mac. These are the things you need to get your Mac to work.

When your Mac starts up, press Option-Command-P-R to reset NVRAM/PRAM. When the reset is complete, release the keys. Check the volume after your Mac has restarted. This is a perfect solution to fix the low volume on Mac.  

Mac volume not working and stuck on mute?

If the volume control is not working on your Mac, it’s likely that the volume control is stuck. You can fix this by pressing the keys F4 and then the arrow up key.

The common occurrence of this error is on pre-2015 Macs that had digital audio output support in the headphone jack.

These Macs had a sensor in the port that detected whether a digital audio device or a headphone jack was plugged in.

The Mac will change the output to headphones or digital output.

When unplugging a digital audio device, the sensor sometimes failed to recognize it, and so the output remained locked on digital output.

The digital output doesn’t make any noise unless the input device is connected. There’s no way to change the volume, but when it’s connected, you can hear a sound. 

If that happens, plugging the cable back into the socket and removing it again will solve the problem.

It’s recommended that you unplug the USB port and select the device name in the Sound pane at the same time. There seems to be a issue with the logic board switching between output modes on the Mac. If this is the case, you can try to reset the SMC.

It may take a few times to ensure the Mac recognizes that the digital audio device is no longer connected by ‘tripping’ the sensor. The socket could be blocked by some gunk if that doesn’t work. Remove any dust by blowing in it. To blow out dust, buy compressed air and spray it carefully into the socket.

To make sure the spot is gone, use a foam-tipped swab (do not use a cotton bud because it leaves tiny threads behind) dipped in rubbing alcohol. Take the swab and wipe the headphone jack as cleanly as possible. 

Reset the SMC

The SMC (System Management Controller) is another built-in sound controller. Resetting it takes just a few minutes. 

1. Put your MacBook to sleep completely.
2. Press the Power key while holding down Shift, Control, and Option.
3. Hold these three keys for about 10-15 seconds.
4. Restart your Mac normally.

Bluetooth sound not working on Mac

You can hear music on your Mac using Bluetooth speakers or headphones if you have them. Bluetooth speakers and headphones may not work all the time.

Ensure that Bluetooth is enabled

1. Navigate to the Bluetooth tab in System Preferences.
2. Turn on Bluetooth if it’s turned off.

Ensure that your headphones or speakers are connected.

1. Make sure your headphones or speakers are listed in the list of devices in the main window.
2. In that case, you must set them up for pairing (you will need to refer to the instructions for this) and then connect to them when they appear.
3. Make sure they’re switched on and choose Connect in the main window if they’re listed but not connected.

If the box labeled Show Bluetooth in the menu bar is enabled, you can connect from the menu bar item in Bluetooth preferences. 

Connect your headphones or speakers to your computer by plugging the cable into a headphone or speaker jack. Select the volume control from the menu bar.

In the ‘System Preferences’ choose Sound, then the Output tab, and select your Bluetooth speaker or headphones.

While you’re there, it’s also a good idea to go to the menu bar, click the Sound Effects button and check the box labeled “Show volume in the menu bar.

The sound may not work on your Mac for a number of reasons. The most common is that you don’t have the right drivers.

Conclusion

The guide above should help you solve the ‘Sound not working on Macbook’ problem. If all else fails, you need to contact Apple support.