macOS · Display & Sound
Manage Sound, Notifications & Focus on Mac
Sound settings control input/output devices and alert volume, while Notifications & Focus let you decide which apps can interrupt you and when — including scheduled Focus modes like Work or Sleep.
How to open Sound & Notifications
- Open System Settings → Notifications (or Focus).
- Select an app to customize its notification style, or create a new Focus.
- Choose allowed people and apps for that Focus.
- Turn the Focus on manually or schedule it automatically.
What you should know
- Choose separate devices for sound output and input (microphone).
- Set per-app notification styles: banners, alerts, or none.
- Focus modes can silence notifications during specific hours or activities and sync across your Apple devices.
- Allowed-apps and allowed-people lists let priority notifications through even during Focus.
Turning off notifications for system or security apps may cause you to miss important alerts, such as backup failures.
Why it matters
Notifications and Focus modes determine how often your Mac interrupts you, which has a real effect on concentration and productivity during focused work. Getting sound input/output right is equally practical — the wrong microphone selected can silently ruin a video call. Because Focus modes sync across your Apple devices, a setting adjusted here can affect how your iPhone and iPad behave too, so it's worth understanding fully.
Best practices
- Set banners (not alerts) for most apps so notifications don't require dismissal and interrupt your flow less.
- Create a dedicated Focus mode for deep work that silences everything except calls from a short allowed-people list.
- Double-check the selected microphone and output device before important calls, since macOS sometimes defaults to a different connected device.
- Keep notifications enabled for essential system and security apps (like backup or storage warnings) even if you mute most others.
Common problems and fixes
- Notifications aren't showing up for an app at all.
- Check System Settings → Notifications for that app and confirm 'Allow Notifications' is on and that an active Focus mode isn't silencing it.
- Wrong microphone or speaker gets selected automatically when a Bluetooth device connects.
- Manually reselect the correct input/output device in Sound settings, or in the Sound menu bar item if enabled, right before starting a call.
- Focus mode doesn't sync between Mac and iPhone.
- Confirm both devices are signed into the same Apple Account with 'Share across devices' enabled in Focus settings, and that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on for both.
Tips and tricks
- Add the Sound menu bar icon via Control Center settings for one-click switching between audio devices.
- Use 'Time Sensitive' notification behavior on specific apps so they can break through Focus when truly urgent, without allowing all their notifications through otherwise.
- Change Notification Center's grouping option to 'Automatic' or 'Off' if you prefer notifications listed strictly by time instead of 'By App'.
Frequently asked questions
How do I let a specific person's calls through during Focus?
Edit your Focus mode's allowed people list in System Settings → Focus and add their contact so calls or messages from them break through silently.
Can I schedule a Focus mode to turn on automatically?
Yes, each Focus mode supports a time-based schedule or can trigger based on a specific app or location, configurable within its settings.
Why is there no Sound icon in my menu bar?
Enable it under Control Center settings by turning on 'Show in Menu Bar' for Sound, giving you quick access to output/input switching without opening System Settings.
Related settings
- Displays SettingsDisplays settings let you change resolution, brightness, arrangement of multiple monitors, and features like Night Shift and True Tone for more comfortable viewing.
- Bluetooth DevicesBluetooth settings let you pair and manage wireless accessories such as keyboards, trackpads, mice, headphones, and speakers with your Mac.
- Accessibility SettingsAccessibility settings on Mac include VoiceOver screen reading, Zoom for magnification, Voice Control, and many vision, hearing, and mobility features to make macOS easier to use.
More Display & Sound guides for macOS
- FocusFocus lets you silence notifications and distractions while you concentrate on a specific task, like work, personal time, or sleep. You can allow only certain people and apps through, and each Focus can turn on automatically on a schedule or when you open a certain app.
- AppearanceAppearance settings control whether macOS uses a Light or Dark theme, or automatically switches between them based on time of day, along with accent color, highlight color, and sidebar icon size preferences.
- WallpaperWallpaper settings let you choose a still image, Apple's dynamic or live wallpapers that change with time of day, or your own photo collection to display as the Desktop background, with independent options per display.
- Night ShiftNight Shift automatically shifts the colors of your display to the warmer end of the spectrum in the evening, based on a schedule or sunset-to-sunrise timing, to reduce blue light exposure before bed.
- True ToneTrue Tone uses the Mac's ambient light sensors to automatically adjust the display's white balance to match the surrounding lighting conditions, making white appear consistently natural under different light sources.
- Sound Output & InputSound Output & Input settings let you select which speakers or headphones play audio and which microphone captures it, and adjust device-specific levels like output volume balance and input gain.