Total silence from your MacBook — no startup chime, no video sound, the volume bar does nothing — is usually a software or settings problem, not a blown speaker. Nine times out of ten the audio is being routed to the wrong output, an app has grabbed the sound, or a background process has crashed. Work through these in order, fastest first, and stop as soon as sound comes back.
First: is it really "no sound," or the wrong output?
The most common cause isn't a broken speaker at all — macOS is playing audio to a device that isn't there. If you ever connected AirPods, an HDMI monitor, or a USB dock, the system can stay pointed at it. Check this before anything else:
- Open Control Center (the two-toggles icon, top-right menu bar) → click Sound.
- Look at the Output list. If anything other than MacBook Speakers is selected, click MacBook Speakers.
- Or go to System Settings → Sound → Output and pick MacBook Speakers. Confirm the Output volume slider is up and the Mute box is unchecked.
If the volume slider is greyed out or says "The selected device has no output controls," the Mac still thinks an external device is connected — see fix 4.
The fixes, fastest first
- Check volume and mute (10 seconds). Tap the volume-up key several times. Some third-party keyboards and Focus modes mute audio silently — open Control Center and confirm the Sound slider isn't at zero.
- Unplug everything and re-test. Pull out headphones, HDMI, USB-C hubs, and disconnect Bluetooth audio (System Settings → Bluetooth → disconnect AirPods/speakers). A half-inserted headphone plug or a dock claiming an audio channel is the classic "no sound" trap. Play a YouTube video after each removal.
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Quit the app that grabbed the audio. One misbehaving app (Zoom, a game, a DAW, a browser tab) can seize the sound device. Quit it fully (⌘Q), or restart coreaudiod: open Activity Monitor, search
coreaudiod, select it, and click the ✕ → Quit. It relaunches instantly and often restores sound with no reboot. - Reset the output device via a full restart. A restart (not just closing the lid) clears a stuck audio route. If the volume slider was greyed out, this is the fix that frees it. Apple menu → Restart.
- Reset the SMC / NVRAM (Intel Macs). On Apple-silicon Macs a restart already does this, but on older Intel MacBooks a stuck sound chip is cured by an SMC reset (shut down, hold Shift-Control-Option + power 10 seconds on non-removable batteries) and an NVRAM reset (power on, hold Option-Command-P-R until the second chime).
- Update macOS. A handful of macOS point releases have shipped audio bugs that a later update fixed. System Settings → General → Software Update.
The safe-mode test that ends the guessing
Boot into Safe Mode — it loads only Apple's own audio drivers. If sound works in Safe Mode but not normally, a login item or third-party audio extension (a virtual mixer, a screen-recorder, old Boom/SoundSource drivers) is the culprit; remove it. If there's still no sound in Safe Mode, the problem is hardware.
- Apple silicon (M1/M2/M3): shut down, hold the power button until "Loading startup options," pick your disk, then hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode.
- Intel: restart and hold Shift until the login screen.
When it really is the speaker
If there's no sound in Safe Mode, headphones and Bluetooth also play nothing, and a restart + coreaudiod restart changed nothing, you're likely looking at a failed speaker, audio flex cable, or logic-board audio chip. Two quick confirmations:
- Plug in headphones or connect a Bluetooth speaker. If those work but the built-in speakers don't, it's the internal speaker/cable (a cheaper repair). If nothing plays anywhere, it's deeper on the board.
- If you hear crackling or distortion rather than silence, that's a different failure — see our MacBook speakers crackling guide.
An out-of-warranty speaker or audio-board repair at Apple often runs $300 or more — frequently more than a clean older MacBook is worth. Before you pay for that, get a number for the Mac as-is.
Sound dead and not worth the repair? Get a number for your Mac
If the audio hardware has failed on an older MacBook, a repair can cost more than the machine's value. We buy MacBooks in any condition — including dead-speaker and no-audio units — and put the credit straight toward a newer one. A MacBook Air (M2) is $974.99 and a MacBook Air (M1) starts at $569.99 — both with clean audio and our warranty out of the box. Tell us your model on the broken-speaker trade-in page for an instant quote, or browse the Apple clearance deals to replace it for less.
Related guides
- MacBook speakers crackling? Every fix in order
- MacBook headphone jack not working
- MacBook microphone not working
- All MacBook guides →
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my MacBook suddenly have no sound?
The most common cause is the output being switched to a device that isn't connected anymore — AirPods, an HDMI monitor, or a USB dock. Open Control Center → Sound and select MacBook Speakers. If that's already correct, quit the last app you used and restart coreaudiod in Activity Monitor.
My volume slider is greyed out — what does that mean?
macOS thinks an external audio device is still connected and is routing sound to it. Unplug every accessory, disconnect Bluetooth audio, and restart the Mac. The slider becomes adjustable again once the phantom output device is cleared.
How do I know if it's a software glitch or a blown speaker?
Boot into Safe Mode. If sound returns, it's software — a login item or third-party audio driver. If there's still no sound in Safe Mode and headphones play nothing either, the audio hardware has failed.
My headphones work but the built-in speakers don't — is that fixable?
Yes, and it's usually one of the cheaper audio repairs because it points to the internal speaker or its flex cable rather than the logic board. Whether it's worth paying for depends on the model's value — on an older MacBook, trading it toward a newer one often costs less than the repair.
Is a MacBook with no working sound worth anything?
Yes. We buy MacBooks with dead speakers and audio faults and apply the credit toward a newer model. Get an instant number on our broken-speaker trade-in page.