How to change Mastodon's notification sound on Mac
Web push only; no per-instance sound options.
The honest answer: Mastodon doesn't expose any in-app notification-sound settings. Your real options are the macOS-level method below, or Chirpy if you want per-notification customization.
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:
- Open System Settings → Notifications.
- Scroll to Mastodon in the application list and click it.
- Turn off Play sound for notifications.
- Mastodon keeps showing banners and badges — just no audio.
How Chirpy fills the gap
With Chirpy you can give Mastodon's notifications a sound that matches their importance. For example: a quiet chime for routine updates, a louder bell for mentions, silence for the rest. All triggered by keywords in the notification text — no plugin, no API access required.
Want sounds that actually mean something?
Chirpy adds rule-based custom sounds on top of macOS notifications. One sound for Mastodon mentions, another for your calendar, silence for the rest.