How to fix the no sound problem on a Chromebook

Some users have reported that their having audio issues with their Chromebook. Either the sound is completely silent or it’s cutting in and out intermittently. There are a variety of problems that can cause this for both sound coming from the speakers and sound coming from headphones. If you’re listening only through the built-in speakers and not headphones then skip to Fix #4.

Otherwise follow each step in order until your sound is fixed! Good luck!

Fix #1: Make sure the headphone are securely plugged in

This seems like a silly and obvious solution but I’ve seen this problem fixed a few times because the headphones weren’t fully inserted into the headphone jack on the chromebook. Make sure you really insert and push the headphones in, chromebooks seem to have strange audio jacks so give it a good push until you hear the click.

Fix #2: Try a different set of headphones or earbuds

For some people the fix is just that simple. The problem lies with a pair of broken headphones rather than with the chromebook itself. So try a different set and see if that works for you.

Fix #3: The “close lid” solution

  1. Unplug your headphones.
  2. Close the lid of the chromebook and wait ten seconds.
  3. Plug in the headphones.
  4. Open the lid. The chromebook will re-scan for audio devices and should find your headphones.

OR, if that doesn’t work:

  1. Turn off your chromebook.
  2. Plug in the headphones
  3. Turn on the chromebook. The chromebook will re-scan for audio devices on startup and should find your headphones.

Fix #4: Check sound settings

Look to the lower right corner of your screen. There you will see a series of icons. Click on your account picture at the very right. A window will appear showing you information about your chromebook. Make sure that the audio is at a high volume. If it’s muted, unmute it. And make sure that the output is set to the proper destination; headphones if you want to listen through headphones, speakers if you want to listen through speakers.

Fix #5: Clear the cache

Clearing the cache on the chromebook can resolve some audio issues. To clear the cache do this:

  1. Click on the chrome setting button in the browser in the top right corner (it looks like three horizontal lines).
  2. Click Tools and then Clear browsing Data.
  3. Specify that you want to clear information From the beginning of time.
  4. Make sure only Empty the Cache is selected.
  5. Click Clear Browsing Data.

Turn the chrome book off and then on again and try the sound now. If it still doesn’t work then move onto Fix 6.

Fix #6: Disable all extensions

The sound issues could be the result of a faulty extension. To solve this you need to disable all of them. Check if the sound now works. If it does then the problem was one of those extensions. Now you need to re-enable each extension individually while checking the sound between each enable. Once the sound breaks again you’ve found your culprit.

You can find instruction for disabling extensions here: https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/2589434?hl=en

(Note: if this doesn’t work then remember to turn on your extensions before moving onto Fix #7).

Fix #7: Browse as guest

Turn off your chromebook and then turn it back on. At the login screen select Browse as Guest. This will allow you to run the chromebook without any special settings that might have been added after the fact. Try to play sound now. If it works there is some broken setting or component in your regular login. To fix this permanently you’ll need to reset your chromebook. Go to Fix 8.

Fix #8: Completely reset your chromebook

This step will completely wipe your chromebook so you need to backup all of your data first. Again: this will erase EVERYTHING and bring your chromebook back to the state it was when you bought it.

  1. Click on your account picture in the lower-right corner of your screen.
  2. Click on Settings. A window will appear.
  3. Click on Show Advanced Settings at the bottom.
  4. Find the “Powerwash” label and click Reset.
  5. In the window that opens click Restart.

Once the chromebook restarts you will be presented with the setup window. Go through the setup and enter your google account information. Try to play a sound now, if it works then success!

Have any more ways to fix broken sound on the chromebook? Let us know in the comments below.

192 thoughts on “How to fix the no sound problem on a Chromebook”

  1. I tried every single one and the problem is still there!! The sound only works with the headphones plugged in but id like to use the audio without the headphones. This is causing me so much stress although i did have breaks. I have been trying all day and absolutely nothing has worked!!!!!! FIX THIS PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  3. #4 did the trick…and I also don’t know how that setting got flipped so that it was trying to pull sound out of an external video monitor!
    I flipped it back to headphones and that worked…as well as internal speakers.
    Thanks!

