Laptop speakers stop working when volume is muted, the wrong output is chosen, drivers glitch, or hardware fails—check volume, output, updates first.
Quick Checks Before You Dig Deeper
Most “no sound” problems come down to a tiny oversight. Spend a minute with these basics. Toggle the keyboard volume keys up, make sure any physical mute switch on the laptop is off, and slide the taskbar or menu bar volume to a sensible level. If you use audio apps, open one and verify its own volume isn’t set to zero. Unplug USB headsets or docks, then try a YouTube clip to test.
Now check output selection. On Windows, click the speaker icon and choose the correct device under “Choose where to play sound.” On a Mac, open System Settings > Sound and select “Built-in” for Output. If you recently used Bluetooth earbuds, turn Bluetooth off so the laptop stops sending audio there. Reboot; it clears stale device routes and stuck services.
Fast Diagnostic Table
| Symptom | What To Try First | Where |
|---|---|---|
| No sound anywhere | Raise volume, unmute, pick correct output, reboot | Taskbar/Menu bar & system sound panel |
| Sound in headphones only | Unplug, reselect speakers; check jack debris | Audio jack & Output device list |
| Sound in some apps | Check app mixer, reset app volume | Windows Volume Mixer / app controls |
| Speakers listed but silent | Disable enhancements/effects; test drivers | Device settings / Device Manager |
| Speakers missing from list | Show disabled devices; reinstall driver | Sound panel / Device Manager |
| Works until sleep | Restart audio service; update chipset | Services / Windows Update |
| Tinny or crackling | Turn off enhancements; try 44.1 kHz | Device properties (format page) |
| Mac plays to AirPods | Turn off Bluetooth; pick “Built-in” output | System Settings > Sound |
| After OS update | Check vendor driver, reset settings | Windows Update / macOS Software Update |
Why Won’t My Laptop Speakers Work? Quick Checks
Ask three questions. Is the laptop sending sound to the right place? Are drivers and effects getting in the way? Do the speakers themselves respond? Walk through them in order to avoid chasing ghosts.
Make Sure Output Isn’t Hijacked
Click the speaker icon in Windows and choose your laptop speakers by name. If a dock, monitor, or wireless earbuds grabbed the route, pick the built-in device. On macOS, open System Settings > Sound > Output and pick the internal option, then raise the slider and clear the Mute box. Test an alert and a movie trailer so you hear both short and long audio.
Reset App And Mixer Levels
Some apps mute themselves. In Windows, open Volume Mixer and raise the sliders for browsers, players, and calls. On a Mac, check the player’s own control plus any per-tab mute in the browser. If a site still stays silent, try a second site to rule out the page itself.
Fixes For Windows Laptops
Pick The Correct Playback Device
Open Settings > System > Sound, then under Output choose your laptop speakers. If you see several entries, select each and click Test. Microsoft’s guide lays out the steps clearly; you can open this Windows sound guide in a new tab while you work.
Run The Troubleshooter
Still quiet? In the same Sound page, run Troubleshoot. It scans for muted devices, wrong defaults, and stuck services. Accept fixes it suggests, then play audio again.
Turn Off Enhancements And Effects
Enhancements can break playback on some drivers. Open your output device’s properties and disable sound effects on the Enhancements tab or the format/options tab, then retest. Microsoft has a short note on disabling them here if you need a pointer.
Restart Audio Services
Press Win+R, type services.msc, and restart “Windows Audio” and “Windows Audio Endpoint Builder.” If sound returns after a restart but fails again later, update the chipset and graphics drivers too, since they influence the audio path through HDMI and power states.
Reinstall Or Roll Back The Driver
Open Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers. Right-click your audio device (Realtek, Intel, or vendor branded), choose Uninstall device, reboot, then let Windows install a fresh driver. If the issue began after a recent update, use Properties > Driver > Roll Back.
Check Formats And App Control
In device properties, open the format/options page and try 24-bit, 44100 Hz. Clear the box that lets apps take sole control while testing so one app can’t lock the device.
HDMI And Monitors
Plugged into a TV or monitor? Many displays claim audio even when they lack speakers, so Windows switches to them and you hear nothing. Leave the cable in, open Sound settings, and set your laptop speakers as default. To use HDMI later, switch back on demand.
