Mac Volume Control Not Working with HDMI? 5 Solutions That Actually Work

Why Mac Volume Control Stops Working with HDMI

When you connect your Mac to an external monitor via HDMI, you've probably noticed something frustrating: the volume keys stop working, or the volume slider becomes greyed out. This isn't a bug—it's how macOS handles audio routing.

When you use HDMI, your Mac treats the external monitor as both a display and an audio device. Some monitors and TVs take full control of the audio signal, bypassing macOS's built-in volume controls entirely. The result? You're stuck adjusting volume on your monitor's remote or built-in controls instead of your familiar Mac interface.

5 Ways to Fix Mac Volume Control with HDMI

1. Check Your Audio Output Settings

First, verify where your Mac thinks it's sending audio:

1. Hold Option and click the volume icon in your menu bar
2. Look at the current output device
3. If it shows your monitor's name or "HDMI", that's why volume control isn't working
4. Try selecting "Internal Speakers" or "MacBook Speakers" to regain control

This works if you want audio from your Mac's speakers instead of the monitor, but it's not ideal if you actually want the monitor's audio.

2. Use Audio MIDI Setup for More Control

1. Open Applications > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup
2. Right-click your HDMI device in the list
3. Select "Use this device for sound output"
4. Try adjusting the volume slider in this window

Some HDMI devices will respond to volume changes made here even when the main volume controls don't work.

3. Enable "Show volume in menu bar"

Sometimes the keyboard volume keys stop working but the menu bar volume control still functions:

1. Go to System Settings > Control Centre
2. Set Sound to "Always Show in Menu Bar"
3. Try adjusting volume using the menu bar slider instead of keyboard keys

4. Reset the Core Audio Driver

If audio routing gets confused, resetting Core Audio often helps:

1. Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities)
2. Type: sudo killall coreaudiod
3. Press Enter and enter your password
4. Wait 10 seconds for the audio system to restart
5. Test your volume controls again

5. Use a Per-App Volume Controller

Here's where things get interesting. Even when system volume controls don't work with HDMI, you can still control individual app volumes using tools that tap directly into each application's audio stream.

Soundish, for example, bypasses the system volume limitations entirely. It connects directly to each app's audio output, so whether your sound is going through HDMI, built-in speakers, or Bluetooth headphones, you can still adjust volume for individual applications.

This is particularly useful because:

• You can turn down noisy websites without affecting your music
• Discord or Slack notifications won't blast you when the monitor volume is high
• You get granular control even when the system thinks the HDMI device should handle everything

Why This Happens with Specific Monitors

Some monitors are more aggressive about taking audio control than others:

Dell and LG monitors often implement full audio device control, completely bypassing macOS volume

Gaming monitors frequently have this issue because they're designed to be the primary audio source

TVs used as monitors almost always take full control since they expect to manage audio for cable boxes, game consoles, etc.

USB-C monitors sometimes avoid this issue because they can present themselves differently to macOS

The Long-term Solution

If you regularly work with external monitors and find system-level volume control limiting, consider tools that give you per-application control. This way, you're not fighting with HDMI audio routing—you're working around it entirely.

The ability to route different apps to different outputs also means you could send your music to good external speakers while keeping video calls on your headphones, regardless of what your HDMI monitor is doing.

Quick Troubleshooting Checklist

Before trying complex solutions:

• ✅ Check if the monitor has its own volume controls you've missed
• ✅ Try unplugging and reconnecting the HDMI cable
• ✅ Test with a different HDMI port on your monitor
• ✅ Restart your Mac with the monitor connected
• ✅ Update to the latest macOS version

Most HDMI volume control issues stem from how macOS hands off audio control to external devices. While you can work around it with the solutions above, having per-app volume control gives you the flexibility to manage audio exactly how you want, regardless of what your monitor thinks it should control.

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Originally published at appish.app