How to change or disable your MacBook’s charging sound

Hearing the sound when you connect your charger to your phone or laptop serves a purpose; it’s the confirmation that your charger is properly and connected and is charging your device properly.

After all, you wouldn’t want to discover after a while that the charger wasn’t connected right and your device is still without juice. So, the charger connector sound serves to notify you that the device is charging properly.

But, sometimes, you may want to change or disable this sound for a number of reasons. Before we move on to how to change or disable your MacBook’s charging sound, let’s first discuss why you may want to do it.

Why Disable or Change the Charging Sound on your MacBook

If you’re curious about why someone might want to modify the charging sound on their MacBook, there are various reasons to consider toggling or changing it. 

Disabling the sound altogether can be convenient if you frequently work in quiet environments, such as a library, where you wouldn’t want to disturb others with a loud sound if you forget to mute your computer.

On the other hand, enabling the charging sound can provide you with additional assurance that your charger is correctly connected. You don’t have to wait for the light to come on; just snap it in and listen for the sound before walking away.

Plus, changing the charging sound allows you to express your creativity. Experiment with different sound effects from your favorite movies or video games to personalize your charging experience.

Different MacBook Connectors and Charging Sounds

Apple made a switch to USB-C for charging its laptops starting with the 2015 MacBook, 2016 MacBook Pro, and 2018 MacBook Air lines.

Earlier models employed the MagSafe connector, which used a magnet to connect to the power port on your MacBook, enabling it to disconnect if the cable was accidentally pulled.

MagSafe charging cables featured an orange light that indicated when the device was charging and turned green when the battery was full. However, USB-C cables do not offer this visual confirmation.

To address this issue, contemporary MacBooks emit a sound when you connect them to the charger. This is particularly helpful if your charger or port is wearing out and lets you know that you have established a secure connection.

You can quickly disable this sound with a command if it’s not to your liking. Conversely, if you own an older MacBook that still uses MagSafe, you can effortlessly enable the sound. Furthermore, you have the option to customize the sound for added enjoyment. 

Below, we’ll demonstrate how to do both.

How to Disable or Enable the Charging Sound on Your MacBook 

It’s worth noting that if your MacBook is muted, the charging sound won’t play even if it’s enabled. Alternatively, you can choose to turn it off permanently.

To accomplish this, open Spotlight by pressing Cmd + Space and search for Terminal to launch the app. Once it opens, paste the following command to disable the chime:

defaults write com.apple.PowerChime ChimeOnNoHardware -bool true;killall PowerChime

This command is straightforward; it instructs your Mac to deactivate the feature that triggers the charging sound. The second segment (following the semicolon) shuts down the PowerChime app, which generates the sound.

If you wish to re-enable the sound at a later time or hear it on a MacBook equipped with MagSafe, execute the following command:

defaults write com.apple.PowerChime ChimeOnAllHardware -bool true; open /System/Library/CoreServices/PowerChime.app &

This triggers the activation of the chime feature and launches the PowerChime app to ensure it’s operational.

Now, let’s move on to the second part, which is how to change the MacBook Charging sound.

How to Change the MacBook Charging Sound 

If you’re interested in further customization, you have the option to modify the sound that plays when you connect your MacBook to the charger. It’s an enjoyable way to add a personal touch to your device.

Keep in mind, however, that you cannot change your Mac’s charging sound effect without disabling System Integrity Protection. By default, the sound file that plays when you connect the charger is located in the /System folder (which macOS safeguards for your computer’s protection) and cannot be renamed.

We advise against disabling SIP, as it increases your Mac’s susceptibility to potential threats. However, if you still choose to proceed, here are the steps to follow after disabling SIP:

To start, open Finder and select Go > Go to Folder (Shift + Cmd + G). Enter the following location to launch it:

/System/Library/CoreServices/PowerChime.app

Locate the PowerChime item in the folder and right-click on it. Select “Show Package Contents” from the drop-down menu.

After opening the package contents, navigate to the Contents folder and expand it. Then, access the Resources folder.

Here, there’s a file named connect_power.aif.

Before proceeding, it’s recommended to create a backup of the file. You can do this by copying the file to another location on your system or by creating a duplicate in the same folder and adding “.bak” to the file name. 

This ensures that the original file is preserved and easily accessible in case you want to revert to the old sound.

If you’re still unable to edit the file after disabling SIP, try running the following command in Terminal before attempting to modify the file again:

sudo mount -uw /
killall Finder

To use a custom sound effect for your MacBook’s charging sound, you’ll need to prepare a suitable sound snippet and convert it to AIF format. Simply renaming the file extension may not work correctly.

After obtaining the file, rename it to “connect_power.aif” and move it to the Resources folder to replace the default sound effect.

Before restarting your Mac or quitting the PowerChime app from the CPU tab of Activity Monitor (which you can open using Spotlight), make sure to back up the original file by copying it to another location or by adding “.bak” to the end of the file name.

Once the new sound is in place, test it by connecting your charger. If it works, you can re-enable SIP using the instructions in the guide linked above to keep your system safe.

Customize your MacBook’s charging sound

You are now aware of how to enable or disable the charging sound on your MacBook, as well as how to customize it if you prefer. This sound serves as a helpful indicator to ensure that your charger is properly connected and functioning.

If you hear the sound frequently or encounter any other issues, it may be time to consider purchasing a new MacBook charger.