  5. thanks, I had no sound on the headphone socket on my acer chromebook.
    Found the hidden audio settings when I clicked on the right arrow in the audio settings menu and enabled headphones output.

  8. Oh thanks so much for these tips!!! Thought i’d tried all the tips and read thru the comments and one said #4 did the trick so i tried it and it worked! SO thankful!!! I was about to bring my chromebook into Best Buy before this!

  10. thank you sooooooo much number 3 worked for me i got so scared it was broken thank you!!!!!!!

  12. THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!! YOU’RE SO THOROUGH! Step 4 saved me too; the speakers weren’t set as internal. :)

  14. I get buzz through my powered speakers when I plug them into the headphone jack. I have tried all of the solutions presented here and nothing seems to help. I know it isn’t the speakers because they work with my phone and other devices.

  16. My HP Chromebook used to play music through both speakers/ headsets/ headphones/ av jack/ bluetooth…….
    Now it only play music and audio through the speakers and bluetooth only…..
    None of these work!
    I even checked out the settings and tried every thing thats been suggested….
    i looked were you would plug in the headphones and all that and it looks like it’s in good condition….

  24. Non of the tricks didnt work for me,its like my device is completely muted but i checked the volumn and it is not muted. Please help me

  25. Fix #6 worked for me! Turned off ALL the extensions. Now to determine which extension is the culprit.

  27. I’m having the same problem as Tariana!!! I powerwashed my computer and they worked until I put my computer to sleep and the next time I used it the sound stopped working again!!!!

  28. Found another fix; when using headphones if sound cuts in and out going through headphones and the speakers, try in your advanced settings making sure “Play the same audio through all speakers (mono audio)” is CHECKED. fixed the issue for me

  30. What’s the fix for no sound thru the hdmi cable when your hooked to a tv? That’s my new problem. Thanks

  31. I had the problem last night i had sound this morning nothing so i went and reset my setting and now it works i can watch my movies again

  33. This didn’t help at all. I tried every single thing on this list and none of them worked. The chromebook repair person at my school fixed this problem once, but she didn’t tell me how she did it. I have no idea what to do now, and I can’t do my work at school if the headphone jack isn’t reading that there are headphones plugged in.

  34. I have a 2012 Chrome Samsung notebook Model # XE303C12-AO1us

    I have no sound since trying to upload a DVD last Saturday. I deleted the DVD. I did a power wash, I checked my speed with Comcast, I cleared the cache, browsing history, signed in as a guest user, turned off the machine, plugged it in and out several times. plugged in head-phones, and still no sound. I’m frustrated.

  35. I try all the tips and it still did not work.I have a chrome book and i really need help.hope i can find a soulaed

  40. # 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to set the output, follow all the steps and then click the little arrow.. thanks guys.. (mine forgot which one to use because is used a blue tooth headset and it must not auto reset)

  43. ATTENTION: For those of you like me, who have tried EVERYTHING to get their internal speakers to work, but nothing worked….here’s what fixed mine. Whenever I’d follow the advice and clicked my picture in the bottom right corner, and then clicked the sideways arrow to see what audio I was using, it would NEVER show that the internal speakers even existed. I was having all the same problems that so many above were having…..did powerwashes, resets, disabled extensions, deleted cache….nothing worked.

    Well, I gave up on the internal speakers and thought I’d just try and see if the Chromebook would recognize a Bluetooth speaker and so brought one in here and let it search and “added device”. Bluetooth worked just fine. Now, with the Bluetooth speaker not even turned on….and not synced with the Chromebook at the moment, magically the volume slider bar stays where it’s supposed to, it doesn’t mysteriously mute itself, and it has the internal speakers LISTED when I click the sideways arrow. I’ve killed and restarted the Chromebook a few times, and I’ve had sound every time. I hope this works for someone else….I was at the end of my rope and was about to trash this thing. Works great now! Good luck!

  44. #3 worked for me. Closing the lid did not work but the 2nd part of #3 worked: plug in the headphones and reboot the chromebook. Thanks!

  50. Thank you

    Step 5 did it for me. I was in a panic as I always have music on when I’m using the computer.

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