When I am actively using my Mac, and I get an inbound text message, it often doesn't make a sound and I cannot figure out why.
The message does show in the "Messages" app. Also, notifications are "working" because the notification bubble appears at the top right of the screen. There's just no sound with it.
This would be while the Messages app is not running in the foreground. (I understand that it will not make the alert sound if you are actively engaged in a conversation, since you presumably just "see" the response.)
This is causing me trouble because if I have my Mac unlocked, that's where Apple wants to send the notifications for inbound messages. An alert will not trigger on my phone or watch. This is fine if I am "using" the Mac... because at least I will see the message notification pop-up (with no sound). But if I step away from my desk or am just looking at something else for a bit (paperwork, another workstation on my desk, or whatever), then I miss the message. This has led to some delayed responses to sometimes time-sensitive issues.
I've checked some obvious things:
- Yes, the system volume is turned up.
- Yes, "Do not disturb" or "Focus" is not engaged.
- Yes, in the Messages app settings, I don't have the message received sound set to "None".
- Yes, if I go to Settings > Notifications > Messages, "play sound for notification" is turned on.
- Yes, if I go to Settings > Sound, the alert volume is turned up, "selected sound output device" is selected for where alert sounds should go, and "play user interface sounds" is turned on.
- The contact sending the message does not have a different text tone set.
Any ideas on what else I can do to coax macOS to actually play a sound with the inbound text alert?
This is macOS Sequoia 15.7.2, but I have no reason to believe that it is specific to this version. I've been fighting with it for a while.
