SoundMute Startup Sound
Turn off the MacBook startup sound
To turn off the MacBook startup sound, open System Settings › Sound and switch off Play sound on startup. That works on macOS 13 Ventura and later. On macOS 11 and 12 it's in System Preferences › Sound › Sound Effects. Mute Startup Sound changes the same setting, and the chime stays off after you quit MrFixable.
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One of 68 fixes in MrFixable. Lifetime license, no subscription. Updated October 22, 2026. Works on macOS 14.2 Sonoma and later. Checked on macOS 26 Tahoe.
What Mute Startup Sound does
The problem
Your Mac plays a chime every time it turns on, loud enough to turn heads in a quiet office, a library or a bedroom at night. The switch for it, Play sound on startup, sits in System Settings › Sound, where it's easy to miss.
With Mute Startup Sound
Your Mac starts up in silence. The setting is saved in the Mac itself, so it stays even when MrFixable isn't running.
- The same switch as macOSIt changes the same setting as Play sound on startup in System Settings › Sound, and nothing else. Alerts and every other sound play as usual.
- Asks only when neededIf the startup sound is already off, no password is needed. If you cancel the password prompt, the switch goes back to match what your Mac really does.
- Stays in sync with macOSTurn the startup sound back on in System Settings, and Mute Startup Sound switches itself off instead of asking for your password out of the blue.
Good to know
macOS asks for your administrator password when you switch it on, and again when you switch it off, because the startup sound setting is stored in your Mac's firmware and only an administrator can change it. The password goes to macOS, not to MrFixable.
Quitting MrFixable, or dragging it to the Trash, doesn't bring the chime back. Switch the fix off, or use Uninstall in MrFixable's General settings, and the chime is turned back on after your password.
Questions
How do I disable the Mac startup sound?
1. Choose Apple menu › System Settings. 2. Click Sound in the sidebar. 3. Switch off Play sound on startup. This works on macOS 13 Ventura and later. On macOS 11 Big Sur and 12 Monterey, open System Preferences › Sound › Sound Effects instead. Versions before macOS 11 have no setting for it.How do I mute the Mac startup sound?
Use System Settings › Sound › Play sound on startup, or Terminal: 1. Open Terminal from Applications › Utilities. 2. Type sudo nvram StartupMute=%01 and press Return. 3. Enter your password. To bring the chime back, use sudo nvram StartupMute=%00. It's the same setting Mute Startup Sound changes.How do I turn off the Mac startup sound with MrFixable?
1. Click the MrFixable icon in the menu bar. 2. Switch on Mute Startup Sound. 3. Enter your administrator password when macOS asks. The next time your Mac turns on, it starts in silence. If the chime is already off, no password is needed, and the fix just shows Muted.How do I change the Mac startup sound?
You can't. macOS only lets you turn the startup chime on or off, in System Settings › Sound › Play sound on startup. There's no setting to pick a different sound, and Mute Startup Sound doesn't add one either: it only turns the chime off, using the same setting as macOS.How do I remove the Mac startup sound?
You can't delete it, but you can silence it for good: 1. Open System Settings › Sound. 2. Switch off Play sound on startup. 3. Restart to check. The setting is saved in the Mac itself, so it stays off for every user, after updates, and whether or not MrFixable is running.How do I turn off the MacBook Pro startup sound?
The steps are the same on every Mac: 1. Choose Apple menu › System Settings. 2. Click Sound. 3. Switch off Play sound on startup. They work the same on a MacBook Air, iMac or Mac mini. Mute Startup Sound changes the same setting from MrFixable, with one switch.What is the Mac startup sound?
The Mac startup sound is the chime your Mac plays as it turns on. It's controlled by Play sound on startup in System Settings › Sound. The setting is stored in the Mac's firmware, not your user account. You can turn it on or off, but not change the sound.Why does Mute Startup Sound ask for my password?
Because the startup sound setting is stored in your Mac's firmware, and macOS only lets an administrator change it. macOS shows its own password prompt each time you switch the fix on or off, and the password goes to macOS, not to MrFixable. If the chime is already off, it doesn't ask.