Mute an app on Mac without muting everything
To mute an app on Mac and keep everything else playing, click its mute button in SoundDial and leave the others alone.
The mute key on a Mac silences the whole output. That is the wrong tool when only one thing is noisy: a chat app pinging during focus time, an auto-playing video in a browser, a game you want silent while a call goes on.
One mute button per app
- Mute a single app without touching the system volume
- Lower an app instead of muting it, if you still want to hear it a little
Open SoundDial from the menu bar. Every app in the list has a mute button next to its slider. Click it and that app goes silent; everything else keeps playing at its own level. Click again to unmute it.
Built-in ways to quiet an app, and their limits
Many apps have their own sound setting: notification sounds in System Settings, a mute option inside a chat app, a volume control in a video player. These work, but each one lives in a different place, and many apps have none. SoundDial puts the same control on every running app, in one panel.
For a step-by-step how-to that also covers the macOS settings, read the SoundDial blog guide on muting one app on Mac.
Good apps to mute
- Chat and team apps during focus time, while your music keeps playing
- A browser with an auto-playing video while you are on a call
- A game in the background while you watch something else
Requirements and price
SoundDial needs macOS 14.2 or later. It is a €14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, with no subscription.
FAQ
Does muting an app in SoundDial close the app?
No. The app keeps running; you just do not hear it until you unmute it.
Can I mute one browser tab?
No. SoundDial mutes apps. All tabs of one browser are muted together.
Does SoundDial remember a muted app?
No. SoundDial remembers volume levels, but not mutes: after you quit and reopen SoundDial, an app you had muted is no longer muted.
Will the mute key on my keyboard still work?
Yes. The mute key still mutes the whole Mac, as before.
SoundDial: a volume slider and mute button for every app.
€14.99 one-time purchase · macOS 14.2+ · no subscription