How to Fix Slack Notifications With No Sound on macOS

Slack has become the go-to communication tool for millions of professionals and teams around the world. From startups to enterprise organizations, it’s increasingly relied upon for day-to-day conversations, project updates, and collaborative work. But when Slack notifications stop making sounds on macOS, it can cause missed messages, overlooked deadlines, and a great deal of frustration. Fortunately, there are several straightforward ways to get your Slack audio alerts working properly again.

TL;DR: If your Slack notifications aren’t making sound on macOS, check the system sound settings, make sure Slack’s notification preferences are correctly configured, and verify that Do Not Disturb mode is off. Also, confirm that the correct audio output device is selected. Restarting Slack or reinstalling the app can often fix persistent issues. Read on for a detailed step-by-step guide.

1. Check Mac’s Sound Settings

Begin by making sure your Mac’s sound settings are in working order. Sometimes the problem lies not with Slack but with the system audio itself.

• Volume: Click the volume icon in the menu bar and drag the slider to make sure it’s turned up.
• Mute Status: Check if the Mac is muted. Press the F10 key (or mute key) to unmute it.
• Output Device: Go to System Settings > Sound > Output. Make sure the correct speakers (internal or external) are selected.

Sometimes your Mac might be routing the sound to a different output (like disconnected Bluetooth headphones), which would cause Slack to seemingly be silent.

2. Verify Slack’s Notification Preferences

Slack has a comprehensive notification system, and it allows granular control over how you receive alerts. If Slack notifications have gone silent, your preferences might have inadvertently changed.

1. Open Slack and go to Slack > Preferences > Notifications.
2. Ensure that “Sound & appearance” is expanded.
3. Under Sound, make sure “Play a sound when receiving a notification” is checked.
4. Also choose a notification sound from the dropdown menu to ensure it’s not set to “None.”

Slack allows users to pick a different sound for direct messages, mentions, and other events. You can try selecting a different notification sound to see if that triggers audio.

3. Confirm Your Slack Status and Focus Settings

Your current Slack status or system-wide focus configuration might be suppressing notification sounds.

• Do Not Disturb in Slack: If you have set a Do Not Disturb schedule, it may be muting notifications. Go to Slack preferences > Notifications > Notification Schedule.
• macOS Focus Mode: On macOS, the Focus feature (previously called Do Not Disturb) can also prevent audio alerts. Check this by going to System Settings > Focus and confirm whether Slack is impacted by any focus rules.

Turning off Focus mode or editing app-specific focus configurations might immediately solve the problem.

4. Look at Per-Channel Notification Settings

Even if your overall settings are correct, Slack allows you to customize alerts for individual channels. You may have unknowingly silenced certain conversations.

• Navigate to the channel in question.
• Click the channel name at the top, then select Notifications.
• Ensure it’s set to notify you for All new messages or Mentions & keywords.

Repeat this process for multiple channels if you’re unsure where the sound is missing.

5. Check for App-Specific Audio Issues

Slack is an Electron-based app, meaning it can sometimes run into compatibility issues or strange bugs that prevent its sound from functioning normally.

Try the following to reset or refresh Slack:

• Restart Slack: Quit the app completely (right-click on the dock icon > Quit) and relaunch it.
• Update Slack: Help > Check for Updates. Outdated versions can have lingering bugs.
• Clear Cache Files: Hold Shift + Command + G from Finder and type ~/Library/Application Support/Slack/. Remove the Cache, Code Cache, and GPUCache folders. Then restart Slack.

Note: Always back up important preferences or settings before clearing cache folders.

6. System Alerts and Accessibility Settings

It’s worth exploring whether macOS’s accessibility or audio feedback settings are affecting notification output. Under System Settings > Accessibility > Audio, make sure any sound filters or mono audio settings aren’t interfering.

Also verify the system alert volume (sometimes confused with Slack’s own settings):

• Go to System Settings > Sound.
• Adjust the sliding scale under “Alert volume”.

This setting influences alert and app sounds for the system as a whole.

7. Test Notifications With a Mention or Message

To test whether Slack notifications sound works after adjustments, ask a coworker to mention you in a message, or use your mobile to message yourself in Slack. This helps confirm settings are applying correctly, especially across channels or devices.

8. Reinstall Slack as a Last Resort

If nothing else has worked, a clean uninstall and reinstall can resolve issues stemming from corrupted settings or updates gone wrong.

1. Quit Slack completely.
2. Navigate to /Applications and drag Slack to the Trash.
3. Then find and delete any Slack-related preferences via ~/Library/Application Support/ and ~/Library/Preferences.
4. Download the latest version from the official Slack download site.
5. Reinstall and log back in.

This ensures a fresh start and might fix stubborn issues that persist after other methods fail.

Bonus Tip: Use Slack in Browser for Comparison

If you’re still struggling despite all of the above, trying Slack in a browser can help identify whether the issue is with the desktop app or your device/system:

Visit https://slack.com/signin, log in, and test notification sounds there. If it works in the browser but not the app, the problem is likely app-specific—reinstallation or updates should solve it.

Final Thoughts

Missing out on Slack notifications can be more than an inconvenience—it can impact your productivity and team communication. Fortunately, with the steps outlined above, you’ll be able to troubleshoot and restore your Slack audio notifications on macOS in no time.

From simple fixes like adjusting the system volume, all the way to advanced resets and reinstalls, these methods were designed to cover everything that could be preventing you from hearing notifications. If all else fails, Slack’s own support team is responsive and can guide you through rarer technical problems as well.

Stay connected, stay notified, and don’t miss another ping!