Apple disabled the chime in the latest MacBook Pros. Here’s how to bring it back.
Almost every Mac computer released since 1998’s iMac G3 – Steve Jobs’ first consumer product since his return – has included the now-iconic startup chime. Anyone who has owned a Mac will know what I’m talking about: it’s a powerful, goosebump-inducing sound you hear when you turn on your Mac. Here’s a reminder of how it sounds:
Nice, huh?
Well, with the 2016 MacBook Pro, Apple has decided to remove this sound without providing a public explanation for it. It has not been replaced by another sound, either.
We do, however, understand there is a way to bring it back.
Also check out: How to get MagSafe on 2016 MacBook Pro
Turn on the startup sound in 2016 MacBook Pros
It’s actually really, really simple. To re-enable the Mac OS X startup sound, just launch Terminal from Applications, and enter the following command:
sudo nvram BootAudio=%01
This is a high-level sudo command, so you will be asked to enter your account password before it is executed.
To turn off the startup chime, enter the following command in Terminal:
sudo nvram BootAudio=%00
That’s it. Your brand-spankin’ new 2016 MacBook Pro will now sound like a boss when you turn it on!
Does the startup sound have a functional use?
Yes, yes it does! This is why it is puzzling the community. When you turn on your Mac, it runs a quick hardware diagnostics test to see if all critical components are working fine. If they are, that’s when you hear the startup chime. It indicates all is well, and that your Mac will now boot normally.
Yet, I do understand Apple’s thought process behind this. The technical people who do require the chime will be able to turn it on again by following such guides while everyone else will likely have a better experience with the chime turned off. There is no functional use of it for the average user. It is just a fairly loud, distracting sound that creates (mildly) awkward situations in public places.
So yes, I think this isn’t a bad decision.
(via Pingle)