Working in macOS with a crowded desktop environment often means coping with an endless stream of alerts. Whether it is communication tools, calendar reminders, email clients, or cloud sync utilities, frequent audio chimes can shatter concentration and disrupt focused workflows. Fortunately, macOS provides granular control over sound alerts, allowing you to silence audio rings for noisy applications while retaining visual banners, or mute audio entirely on an app-by-app basis.
In this guide, you will learn how to customise or turn off notification sounds for individual applications in macOS, adjust system-wide alert chimes, and handle apps with proprietary in-app audio controls.
How Notification Audio Operates in macOS
In macOS Sonoma and Sequoia, notification sounds originate from two distinct pipelines:
- System Notification Pipeline: Managed centrally in macOS System Settings. Toggling audio off here stops the operating system from playing an alert chime when posting banners to the top-right corner of your screen.
- In-App Sound Handlers: Certain third-party applications (such as Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams) maintain their own internal notification synthesizers that bypass macOS system alert switches unless configured within the application itself.
How to Turn Off Notification Sounds for Any App in System Settings
To silence audio alerts for specific apps while keeping visual banners active:
- Click the Apple menu () in the upper-left corner of the menu bar and select System Settings.
- Click Notifications in the left-hand sidebar.
- Scroll through the list of installed applications under Application Notifications and click the specific app you wish to silence (for example, Messages, Mail, or Calendar).
- Locate the toggle labelled Play sound for notification.
- Turn the switch Off (greyed out).
The application will continue to present visual banners and badge icons on its Dock symbol without producing any audio interruption.
How to Customise the System Alert Sound
If you prefer a gentler or more distinct sound effect when your Mac needs your attention:
- Open System Settings > Sound.
- Under the Sound Effects section, locate the Alert sound dropdown menu.
- Click through the available audio samples (such as Breeze, Crystal, Submarine, or Boop) to audition tones.
- Adjust the Alert volume slider to ensure notifications sound at a comfortable volume without overpowering media playback.
Silencing Apps with Proprietary In-App Audio Settings
If an application continues to chime even after disabling “Play sound for notification” in System Settings, it is generating audio internally. You must mute sounds inside the app’s preferences:
1. Microsoft Teams
- Open Microsoft Teams, click the Settings and more icon (three dots) next to your profile picture, and select Settings.
- Select Notifications and activity.
- Under Sound, uncheck Play sound with incoming calls and notifications.
2. Slack
- Open Slack and press Cmd + , to open Preferences.
- Select Notifications from the sidebar.
- Scroll down to Sound & appearance, click the sound dropdown, and select None or uncheck Play a sound for notifications.
3. Apple Mail
- Open Mail and press Cmd + , to open Settings.
- In the General tab, click the New message sound dropdown.
- Select None to stop chimes when incoming mail arrives.
Temporarily Muting All Notification Sounds with Focus
When giving presentations or needing deep uninterrupted concentration, you can silence all notification chimes across every app using Focus:
- Click the Control Centre icon in the macOS menu bar (the two sliding toggles).
- Click Focus.
- Select Do Not Disturb.
- All notification chimes and banner pop-ups are silenced until you toggle the Focus mode off or its scheduled timer expires.
For more macOS management tips, learn how to customise the Undo Send delay in Apple Mail on Mac, or check our guide on how to receive and manage iPhone notifications on Mac in macOS Sequoia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I assign unique notification sounds to different apps in macOS?
By default, macOS uses the global system alert sound for all third-party app notifications that utilise the native notification center. You cannot natively assign different sound files to individual apps unless the application itself provides internal audio selection menus (such as Slack or Telegram).
Why does my Mac chime when I plug in the charger or press invalid keys?
Those are system user interface sound effects rather than app notifications. To turn them off, navigate to System Settings > Sound and disable Play user interface sound effects.
Will turning off notification sounds affect incoming phone and FaceTime calls?
FaceTime and iPhone Mirroring calls are treated as critical phone rings rather than standard notifications. To mute ringtones for incoming calls, adjust settings directly inside the FaceTime preferences (Cmd + , > Ringtone: None).