Try These Fixes When Your Sound Not Working in Chrome

Few situations that occur during daily internet browsing are more annoying than a video where sound is not playing. You've probably experienced this at one time or another, and you're not alone – it's a very common problem. Luckily, this isn't a big deal most of the time, and fixing this problem just requires following a few simple steps.

In this article, we are going to provide step-by-step instructions on how to fix sound not working in Chrome for Chromebook, Mac, Windows, and Ubuntu users.

How to Fix Sound Not Working in Chrome?

As we have already mentioned, sound not working when watching a video on Chrome is a relatively common problem that can occur for various reasons. The problem could be as simple as accidentally muting the speakers or something more serious, such as hardware damage.

Regardless of your computer's operating system, we'll start with the steps to try directly related to the browser. If that doesn't work, follow the steps we've provided below for each operating system.

1. Launch Chromium.
   
2. Click on the three dots (or three horizontal lines) in the upper right corner of the browser.
   
3. Go to Parameters page.
   
4. Scroll down and click Advanced to display advanced options.
   
5. Now under the Confidentialité et sécurité tab, click Site Settings.
   
6. Scroll to Ring and click on it.
   
7. The toggle button on this page should be Au and you should see Allow sites to stream audio (recommended).. if you see Disable sites that broadcast sound, activate the button next to it.
   

How to fix sound not working on Chromebook?

If the general steps to fix "sound not working" didn't help, here are some of the most common solutions for Chromebook users:

1. Make sure the headphones are properly plugged in. On many devices, there should be an audible click when you push them inside your device.
2. Ensure the Allow sites to play audio (recommended) The option is enabled in Chrome's sound settings (chrome://settings/content/sound.)
   
3. Make sure the page is not muted by right clicking on its tab, if it is muted you will see a Unmute the site option.
   
4. If there is a cross through the speaker icon in the address bar of the tab you are having sound issues with, click on it and then click Always allow sound [website] and click Completed.
   
5. Open another browser and test the sound, it will indicate if the problem is in Chrome or beyond.
6. Check if some malware is blocking sound by going to Settings > Advanced > Clean up computerThen Find. If there is unwanted software, select Remove.
   
7. Use the latest version of Chrome.
   
8. Check your Chromebook's audio settings. Click your profile picture in the lower right corner of the screen to open the Chromebook Info window. Here's where to check if the sound is muted. Also check if the destination output matches the output you are currently using.
   
9. Clear Chrome and Chromebook cache.
   
10. Reset or disable all Chrome extensions.
11. Restart Chrome.
12. Restart the PC.

How to fix sound not working in Chrome on Mac?

Here is a common fix for sound not working on Mac:

1. Open System Preferences.
   
2. Then click Ring.
   
3. Select the To party tab and go to Built-in speakers.
   
4. Check if the volume slider is set to low. If so, move it to the right.
   
5. Be sure to deselect the Mute checkbox, if checked.
   

If this solution did not work, apply the following:

1. Relaunch the Chrome tab without playing any sound.
2. If there is a cross over the speaker icon in the address bar of this tab, click on it. Then click on Always allow sound [website] and click Completed.
   
3. Try playing the sound in another browser, it will help you determine if the problem is in Chrome or something else.
4. Make sure the page is not clipped by right-clicking its tab. If the sound is muted, there will be an option to “Unmute Site”.
   
5. Make sure you are using the latest version of Chrome by going to Settings > About Chrome, Chrome will automatically update to the latest version available (if not already installed).
   
6. Disable all Chrome extensions, starting with "Pepper Flash" if you use it.
7. Remove any malware that may be blocking sound by going to Settings > Advanced > Clean up computerThen Find. If malware is detected, select Remove.
   
8. Clear cookies and cache from Chrome.
   
9. In Chrome, go to Settings > Advanced > Reset to reset Chrome settings.
   
10. Reinstall Chrome.

How to fix sound not working in Chrome on Windows 10?

If the sound not working issue in Chrome on a computer running Windows 10, try the following:

1. Run "Control Panel" and navigate to "Sound", then "Speakers".
   
2. Now go to Advanced tab and uncheck (or check) the box next to Allow apps to take exclusive control of this device.
   
3. Play the sound in Chrome and launch the volume mixer. To launch Volume Mixer, right click on the speaker icon in the lower right corner of the screen.
   
4. Activate Chromium.
   

If that doesn't work, proceed with the following options:

1. Play the sound in another browser. This will help determine the source of the problem.
2. Refresh the current Chrome tab which is not playing sound.
3. Restart Chrome.
4. Make sure the page is not clipped by right-clicking its tab. If the sound is muted, you will see a Unmute the site option.
5. Make sure the latest version of Chrome is running. If an update is available, the Update Chrome will appear by clicking on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of the screen.
6. Clear cookies and cache in Chrome by clicking on the three dots at the top right, then More tools > Clear browsing data and All the time > Clear data.
   
