Press the power button and some MacBooks play a cheerful "bong" — the startup chime. Others boot in total silence. Neither is broken. This guide explains exactly what the chime means, which Macs make it, and the one-line command to turn it on or off.
What the startup chime actually is
The chime is a hardware self-test signal. When you power on a Mac, the boot firmware runs a quick Power-On Self-Test (POST) that checks the logic board, RAM, and storage before macOS loads. If that check passes, the Mac plays the chime and moves on to boot. In other words, hearing the chime is good news — it means the board powered up and passed its first health check.
The sound has been part of the Mac since 1984. The familiar modern "bong" was recorded in 1998 and Apple even trademarked it. It runs at a fixed volume from the firmware, which is why you hear it even if macOS volume is muted.
Why some MacBooks are silent (and that's fine)
If your MacBook boots without a sound, you are not missing a broken part. Apple quietly removed the chime from most Macs sold between roughly 2016 and 2020, then brought it back on 2020-and-newer models. So:
- 2016–2019 MacBook Pro / MacBook Air: silent boot by default — no chime, and that is normal.
- 2020 and newer (including all Apple silicon M1/M2/M3 MacBooks): the chime returned and is on by default, but you can turn it off.
- 2015 and older: chime on by default.
Whether your Mac chimes or not has nothing to do with its health or resale value. A silent 2018 MacBook Pro is working exactly as designed.
How to turn the startup chime OFF
On a 2020-or-newer MacBook, the fastest way is a single Terminal command. Open Applications → Utilities → Terminal and paste:
sudo nvram StartupMute=%01
Enter your admin password when prompted (you won't see characters as you type — that's normal), press Return, and reboot. The chime is now off. This writes a flag called StartupMute into NVRAM, the small bit of persistent memory that stores boot settings.
You can also do it without Terminal on modern MacBooks: System Settings → Sound, then turn off "Play sound on startup." That toggle only appears on Macs that support the chime.
How to turn the startup chime ON
To bring the sound back, run the opposite command in Terminal:
sudo nvram StartupMute=%00
Reboot and the chime returns. Or flip System Settings → Sound → "Play sound on startup" back on. If the command doesn't stick after a reboot, your model may simply not support the chime (see the 2016–2019 note above) — no command will add it to those machines.
Chime, but no screen — is that a problem?
Here's the useful diagnostic: if your MacBook plays the chime but the screen stays black, the logic board is alive and the issue is usually the display, backlight, or a stuck boot. That's a very different (and often cheaper) fix than a Mac that shows no signs of life at all. Walk through our step-by-step MacBook won't turn on guide to tell a dead screen from a dead Mac.
If the chime loops, stutters, or you get a series of beeps instead of the normal bong, that points to a RAM or hardware fault worth having looked at.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't my MacBook make a startup sound?
Most likely your Mac is a 2016–2019 model, which ships silent by default, or the chime was turned off with StartupMute. On a 2020-or-newer MacBook, check System Settings → Sound → Play sound on startup, or run sudo nvram StartupMute=%00 to re-enable it.
Does the startup chime mean my Mac is healthy?
It's a good sign. The chime plays only after the firmware's Power-On Self-Test passes, so hearing it means the board powered up and cleared its first check. A normal chime followed by a black screen usually means a display issue, not a dead machine.
Can I change the startup chime volume?
No. The chime plays at a fixed firmware volume and ignores your macOS volume and mute settings — it's either on or off, controlled by the StartupMute NVRAM flag.
Will muting the chime hurt anything?
No. StartupMute only silences the sound; the self-test still runs. You can toggle it as often as you like with zero risk to the Mac.
Thinking about an upgrade?
If your current MacBook is booting slow, silent, or not at all and you'd rather move on, a refurbished Apple-silicon MacBook fixes it for far less than new. The M1 MacBook Air starts at $450, the M2 Air at $549, and the tiny M2 Mac Mini at $599 — all with our own warranty. Browse current Apple clearance deals, or if your old Mac is dead, get a trade-in quote even for a broken MacBook and put the credit toward the upgrade.
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