How to change Apple Messages's notification sound on Mac
Apple Messages gives you an on/off sound toggle on macOS and nothing more, so you cannot choose which sound it plays. To silence it, turn off “Play sound for notifications” for Apple Messages in System Settings → Notifications. To give it a different sound, or a different sound per channel, person, or keyword, you need a rule-based app such as Chirpy, which reads macOS notifications locally and plays the sound you assigned.
In Apple Messages
Head to Settings → Notifications inside Apple Messages. The sound options live there, and you can turn them off. That stops Apple Messages's own audio, but macOS will still play its default sound on top. See the universal approach below to silence that too.
How do I mute Apple Messages notifications on a Mac?
macOS lets you silence any app's sound without disabling its notifications. The full visual walkthrough lives on the universal macOS method page. The short version:
- Open System Settings → Notifications on your Mac.
- Scroll to Apple Messages in the application list and click it.
- Turn off “Play sound for notifications”.
- Apple Messages keeps showing banners and badges, with no audio.
How Chirpy fills the gap
Chirpy reads the notification title and matches it against your rules. That means you can do things Apple Messages can't on its own: different sounds per channel, per person, per keyword, per server. Three quick examples:
- Boss mentions only: a distinct chime when their name appears in any Apple Messages notification.
- Urgent channel: a louder sound when the notification contains
#urgentor#critical. - Silence everything else: a rule that matches all other Apple Messages notifications with no sound. Banners still appear, your day stays quiet.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change Apple Messages's notification sound on Mac?
Only partly. Apple Messages gives you basic on/off sound controls, but no way to pick a different sound and no way to vary it by sender or content. To assign a specific sound, mute Apple Messages at the macOS level and let a rule-based tool such as Chirpy play the sound instead.
How do I mute Apple Messages notifications on Mac without turning them off?
Open System Settings → Notifications, click Apple Messages in the list, and turn off “Play sound for notifications”. Apple Messages keeps showing banners and badges, so you stop hearing it without losing it.
Can I set a different sound for specific Apple Messages notifications?
Not with macOS or Apple Messages alone, because neither can read the content of a notification and act on it. Chirpy matches the notification text against rules you write, using a name, a channel, a keyword, or a combination with AND/OR, then plays the sound you assigned to that rule.
Does muting Apple Messages in System Settings also hide its banners?
No. “Play sound for notifications” only controls audio. Banners, the Notification Center list, and Dock badges are separate toggles on the same screen.
Want sounds that actually mean something?
Chirpy adds rule-based custom sounds on top of macOS notifications. One sound for Apple Messages mentions, another for your calendar, silence for the rest. It is a native menu bar app. $19.99 as a one-time purchase, requires macOS 13 or later, and runs entirely on your Mac.