How to change Skype's notification sound on Mac
Skype lets you change its own notification sound in its settings, but every Skype notification still sounds the same. To silence it, turn off “Play sound for notifications” for Skype 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.
The honest answer: Skype only gives you basic on/off controls. Your real options are the macOS-level method below, or Chirpy if you want per-notification customization.
In Skype
Head to Settings → Notifications inside Skype. The sound options live there, and you can turn them off. That stops Skype'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 Skype 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 Skype in the application list and click it.
- Turn off “Play sound for notifications”.
- Skype keeps showing banners and badges, with no audio.
How Chirpy fills the gap
With Chirpy you can give Skype's notifications a sound that matches their importance. For example: a quiet chime for routine updates, a louder bell for mentions, silence for the rest. All triggered by keywords in the notification text, with no plugin and no API access required.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change Skype's notification sound on Mac?
Skype has its own notification sound settings under Settings → Notifications, so you can change or disable the sound it plays. You cannot set a different sound for different notifications, though. Every Skype alert uses the same one. For that you need a rule-based tool such as Chirpy.
How do I mute Skype notifications on Mac without turning them off?
Open System Settings → Notifications, click Skype in the list, and turn off “Play sound for notifications”. Skype keeps showing banners and badges, so you stop hearing it without losing it.
Can I set a different sound for specific Skype notifications?
Not with macOS or Skype 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 Skype 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 Skype 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.