Fixes For Mac Laptops
Select Built-In Output
Go to System Settings > Sound and make sure Output shows “Built-in.” Slide Output volume up and clear Mute. Apple’s help page shows the exact path, and it’s worth keeping open for reference: Mac speaker help.
Disconnect And Retest
Remove USB hubs, HDMI screens, and docks. Toggle Bluetooth off so the Mac stops routing to headphones. Play sound again. If you hear audio only through headphones, inspect the jack for lint and reinsert a plug a few times to release a stuck sensor.
Restart Core Audio
Open Activity Monitor, search for coreaudiod, select it, and click the stop button; it restarts itself in a second. Many glitches vanish after that restart.
Reset NVRAM On Intel Macs
For older Intel models, shut down, then power on and hold Option-Command-P-R for about twenty seconds. Release after the second chime or second logo flash. Apple silicon resets those settings during a normal restart, so a simple reboot is enough there.
Update macOS And Test In Safe Mode
Install pending updates. If sound returns in Safe Mode, a third-party driver or add-on may be the cause; remove recent add-ons and retest in a normal boot.
Deeper Clues That Speed Up The Fix
A few tiny details point to the real cause. If the speaker list vanishes after sleep but returns after a reboot, services are crashing; driver updates help. If music stutters only on battery, switch power plan to Balanced and retest. If the test tone plays yet apps are silent, reset per-app audio permissions and mixers. When HDMI steals sound, pick laptop speakers while the cable is plugged in, then set that as default.
Check Balance And Alerts
On a Mac, open Sound and center the Balance slider. Play a system alert to test short sounds, then try a song or clip. If alerts work but music doesn’t, refresh the tab or try another browser.
Tips For Calls, Meetings, And Games
Apps can use a device that isn’t your system default. In Zoom or Teams, pick the laptop speakers and run the test. Set push-to-talk away from volume keys so you don’t mute by mistake. After patches, recheck all audio menus once.
Side-By-Side Paths For Common Tasks
| Task | Windows 11 Path | macOS Path |
|---|---|---|
| Select speakers | Settings > System > Sound > Output | System Settings > Sound > Output |
| App volumes | Sound > Volume Mixer | In-app controls |
| Disable effects | Output device > Properties > Enhancements | N/A |
| Troubleshooter | Sound > Output > Troubleshoot | N/A |
| Restart audio | services.msc > Windows Audio | Activity Monitor > coreaudiod |
| Driver action | Device Manager > Uninstall/Roll Back | Software Update |
Hardware Checks You Can Try Safely
Listen For Any Life From The Speakers
Play a bass-heavy track at half volume. Put an ear by the grille. A faint hiss or buzz suggests the amp is alive and the issue is routing. Total silence with the device present in settings points more toward a cable or board fault. Press gently near the grilles and palm rest; if sound cuts in or out, a connector may be loose. Rattle at mid volume often points to a torn cone.
Test With Headphones And An External Speaker
Headphones work but the laptop speakers don’t? That hints the jack sensor is stuck or the internal cable is loose. If neither path works, the system may be blocked at a software level.
Inspect Ports And Grilles
Shine a light into the audio jack and speaker grilles. Remove lint with a wooden toothpick and compressed air held upright. Avoid metal tools.
Run Built-In Diagnostics
Windows has audio troubleshooters; Macs have diagnostics that report hardware faults. While these tools don’t fix all cases, they give you a solid signal on whether to keep hunting in software or plan a repair.
When To Book A Repair
If the speakers never appear in the output list, or they vanish under light pressure near the palm rest, you may have a loose cable. If you hear distortion even at low volume, a cone could be torn. Water spills also damage the amp stage. Back up your files and contact the laptop maker or a trusted shop for a quote.
Save Or Share This Fix-It Checklist
Here’s a tight run-through you can keep at hand: Print it, pin it, share.
- Raise system and app volume; unmute keys and sliders.
- Select the built-in speakers as the output device.
- Turn off Bluetooth and unplug docks, hubs, and screens.
- Reboot once to clear stale routes.
- Windows: run Troubleshoot, disable enhancements, restart audio services, then reinstall or roll back the driver.
- Mac: pick Built-in, restart coreaudiod, update, and for Intel models, reset NVRAM.
- Test with headphones and check the jack and grilles for debris.
- If hardware symptoms remain, plan a repair.