Does Slack have a notification sound?
Slack’s built-in notification sounds
Slack includes a set of notification sounds you can choose from in the desktop app. If you’re looking for a complete guide to Slack notification sounds on Mac, we cover everything there. Here’s what’s available out of the box.
The current set of Slack notification sounds includes:
- Ding — the classic default
- Boing — a bouncy, playful tone
- Drop — a short water-drop effect
- Hummus — a soft, distinctive chime (yes, it’s named after the dip)
- Plink — a light tap
- Woah — a surprised, rising tone
- Here you go — a gentle handoff sound
- Hi — a brief friendly alert
- Knock Brush — a muted knock
Slack occasionally adds or renames sounds with app updates, so you may see slight variations.
Where to find these sounds
Open Slack on Mac, click your profile photo, then go to Preferences → Sound & appearance. The notification sound dropdown lets you preview and select any of the sounds above. You can set separate sounds for messages and for huddle invites.
What’s customizable and what isn’t
You can choose which built-in sound to use for each notification type. You cannot:
- Upload your own custom sound files into Slack
- Assign different sounds to different channels or DMs
- Set a unique sound for messages containing specific keywords
Going further with Chirpy
If you need distinct sounds for distinct sources, Chirpy adds that layer on macOS. Create a rule like “Play Tri-tone for #ops-alerts” and a different rule for “Play Glass for DMs from my team lead.” Chirpy supports macOS system sounds and custom audio files. Download the free trial.
Frequently asked questions
No. Slack only allows you to choose from its built-in set. To use your own audio files as notification sounds, you need a third-party tool like Chirpy.
Not necessarily. The Slack mobile app uses your phone’s notification sound settings, which are separate from the desktop app’s Sound & appearance preferences.