How to Turn Ringer off on MacBook

Why you might need to turn off ringer on MacBook

You might need to turn the ringer off on your MacBook in the following cases:

• During meetings
• When you’re presenting documents
• To avoid interruptions by silencing notifications from the frequently used apps, like FaceTime or Mail
• To improve focus by reducing the chances of sudden sounds disrupting your flow

A note from our experts: 

 

We’ve all been there—you mute your MacBook, but somehow those loud browser notifications or autoplaying ads still manage to break your focus. Whether you're working, studying, or just need some peace, it's frustrating. To help, let us introduce you to MacKeeper’s StopAd. Our tool can block disturbing ads, disable pop-up notifications, and keep your Mac experience distraction-free.

 

Here’s how to enable MacKeeper’s StopAd on your Mac browser:

1. Download MacKeeper.
2. Go to StopAd.
3. Next to your preferred browser, click on Enable.
4. Then follow the on-screen instructions to add the StopAd extension to your browser.

We recommend that you enable MacKeeper’s StopAd on all the browsers you have installed on your Mac, including Google, to stop Chrome notifications. This way, you'll maintain full control over app and system notifications.

How to turn off ringer on MacBook

If your MacBook keeps ringing at the worst times, we understand how distracting it can be. Not to worry–we’ll walk you through the easiest ways to turn off your Mac’s ringer:

• Via System Preferences.
• Use the Focus feature.
• Keyboard shortcut.
• Check FaceTime settings.
• Adjust notification volume individually.
• Mute speakers.
• Try Do Not Disturb mode.

1. Via System Preferences

From our experience, the easiest way to control the ringer on your MacBook is via System Preferences. This method allows you to have total control over system sounds and app-related alerts. Here’s how to manage your alerts in System Preferences:

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click on Sound.
3. Under Sound Effects, you can use the sliders to adjust the alert volume to low or off.  

2. Use Focus feature

For those times when you need to fully block out all distractions and notifications, we turn to Focus. Focus is an Apple feature built into macOS that allows you to silence your MacBook ringer. Plus, it’s customizable. Here’s how to make the most of Focus:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Click on Focus.
3. Press on Add Focus and customize your preferences.

3. Keyboard shortcut

When we need to mute our device quickly, whether it's during a call or right before a meeting, keyboard shortcuts are our go-to. It’s the fastest way to turn the ringer off on a MacBook without needing to open any apps or settings.

Here are the keyboard shortcuts we recommend:

• Press F10 to instantly mute your Mac’s speakers.
• Press F11 to lower the volume.
• Press F12 to increase the volume.

This method can also be handy as a temporary fix when your MacBook volume buttons aren’t working properly.

4. Check FaceTime settings

Do you still keep hearing the ringing noise of notifications on your device? FaceTime could be the culprit, but fear not, you can easily control the notification sounds. Here’s how:

1. Open your System Settings.
2. Click on Notifications > Facetime.
3. Turn off the Play sound for notifications.

A hint from us: 

 

If you use other messaging apps on your Mac, we’ve got you covered—check out our supporting post on how to turn off iMessage on Mac to limit pesky alerts.

5. Adjust notification volume individually

You might not want to mute your entire MacBook. Luckily, your Mac’s settings let you control notification sounds individually. Our steps below show you how to adjust your volume:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to Sound to adjust the intensity of your Alert Volume.

6. Mute speakers

Similarly to adjusting your notification volume, you can also go into your Sound Settings to mute your speakers entirely—here’s how:

1. In your System Settings, go to Sound.
2. Look for Output Volume and tick Mute.

7. Try Do Not Disturb mode

If nothing else has silenced annoying alerts, why not try your Mac’s Do Not Disturb mode? It’s one of our favorite built-in tools to keep things quiet, and here’s how to turn it on:

1. Hover your Menu bar until you see the Control Center in the top-right corner.
2. Click on the arrow next to Focus and press Do Not Disturb.

We also encourage you to take a moment to clear all notifications on your Mac to keep your daily Mac activities distraction-free.

Silencing your Mac your way

Constant alerts and unexpected rings can quickly throw off your focus. Luckily, there are several easy ways to turn off the ringer on your MacBook, like using Do Not Disturb or muting sounds through System Settings to reduce distractions when using your device.

To keep annoying browser notifications and pop-up ads at bay, MacKeeper’s StopAd can help block them before they interrupt your flow. The browser extension will allow you to use your Mac with fewer interruptions-allowing you to regain control of your Mac chimes and alert notifications.