How to mute MacBook boot chime at night?

Question

kesierzg Author

Level 1

4 points

How to mute MacBook boot chime at night?

I need to check something but don't want to wake up others. DAAAAAAAAANG

Hmm mabye hold mute button? Nope.

Plug in headphones? This has to work.

DAAAAAAAAANG

APPLE SAYS NOOO everybody around me HAS TO KNOW IM USING A MACBOOK

no matter the time or situation

Imagine having to use this thing in a SOS situation, you're trying to hide, want to call for help but

DAAAAAAAAANG

I know I can disable it completely, but I like it, and I rarely shut it down.

This machine is miles ahead my previous ummm macbook ;) but little things like this make me furious

Posted on Jun 23, 2026 6:32 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

D.I. Johnson

Level 8

39,729 points

Jun 23, 2026 6:40 PM in response to kesierzg

The MacBook only chimes when you boot it up.

If you don't want to hear the boot chime, don't shut the computer down at night. Just close the lid and let it go to sleep. It won't chime when you lift the lid of the sleeping Mac.

And yes, you can disable the boot chime if you wish.

Turn the Mac startup sound on or off - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Jun 23, 2026 6:46 PM in response to D.I. Johnson

Follow up -

I just tested this on a MacBook Air M2 running Tahoe.

If I turn the volume down completely before I shut down the Mac, it does not chime on reboot.

YMMV. 🤷🏽‍♂️

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