Fix No Sound on Your Computer
Videos play but you hear nothing. It's almost always a setting rather than broken hardware. Work through these fixes in order.
The three things that cause most “no sound” problems
- Muted or turned down: the computer, the app, and the speakers or headphones themselves all have their own volume.
- Wrong output: the sound is going to a different device, like a monitor, TV, or Bluetooth headphones in another room.
- Something stuck: a restart fixes it.
FIXTry these in order
Open a step, try it, then tell us if it worked.
- Click the speaker icon near the clock and drag the slider up. If it shows a cross, click it to unmute.
- Right-click the speaker icon and open Volume mixer: individual apps can be muted separately.
- Press the volume-up key, or click Control Centre in the menu bar and drag Sound up.
- Check the speakers' or headphones' own volume knob or buttons, and that they're switched on.
- In the app itself, like YouTube or Zoom, make sure its volume isn't muted.
Click the speaker icon near the clock, then the > arrow next to the volume slider. Pick the speakers or headphones you want. Monitors and TVs connected by HDMI often take over the sound.
Go to System Settings › Sound › Output and select the device you want. Hold Option and click the sound icon in the menu bar for a quick switcher.
- Unplug wired headphones or speakers and plug them back in firmly. Try a different port.
- For Bluetooth, turn it off and on, or remove the device and pair it again.
- Restart the computer.
Search for Get Help in the Start menu, type “fix sound”, and run the audio troubleshooter. It checks and resets common settings automatically.
Open Terminal (search for it with ⌘ Space), paste this and enter your Mac password:
sudo killall coreaudiod
Sound cuts out for a second while macOS restarts its audio system.
Go to Settings › System › Sound, select your output device, and turn Audio enhancements off. Some enhancement drivers stop sound working entirely.
- Install updates in Settings › Windows Update, including Optional updates.
- If it's still silent, search Device Manager, expand Sound, video and game controllers, right-click your audio device and choose Uninstall device. Restart and Windows reinstalls it.
- Did sound stop right after a Windows update? See our September 2026 update guide.
Install anything in System Settings › General › Software Update. If only the built-in speakers are silent but headphones work, the speakers may need repair; contact Apple Support.
- Try headphones. If they work but speakers don't, the speakers or their cable are the problem.
- If nothing works at all, contact your computer maker's support; the sound hardware may need repair.
FAQCommon questions
Why does my sound keep switching to my monitor or TV?
When you connect a screen by HDMI or DisplayPort, the computer may pick its speakers automatically. Choose your preferred device again in the output menu.
Sound works in some apps but not others. Why?
That app is probably muted or set to a different output. Check its own settings, and the Volume mixer on Windows.
My headphones work on my phone but not my computer.
Make sure they're selected as the output device, and for Bluetooth, remove and re-pair them on the computer.
Sound crackles or cuts out. Is that the same problem?
It's related. Turn off audio enhancements, move Bluetooth headphones closer, and update audio drivers.