How to change VoiceOver's notification sound on Mac
VoiceOver 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 VoiceOver 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 short answer: VoiceOver doesn't expose notification-sound customization. Use the macOS-level method to mute it, or let Chirpy give it a custom sound.
How do I mute VoiceOver 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 VoiceOver in the application list and click it.
- Turn off “Play sound for notifications”.
- VoiceOver keeps showing banners and badges, with no audio.
Chirpy works with any macOS notification, including VoiceOver's. Create one rule, pick a sound, and save.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change VoiceOver's notification sound on Mac?
Only partly. VoiceOver 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 VoiceOver at the macOS level and let a rule-based tool such as Chirpy play the sound instead.
How do I mute VoiceOver notifications on Mac without turning them off?
Open System Settings → Notifications, click VoiceOver in the list, and turn off “Play sound for notifications”. VoiceOver keeps showing banners and badges, so you stop hearing it without losing it.
Can I set a different sound for specific VoiceOver notifications?
Not with macOS or VoiceOver 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 VoiceOver 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 VoiceOver 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.