Disable Trash and Screenshot Sounds on Mac - A Simple Guide
Customizing System Sounds on Your Mac
Your Mac provides auditory feedback for certain actions, such as moving files to the Trash or capturing a screenshot. These sounds can be helpful, but may become disruptive over time.
If you find the default system sounds, like the paper crumple or camera shutter, to be unwanted, they can be easily deactivated through a system setting.
Locating the Sound Effects Settings
The setting to control these sounds isn't found within the Finder’s Preferences as one might initially assume. Instead, it resides in a different section of System Settings.
To disable these sounds, you'll need to navigate to the Sound settings within System Settings, rather than looking within the Finder application itself.
Disabling User Interface Sounds
Within System Settings, locate the Sound panel. From there, you can adjust various audio settings.
Specifically, you'll want to find the option to disable "User Interface sound effects." This single setting controls the sounds played for actions like trashing files and taking screenshots.
By toggling this option off, you can eliminate the auditory feedback for these system events, creating a quieter computing experience.
This adjustment provides a simple solution for users who prefer a more silent operation of their Mac, removing potentially distracting sound effects.
Suppressing System Sounds on Your Mac
The ability to disable sound effects is integrated within the Mac's System Preferences. Access this control panel by first clicking the Apple menu, which is located in your screen's toolbar, and then selecting "System Preferences".
Within the System Preferences window, locate and click the "Sound" icon. This icon is positioned on the second row of available options.
Navigate to the "Sound Effects" tab. Then, deselect the checkbox labeled "Play user interface sound effects".
The function of this setting isn't explicitly detailed within the interface, even when hovering the mouse cursor over the option. However, deactivating this feature will effectively silence sounds associated with actions like emptying the trash and taking screenshots on your Mac.
Confirming this change will result in a quieter user experience, removing these specific system sounds.
Suppressing System Sound Effects via Command Line
The following command achieves the same result as modifying the system preferences directly. This method is particularly useful for automation purposes. For instance, users may wish to incorporate this alteration into a script designed to configure multiple settings on a newly set up Mac.
To deactivate system sound effects, execute the subsequent command within a Terminal window:
defaults write com.apple.systemsound "com.apple.sound.uiaudio.enabled" -int 0
Should you desire to revert this change and reactivate sound effects, utilize the following command:
defaults write com.apple.systemsound "com.apple.sound.uiaudio.enabled" -int 1
Disabling sound effects through the command line offers a streamlined approach to system customization.
For situations where you are utilizing a shared Mac and prefer not to permanently alter the settings, a temporary solution exists. You can instantly silence the system by muting the audio output. Setting the volume to zero effectively prevents audible feedback from actions like deleting files or taking screenshots.