Apple Intelligence is now available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac!

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Internal Speakers not working

Why does the option to pick my internal speakers not show up in the system preferences on my Mac, the result is I have no sound?

iMac 21.5″, 10.14

Posted on Sep 20, 2021 10:25 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 20, 2021 10:35 AM

Hello, twistedtuneman.


Sorry that you're having this trouble with your Mac speakers.


Doe the same thing happen when you login to another user account? If you don't have another account to test this with, add one by going to System Preferences > Users & Groups.


Try resetting the NVRAM. The NVRAM is a special memory section on your Mac that stores data that persists even when the Mac is shut off, such as volume settings and screen resolution - it's the information the computer uses to maintain settings after a reboot. You may have to do each of these several times because sometimes that's what it takes to stick.


Reset the NVRAM

How to Reset NVRAM / PRAM on your Mac - Apple Support


Reset the SMC

How to Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support


If neither of these actions resolves the problem, see if the problem still happens in Safe mode (hold the shift key down at startup). It can take much longer to safe boot (10 min) so be patient.

How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support 


Safe mode forces the OS to clear certain caches and logs and do other miscellaneous housekeeping. It's non-destructive to user data so is safe to do. Very often certain weird software behavior is corrected by simply logging in this way as a troubleshooting method. When you're in safe boot, the machine will not be at its best performance, especially with graphics, but that's expected.


Does the problem persist while in Safe mode?


Exit safe mode by restarting your Mac normally and re-evaluate the issue again.

If the problem is still unresolved, please return here and post a reply and we’ll see what else we can come up with for help.

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 20, 2021 10:35 AM in response to Twistedtuneman

Hello, twistedtuneman.


Sorry that you're having this trouble with your Mac speakers.


Doe the same thing happen when you login to another user account? If you don't have another account to test this with, add one by going to System Preferences > Users & Groups.


Try resetting the NVRAM. The NVRAM is a special memory section on your Mac that stores data that persists even when the Mac is shut off, such as volume settings and screen resolution - it's the information the computer uses to maintain settings after a reboot. You may have to do each of these several times because sometimes that's what it takes to stick.


Reset the NVRAM

How to Reset NVRAM / PRAM on your Mac - Apple Support


Reset the SMC

How to Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support


If neither of these actions resolves the problem, see if the problem still happens in Safe mode (hold the shift key down at startup). It can take much longer to safe boot (10 min) so be patient.

How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support 


Safe mode forces the OS to clear certain caches and logs and do other miscellaneous housekeeping. It's non-destructive to user data so is safe to do. Very often certain weird software behavior is corrected by simply logging in this way as a troubleshooting method. When you're in safe boot, the machine will not be at its best performance, especially with graphics, but that's expected.


Does the problem persist while in Safe mode?


Exit safe mode by restarting your Mac normally and re-evaluate the issue again.

If the problem is still unresolved, please return here and post a reply and we’ll see what else we can come up with for help.

Internal Speakers not working

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.