How to Turn Off the Startup Chime Sound on a Mac

The Iconic (and Sometimes Annoying) Startup Sound

For over two decades, almost every Apple computer has booted up with the exact same majestic, orchestral F-sharp major chord. The Mac startup chime is one of the most recognizable audio trademarks in the world, originally designed to signal to the user that all the hardware diagnostics had passed and the computer was healthy.

While the sound is nostalgic and iconic, it can also be incredibly disruptive. If you are sitting in a quiet university library, attending a silent corporate meeting, or simply trying to work late at night while your partner is sleeping in the same room, the sudden booming sound of a Mac restarting can be highly embarrassing.

Interestingly, Apple actually removed the startup chime entirely in 2016, assuming that users no longer needed an audio cue to know their computer was turning on. However, after intense backlash from long-time Apple fans, they quietly brought the chime back in 2020. Today, it is enabled by default on all new Macs.

Fortunately, if you prefer silence, you do not have to resort to plugging headphones into the audio jack before rebooting. You can completely disable the startup chime directly in the macOS settings.

How to Turn Off the Chime on macOS Ventura and Later

If you have a modern Mac running macOS Ventura (macOS 13) or macOS Sonoma (macOS 14), Apple completely redesigned the Settings app to look more like the iPhone. Because of this, the toggle switch was moved to a new location.

1. Click the Apple Logo () in the absolute top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select System Settings… from the dropdown menu.
3. In the left-hand sidebar menu, scroll down and click on Sound.
4. Look in the main right-hand pane under the “Output & Input” section.
5. You will see a toggle switch labeled Play sound on startup.
6. Click the toggle to turn it Off (the switch will turn grey instead of blue).

You can now safely restart your computer in total silence.

How to Turn Off the Chime on macOS Monterey and Older

If you are using an older Mac running macOS Monterey (macOS 12), Big Sur, or Catalina, your computer uses the classic “System Preferences” grid layout. The steps are slightly different.

1. Click the Apple Logo () in the top-left corner.
2. Select System Preferences… from the dropdown menu.
3. A window filled with various icons will appear. Click the Sound icon (it looks like a silver speaker).
4. At the top of the Sound window, click the Sound Effects tab.
5. Look for a small checkbox labeled Play sound on startup.
6. Click the box to Uncheck it.
7. Close the window. Your changes are saved automatically.

The Terminal Method (For Very Old Macs)

If you are trying to silence a very old Mac running an operating system prior to macOS Big Sur, you will notice that the “Play sound on startup” checkbox does not actually exist in the Sound menu. Apple did not provide a graphical way to turn it off.

Instead, you have to use a specific terminal command to physically mute the startup firmware.

1. Click the magnifying glass in the top-right corner of your screen to open Spotlight Search.
2. Type Terminal and press Enter.
3. A small text window will open. Type the following command exactly as written:

   sudo nvram SystemAudioVolume=%80

4. Press Enter.
5. The terminal will ask for your Mac login password. (Note: As you type your password, no characters or stars will appear on the screen. This is a security feature. Just type it blindly and press Enter).

This command alters the Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory (NVRAM) and permanently sets the startup volume to zero. If you ever want to turn the chime back on in the future, you can reverse the process by opening the terminal and typing sudo nvram -d SystemAudioVolume.