How to Change the Error Alert Sound on a Mac

When you attempt an invalid action on your Mac, such as trying to delete a locked file, typing in a field that cannot be edited, or clicking outside an active modal dialog box, macOS will play a short audio cue to alert you to the error. By default, this alert is a loud, jarring sound named “Boop” (or “Basso” in older versions). If you find the default error ping too aggressive or simply annoying when working in a quiet office environment, you can easily change the sound to something softer, or disable the audio cue entirely.

How to Change the Alert Sound

macOS includes over a dozen built-in alert sounds, ranging from soft glass chimes to retro electronic clicks. You can preview and select a new sound from the main System Settings.

1. Click the Apple Logo in the top-left corner of your menu bar.
2. Select System Settings from the drop-down menu (or “System Preferences” if you are on an older OS).
3. In the left-hand navigation pane, scroll down and click on Sound.
4. Look for the section labeled Alert sound near the top of the right-hand panel.
5. You will see a drop-down menu currently displaying the name of your active sound (e.g., “Boop”). Click this menu to reveal a list of all available audio files.
6. Click on any name in the list (like “Breeze”, “Glass”, or “Tink”). As soon as you click, macOS will play a preview of the sound so you can decide if you like it.
7. Once you have found your preferred sound, simply leave it selected and close the System Settings window. The change is saved automatically.

How to Disable the Alert Sound Entirely

If you prefer your Mac to remain completely silent when you make a mistake, you cannot “delete” the sound, but you can mute it.

1. Navigate back to the Sound menu in System Settings.
2. Directly below the Alert sound drop-down menu, look for a slider labeled Alert volume.
3. Click and drag the slider all the way to the extreme left.

This isolates and mutes the error ping without affecting the master volume of your Mac. You will still be able to hear YouTube videos and Apple Music perfectly, but error dialogs will be completely silent.

Enable a Visual Screen Flash Instead

If you mute the alert sound, you might not realize an error occurred. To fix this, you can enable an accessibility feature that flashes your entire screen white when an error happens.

1. Open System Settings.
2. Click on Accessibility in the left pane.
3. Under the “Hearing” section, click on Audio.
4. Toggle the switch labeled Flash the screen when an alert sound occurs to the On position.