Sound not working on macOS Sonoma? Whether you have a Mac Mini, MacBook, or Mac Studio, all of these come with in-built speakers. Though speakers of Mac Mini and other Macs can’t be compared to MacBooks they are good enough to get you going through the set-up process and regular Facetime calls.
macOS Sonoma was released at the WWDC 2023 last year and many users have upgraded to it after the public release. After upgrading to macOS Sonoma, users started facing problems with their Mac. Users complained that the features that were working before the upgrade, stopped working after getting the Sonoma update.
Amidst all the issues, many users have complained that after upgrading the macOS Sonoma, they stopped receiving any sound output from their Mac. If you are also facing this issue and not getting any sound on your Mac then we are here to solve this issue for you. In this article, we will guide you with all the ways to fix sound not working on macOS Sonoma.
Ways to Fix Sound Not Working on macOS Sonoma
If you are bugged by the sound issues on your system after the Sonoma update then your Google Search has brought you to the right place. Without wasting any of your time, let’s get to the troubleshooting steps to fix Sound not working on macOS Sonoma-
1. Unmute Mac
If Mac’s sound is not working then it can be because your Mac got muted after the update. Check whether your Mac is muted or not, and if it is then unmute it. Below are the steps to do so-
- From the menu bar at the top of your screen, click on Control Centre.
- Here if the Sound slider is to the left then your Mac is muted.
- Drag the slider to the right to unmute it.
2. Check Sound Settings
Sound settings must be correct if you want audio input and output on your Mac. Your Mac will automatically adjust the sound settings as per what it feels the best. If the sound settings are incorrect then you will not hear sound from the device. Here are the steps to check and fix sound settings on Mac-
- Press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight Search.
- Type System Settings and press the Return key to open the System Settings app.
- From the left pane, click on the Sound tab.
- Under the Output & Input section, click on the Output tab.
- Select your Mac’s speakers from the audio device list.
Note- If you have any external speaker or headphones connected to your Mac then select that from the list.
3. Check your Speaker/Headphone
If you have your speaker or headphones connected to your Mac then ensure its volume is not muted and the device is working fine. It can be a hardware glitch with your headphones/speaker causing this issue.
We suggest you disconnect them and then reconnect them. If that doesn’t solve the issue, try using some other speaker or headphones. If you don’t face this issue with some other headphones or speaker, then probably the sound device you were using earlier is faulty.
If you are using wired headphones then check the headphone jack on your Mac whether it is working or not. If the headphone jack is faulty then you will not be able to connect wired headphones/speakers to your Mac.
4. Ensure the Issue is Not App Specific
If you have tried the above steps but the sound is still not working in macOS Sonoma, then probably it can be an issue with a particular app and not the system sound.
For instance, if you are playing some video on YouTube on your browser, then ensure the video and the tab are not muted.
You can also try playing audio on some other app to ensure the issue is not app-specific. If the sound is not working with any of the apps on your Mac, then you can try the next step in this article.
5. Restart your Mac
Your Mac can have some temporary glitches after the update. If you started using your Mac just after updating it then you can face this issue. You can simply fix this issue by restarting your Mac. Rebooting your Mac will clear temporary glitches and bugs and you should no longer face sound issues on it.
- Open the Apple Menu from the top left corner.
- From the menu, click on Restart.
- Click on Restart again to restart your Mac.
6. Update MacOS
The earlier version of the macOS Sonoma came with some bugs but Appl Developers addressed these bugs and fixed the issues faced by the users with the software updates. If you are still running on the early version of the Sonoma, then we suggest you update your Mac to the latest version. The steps given below will guide you through it-
- Click on the Launchpad icon on the dock.
- In the Launchpad, search for System Settings and open it.
- Click on the General tab on the left pane, and then on Software Update.
- Your Mac will check for updates. Install any updates available and then see if the issue is resolved.
7. Reset NVRAM
NVRAM stores some essential settings like the sound settings that can be accessed by Mac quickly. If anything goes wrong with it, then you might face issues like sound not working. You can reset the NVRAM with just a few key combinations.
This method only works for Intel-based Macs, as resetting NVRAM is not required on Macs with Apple Silicon. If you have Apple Silicon-based Mac then you can skip this step.
- Click on the Apple icon at the top left corner and then click on Shut Down.
- Turn off your Mac by clicking on Shut Down again.
- Now, press the Power button on your Mac and then immediately press and hold the Option + Command + P + R keys together.
- Keep holding the keys for 20 seconds and then release them. Your Mac may restart 1-2 times during the process.
- When your Mac turns on after this, check the sound settings and see if the issue is still encountered.
8. Contact Apple Support
If the issue is still not resolved then you can reach out to Apple Customer Support and tell them about the issue you have been facing. We suggest you make an appointment at your nearest Apple Service Center and get your Mac diagnosed.
If your Mac is under warranty then probably the repair cost will be free if the issue is not due to your fault. The technician will diagnose your Mac, and if the issue is due to the Sonoma update then will downgrade your Mac to the previous stable version. If the issue is due to hardware failure then they will repair your Mac.
However, if your Mac has some external damage or after diagnosing, the issue came out to be because of your fault then you will be charged for the repair and part replacement (if required). If the repair is not free, then the technician will give you the quotation for the repair and it’s up to you whether you want to go for it or not.
Bottom Line
Though Apple has released various versions of the macOS Sonoma since its initial launch, some issues still keep popping up with it. Many users have reported that sound is not working on macOS Sonoma after the update. If you are also stuck with the same issue then you can follow the steps listed in the article above. For any further queries, you can feel free to comment down below.
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