Mac Sound Output Greyed Out? 6 Fixes That Actually Work

Why Your Mac Sound Output Gets Greyed Out

Nothing's more frustrating than reaching for your Mac's volume controls only to find the sound output menu completely greyed out. This common macOS issue affects thousands of users, especially when using external speakers, monitors with built-in audio, or Bluetooth devices.

The greyed-out sound output typically happens when macOS loses control over audio routing, gets confused by multiple audio devices, or encounters conflicts with external hardware. Here's how to fix it.

Method 1: Reset Core Audio (Quick Fix)

The fastest solution is to restart macOS's audio system:

1. Open Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities)
2. Search for "coreaudiod"
3. Select the coreaudiod process
4. Click Force Quit
5. macOS will automatically restart the audio service

Your sound output menu should become active again within 10-15 seconds.

Method 2: Check Audio MIDI Setup

Sometimes audio device configurations get corrupted:

1. Open Audio MIDI Setup (Applications > Utilities)
2. Look for duplicate or broken audio devices in the sidebar
3. Right-click any problematic devices and select Remove Device
4. Go to Window > Show Audio Devices
5. Verify your current output device is properly configured

This clears up device conflicts that can disable audio controls.

Method 3: Reset PRAM/NVRAM

Audio settings stored in your Mac's parameter RAM might be corrupted:

1. Shut down your Mac completely
2. Press the power button
3. Immediately hold Option + Command + P + R
4. Keep holding until you hear the startup chime twice (or see the Apple logo appear and disappear twice on newer Macs)
5. Release the keys and let your Mac boot normally

This resets hardware-level audio configurations.

Method 4: Disconnect All Audio Devices

External audio devices can cause conflicts:

1. Disconnect all USB, Thunderbolt, and Bluetooth audio devices
2. Wait 30 seconds
3. Check if sound output controls are working with built-in speakers
4. Reconnect devices one at a time
5. Test audio controls after each connection

This helps identify which device is causing the problem.

Method 5: Create a New User Account (Test)

User-specific audio preferences might be corrupted:

1. Go to System Settings > Users & Groups
2. Click the + button to add a new user
3. Create a temporary admin account
4. Log out and log into the new account
5. Test if sound output controls work

If audio works in the new account, the issue is with your user preferences.

Method 6: Check for Third-Party Audio Software

Audio enhancement apps can interfere with macOS controls:

1. Look for audio apps in Applications folder
2. Check Login Items in System Settings
3. Quit any audio enhancement software
4. Test if sound output controls return
5. Consider uninstalling problematic audio software

Some older audio drivers are incompatible with recent macOS versions.

When Basic Audio Control Isn't Enough

Once you've restored your sound output controls, you might realise macOS's basic audio management is pretty limited. Unlike Windows, there's no built-in way to control volume for individual apps or route different apps to different outputs.

If you frequently work with multiple audio sources — like keeping Spotify on your speakers while routing Discord to headphones — consider a dedicated per-app audio controller like Soundish. It adds the volume mixer functionality macOS is missing, with per-app volume control (0-200%), output routing, and audio profiles to save your configurations.

This is especially useful for content creators, developers on video calls, or anyone who's tired of the "all apps get loud or all apps get quiet" limitation of macOS's system volume.

Preventing Future Audio Control Issues

Keep audio drivers updated: Check for driver updates when connecting new audio hardware.

Avoid force-quitting audio apps: Close audio applications properly to prevent conflicts.

Use quality cables: Cheap USB or aux cables can cause connection issues that confuse macOS.

Restart regularly: A weekly restart clears up minor audio system glitches.

When to Contact Apple Support

If none of these methods work, and you're still seeing greyed-out audio controls after trying all six fixes, there might be a deeper hardware issue. Contact Apple Support, especially if you're experiencing this on a newer Mac still under warranty.

Most cases of greyed-out sound output are software-related and resolve with the methods above, but persistent issues can indicate failing audio hardware that needs professional diagnosis.

Originally published at appish.app