Check your physical volume controls first

Before you dig into software settings, look at the hardware. Most keyboards have volume keys — usually marked with speaker symbols — near the top or on the side. Press the key marked with a speaker and a plus sign, or look for a mute button (often marked with a speaker crossed out) and press it to unmute. On laptops, you may need to hold the Fn key while pressing the volume key.

Also check your monitor or external speakers if you use them. Many monitors have their own volume dial or buttons on the side or bottom. External speakers have a physical volume knob or buttons — turn it up or look for a power switch that may have been turned off.

If you see a speaker icon with a red X or a line through it on your keyboard, that is the mute button. Press it once to unmute. Some computers stay muted until you press this button, even if the software volume is turned up.

Key Takeaways

  • Check your keyboard's mute button first — it is usually marked with a speaker symbol and may be the only thing keeping your sound off.
  • Look at your monitor or external speakers for their own volume controls, which work independently of your computer's settings.
  • Open your system volume mixer to see which apps or devices are muted individually, not just your overall volume.
  • If nothing works, restart your computer — this often fixes sound problems that software changes alone cannot solve.
  • Update or reinstall your audio drivers if your volume controls exist but produce no sound.

Find your system volume in Windows settings

On Windows, right-click the speaker icon in the bottom right corner of your screen (in the system tray). You will see a menu with volume options. Click Open Volume mixer or Volume mixer settings, depending on your Windows version.

In the Volume mixer window, you will see a list of apps and devices. Look for any that show a muted speaker icon (usually a speaker with a line through it). Click on those icons to unmute them. You will also see a slider for each app — drag it to the right to raise the volume.

At the top of the Volume mixer, find your main audio device (usually called Speakers or the name of your audio hardware). Make sure its volume slider is not all the way to the left. If it is, drag it to the right to raise the volume.

Find your system volume on Mac

On Mac, click the speaker icon in the top right corner of your menu bar. A slider will appear. If the slider is all the way to the left, drag it to the right to raise the volume. If you see a mute symbol next to the slider, click it to unmute.

If you do not see a speaker icon in the menu bar, go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs), then click Sound. Under the Output tab, make sure your audio device is selected and the volume slider is not at zero.

Check the Mute checkbox — if it is checked, uncheck it. Also look at the Input tab to see if anything there is muted, though that controls microphone volume rather than speaker volume.

Check individual app volume settings

Sometimes a single app is muted while your overall system volume is fine. In Windows, open the Volume mixer again and look at the list of apps. If the app you want to hear (like your web browser or music player) has a muted speaker icon, click it to unmute that app specifically.

On Mac, some apps have their own volume controls. Open the app and look in its menu or settings for a volume slider or mute button. For example, web browsers often have a speaker icon on each tab — click it to unmute that tab.

If you are trying to hear audio from a video or web page, check whether the video player itself has a mute button. Many video players have a small speaker icon in the bottom left or right corner — click it if it shows a muted speaker.

Restart your computer if nothing else works

If you have checked all the controls and sliders but still hear nothing, restart your computer. Many sound problems clear up after a restart because it resets audio drivers and connections.

Save any open work, then shut down your computer completely. Wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on. Once it has fully loaded, test your volume again by playing a video or opening a music app.

After restart, go back to your volume controls and make sure nothing is muted. Sometimes a restart resets mute settings to their default state.

Update or reinstall your audio drivers

If your volume controls are visible and nothing is muted, but you still hear no sound, your audio driver may be broken. Audio drivers are the software that lets your operating system talk to your speakers.

On Windows, right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. Look for Sound, video and game controllers and click the arrow next to it. Right-click your audio device (usually called Realtek Audio or similar) and select Update driver. Windows will search for the latest version online.

On Mac, audio drivers usually update automatically through System Updates. Go to System Settings, click General, then Software Update to check for updates.

If updating does not work, you can uninstall the driver and let your computer reinstall it automatically. In Windows Device Manager, right-click your audio device and select Uninstall device. Restart your computer — Windows will reinstall the driver on startup.

Check your audio output device

Your computer may be sending sound to a device that is not connected or turned off. In Windows, right-click the speaker icon and open Volume mixer settings. Scroll down to Advanced and look at Volume. Under Output device, click the dropdown menu and make sure you have selected the correct speakers or headphones.

On Mac, go to System Settings > Sound and click the Output tab. Make sure the correct device is selected — if you see Headphones selected but your headphones are unplugged, select Speakers instead.

If you use Bluetooth speakers or headphones, make sure they are turned on and paired with your computer. Unpaired or off devices will not appear in the output list, and your computer may default to an unavailable device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my volume muted even though I turned it up in settings?

Your keyboard mute button may be overriding your software settings. Look for a speaker key on your keyboard (usually near the top or side) and press it to unmute. Some keyboards require you to hold Fn while pressing the mute key. If that does not work, check the Volume mixer to see if individual apps are muted separately from your system volume.

My volume slider is all the way up but I still hear nothing

Check that the correct audio device is selected as your output. In Windows, open Volume mixer and look at the output device dropdown. On Mac, go to System Settings > Sound > Output and verify the right speakers are selected. If you use external speakers or headphones, make sure they are powered on and connected. If they are, try restarting your computer.

I see a red X on the speaker icon in my system tray — what does that mean?

That symbol means your audio device is either not installed, not working, or disconnected. Try restarting your computer first. If the symbol remains, you may need to update your audio driver through Device Manager (Windows) or check System Settings > Sound (Mac) to see if a device is listed as unavailable.

Can I have different volume levels for different apps?

Yes. In Windows, open Volume mixer and you will see a separate volume slider for each app. Drag any slider left or right to change that app's volume independently. On Mac, some apps have their own volume controls in their settings or menus, but Mac does not have a built-in per-app mixer like Windows does.

My headphones are plugged in but I still hear sound from my speakers

Your computer may not have detected the headphones. Unplug them and plug them back in. Then check your audio output device in Volume mixer (Windows) or System Settings > Sound > Output (Mac) to make sure headphones are now selected. If they do not appear in the list, your headphone jack may be damaged or your headphones may not be working.