How to change Apple System's notification sound on Mac

Built-in macOS alert sound — one tone for the entire OS.

In Apple System

Head to Settings → Notifications inside Apple System — the sound options live there, and you can turn them off. That stops Apple System's own audio, but macOS will still play its default sound on top — see the universal approach below to silence that too.

Universal approach — mute at the macOS level

macOS lets you silence any app's sound without disabling its notifications. The full visual walkthrough lives on the universal macOS method page. The short version:

1. Open System Settings → Notifications.
2. Scroll to Apple System in the application list and click it.
3. Turn off Play sound for notifications.
4. Apple System keeps showing banners and badges — just no audio.

Apple System

How Chirpy fills the gap

Chirpy reads the notification title and matches it against your rules. That means you can do things Apple System can't on its own — different sounds per channel, per person, per keyword, per server. Three quick examples:

• Boss mentions only: a distinct chime when their name appears in any Apple System notification.
• Urgent channel: a louder sound when the notification contains #urgent or #critical.
• Silence everything else: a rule that matches all other Apple System notifications with no sound — banners still appear, your day stays quiet.