The Sound on My Mac Is Stuck on Mute

Changing your Mac's volume is generally as simple as pressing a key on your keyboard, but sometimes the computer may experience a glitch and get stuck on a certain volume level. This can be the result of a temporary error, incorrect permissions or a change in keyboard settings, but all can be rectified through your Mac's utilities or by restarting.

Restart Computer

The occasional small and temporary glitch can typically be fixed by logging out and logging back in, or by restarting the computer. The latter process is more likely to fix most problems because it stops all processes and starts them fresh.

Repair Permissions

The actions of your computer are defined by its permissions; if they are wrong, this can cause some parts of your computer to function incorrectly. Luckily, Mac OS has a built-in utility designed to repair these permissions. Open Disk Utility by clicking the magnifying glass icon at the upper right of the screen and typing "Disk Utility" into the search field that appears. Select Macintosh HD from the sidebar on the left, then click "Repair Disk Permissions." When the process has completed, restart your computer.

Check Keyboard Volume Settings

If your keyboard preferences are set a certain way, you may be unable to use your keyboard to change your computer's volume at all. Open System Preferences from the Apple menu on the upper left of the screen, click Keyboard and then make sure that the first box under the Keyboard tab is unchecked. This will ensure that your F keys ("F1," "F2," and so on) will use their default functions, with volume control among them.

Clean Headphone Jack

The headphone jack on your Mac allows you to plug in speakers, headphones or other external peripherals for directing audio. If the jack is dirty, it can make the computer think something is plugged in, which will result in no sound coming from your computer. Clean out the jack with a can of compressed air, or try plugging in and immediately removing a fitting plug.