Here’s what to do if there’s no sound from your connected speaker or TV while playing music, movies, or shows on your Apple TV.
The solutions here should work for all Apple TV models, including the latest Apple TV 4K. They should also help fix sound issues, regardless of the smart speaker (Sonos, Google Nest, Amazon Echo, AirPods, HomePod) or television (Samsung, Sony, LG, TCL, Vizio, Panasonic, Philips, Hisense, Toshiba) you’re using with your Apple TV.
1. Unmute the Apple TV and the speaker
The first basic step is to ensure that your Apple TV or speaker is not on mute. To unmute your Apple TV’s volume, press the slashed speaker icon button on your Siri Remote, and a volume slider will appear on your TV screen. Use the plus volume button to increase it to the desired level. Secondly, your speaker or television might also be on mute. To fix this, look for an unmute button on the speaker or TV remote.
2. Check the in-app sound option
Most popular tvOS apps like TV, Music, Spotify, and YouTube don’t have in-app volume controls or a mute button, but if you see one in an app you use, make sure it isn’t activated.
3. Check if the speaker is switched on
The Apple TV doesn’t have built-in speakers, so it needs to be connected to a television, external speaker, AirPlay soundbar, or Bluetooth headphones. If you’re using a HomePod or another speaker, ensure it’s turned on and functioning properly. Also, double-check that the speaker isn’t in the middle of an update or refusing to accept input.
4. Select the correct speakers for Apple TV
In addition to your television’s built-in speakers (Samsung, LG, TCL, Vizio, etc.), you might have multiple HomePods, Macs, AirPods, and AirPlay speakers, all of which can serve as potential sound output destinations for your Apple TV. If there’s no audio, ensure the correct speaker is selected as the output using one of these two methods:
From TV Control Center: Press & hold the TV button on your Apple TV Remote to open Control Center. Click the sound tile under the Power Off option. From here, select one of the available working speakers, AirPods, etc.
From TV Settings: Open the Settings app on your Apple TV, go to Video and Audio > Audio Output, and choose one.
5. Check the cable connections
If you’re using the display’s built-in speaker or have connected wired speakers to your television, ensure all hardware connections are securely plugged in. Start by checking the HDMI cable at the back of the Apple TV, then inspect the ports on your TV and speakers.
6. Put the AirPods in the case and reconnect
If you try to connect to an available pair of AirPods but get stuck on the connection screen, leading to no sound or a failed connection, try this: place both AirPods in their case, wait for 20 seconds, open the case lid, and reconnect them from Apple TV Control Center or the Settings app.
Also see: How to pair Bluetooth headphones or speakers with your Apple TV
7. Restart your Apple TV and the speaker
If you haven’t turned off your Apple TV or the speaker in a while, they may have developed temporary glitches over time. The best way to resolve this is to restart both your Apple TV and the speaker (television, HomePod, Sonos, etc.).
8. Check your TV or speaker’s sound settings
Still no luck? The problem may be in the television settings. One LG user suggested going to TV Settings > Sound settings and using the Test Audio function. After that, their television played the test music, and then the sound from what was playing on the Apple TV box started coming from the LG television speakers.
9. Update your Apple TV and the speaker
Like your iPhone and Mac, your Apple TV, smart television, and smart speakers like HomePod also receive updates. Make sure all of them are running the latest available version of their respective software to address known system bugs.
10. Update the app
If you get sound from all Apple TV apps except one, make sure it’s updated to the latest version. If that doesn’t work, try deleting and redownloading the app.
11. You can hear the sound but not control it
Can you hear sound coming out of the display or speaker, but you can’t lower or increase the volume? This can happen if you use your Apple TV with a monitor or certain older television sets.
Go through our guide on controlling your television volume with the Apple TV Remote. If that doesn’t help, try adjusting the Audio Format and Audio Mode options in Apple TV Settings > Video and Audio. Next, you can also try picking a different option under Settings > Remotes and Devices > Volume Control.
If adjusting the audio settings doesn’t help, try changing the Apple TV’s sound output to another Bluetooth or AirPlay speaker. Alternatively, use the built-in volume control on the monitor or older television.
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