7. Check for potential malware. Open "Settings" in Chrome, go to "Advanced", "Clean up computer", then "Search". If malware is detected, select “Remove”.
   
8. Make sure Chrome isn't muted or its volume isn't too low in the volume mixer.
   
9. Go to “chrome://extensions” and disable it Flash Pepper extension if it is there.
10. Reinstall all other extensions and check the sound after going through each one.
11. In Chrome, go to Settings > Advanced > Reset, this will reset your Chrome settings.
    
12. Reinstall Chrome by completely removing it from the computer (via Control panelThen Uninstall a program) and install again.
    

How to fix sound not working in Chrome on Ubuntu?

If you can't hear sound in Chrome on Ubuntu, first make sure the sound isn't completely muted on your computer. Check this in the system menu. If the overall audio is not muted, check if a specific app (Chrome) is muted:

1. Launch the “Activities” preview, type “Sound” and click on it.
2. This will open the sound panel. Go to "Volume Levels" and see if Chrome is disabled.

If that doesn't help, try the following:

1. Play the sound in another browser to make sure the problem is in Chrome.
2. Reopen the tab that is not playing sound.
3. Relaunch Chrome on your computer.
4. Make sure the keyboard mute switch is not on. If so, tap it to unmute.
5. Clear cookies and cache in Chrome. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner, then on "More tools", then "Clear browsing data", then "All the time", then "Clear data".
6. Check for potential malware. Open "Settings" in Chrome, go to "Advanced", "Clean up computer", then "Search". If malware is detected, select “Remove”.
7. Go to "chrome://extensions" and disable the "Pepper Flash" extension if it's there. Also disable other extensions one by one.
8. Go to Chrome's "Settings", "Advanced", then "Reset" to reset Chrome settings.
9. Reinstall Chrome.
10. On the computer, go to "Activities", "Sound", "Output", then change the "Profile Settings" for your audio device.

How to fix sound not playing in Chromecast?

If audio is not playing when casting to Chromecast from your browser, try these solutions:

1. Select the Cast icon in the Chrome browser and make sure audio is enabled.
2. Unplug the Chromecast device from the HDMI port for a few seconds while keeping the USB cable plugged in.
3. Turn off the TV and then turn it back on.
4. Reinstall Chrome on your computer.
5. Disable CEC (the option that allows the TV to be controlled by a single remote) on the TV and restart it afterwards.

Additional FAQs

Here are some more questions to help you understand and troubleshoot sound not working issues in Chrome.

Why isn't sound coming in Chrome?

There are several reasons why sound may not arrive in Chrome. The problem can be as simple as the PC sound being muted, or more complicated, like serious hardware issues. If the sound is coming from other browsers (Edge, Safari, etc.), the problem is coming from Chrome.

How to reactivate Google Chrome?

If there is no sound coming from a specific Chrome tab, chances are the problem is quite simple – that tab may be muted. Fortunately, reactivating a Chrome tab is a breeze. Apply these two simple steps:

1. Right-click on the tab you want to re-enable.

2. Click on the “Disable Site Sound” option from the drop-down menu.

The Chrome tab should now be re-enabled.

How to Fix Unresponsive Chrome?

Various issues can cause Google Chrome to stop responding. Depending on the cause, solutions may vary. Here are some things to check or do to help resolve this issue:

1. Use the latest version of Chrome. Go to Google Chrome “Settings”, “Help”, then “About Chrome”. If there is a newer version, Chrome searches for it and updates automatically.

2. Restart Chrome.

3. Restart the computer.

4. Clear Chrome cache or history.

5. Disable extensions. If there is a recently added extension, start by disabling it first.

6. Reset Chrome settings to default or reinstall the app.

Why is there no sound on my live stream?

If there is no sound on your live stream, try these steps:

1. Make sure your operating system's volume mixer is not muting the browser or platform being used for the live stream.

2. Go to broadcaster settings and choose the appropriate devices. You can also add an appropriate device as a source.

3. Check under additional audio settings of the broadcaster. Enable an appropriate audio device for the streamed channel.

4. Try streaming to another service.

Troubleshoot Chrome sound issues

It's never a pleasant experience not having access to sound in Chrome or any other app for that matter. Fortunately, this problem is relatively easy to solve. That's why we've provided detailed steps on how to fix or work around sound issues for different operating systems.

Finally, always opt for the simplest solution first and gradually move on to the others. If all available solutions have been tried and the problem persists, consider contacting an IT technical service as you may be experiencing hardware issues.

Which solution worked best for Chrome sound not working issue? Are there other ways to solve this problem? Share your experiences in the comments section below.