Apple TV Has No Sound: 6 Troubleshooting Steps!
Apple TV is a great way to stream movies and shows on your TV with just a few simple clicks, but some people have reported audio issues when using their device. The majority of people that bought Apple TV are very happy with the streaming service, as it makes watching TV so much more practical and convenient. With that being said, audio issues have been quite common with the device and you will find that fixing this can be very easy or rather technical depending on what is causing the problem.
Table of Contents
Why isn’t my Apple TV playing sound?
To fix the sound on your Apple TV try changing the format of both your Apple TV and TV to ‘Stereo’, check the connection quality of your HDMI inputs and the condition of the wire, and reset your Apple TV, as well as your actual TV.
Streaming services have become standardized in virtually every household – and understandably so. These days, you can watch all of your favorite content with just a few simple clicks by connecting your streaming device to third-party applications.
Apple TV has been one of the most popular options in this regard – with a minimal setup, user-friendly interface, and reasonable price tag. With that being said, much like with all technology, you can expect your Apple TV to act up sometimes and audio issues are particularly prevalent with this device.
There is nothing more frustrating than sitting down to stream your Apple TV only to find that you have no audio coming through. To help you understand this further, we are going to take a closer look at how to fix the sound issues with your Apple TV.
After extensively researching Apple TV malfunctions and troubleshooting, I have been able to gather enough information to determine what causes this streaming device to experience audio problems. My research has indicated that there are a number of different factors that can contribute to an Apple TV with no sound and you should consider each possible one to resolve this issue.
Change Apple TV Audio Format
For your Apple TV to deliver audio, it needs to be set to the correct format. The problem with this is that Apple has designed its system to automatically format itself to the best audio quality available, which may not be an option on your TV.
Depending on the type of TV that you are using your Apple device with, you may need to downgrade the audio format so that it is compatible.
To fix the audio format of your Apple TV, you need to access the device’s settings so that you can switch it to ‘Stereo’. Regardless of the type of TV that you are using, as long as the built-in speakers are working, they will support the ‘Stereo’ audio format. Follow these steps to change your Apple audio format:
- Menu button
- Settings
- Video and Audio
- Audio Format (click Change Format)
- Stereo
The majority of Apple TV users that experience the sound going out with their device usually have it set to the wrong format type. This is a particularly common issue when you first get your Apple TV and have not yet set it up with your TV. Changing the format to ‘Stereo’ should fix the problem.
Change TV Audio Output Settings
If you tried to change the format of your Apple TV audio and you are still not getting any sound, then the issue could be that your TV’s audio output settings are incorrect.
This is not a challenging thing to fix but the procedure can vary a bit given that each TV has a different design and interface. To ensure that you are changing your audio output settings correctly, I would recommend getting out the manual for your TV if you are not familiar with accessing its settings.
The reason that you may need to change your TV’s audio output settings is if the device is not matched to your Apple TV.
Since you already set your Apple TV’s audio settings to ‘Stereo’, you need to do the same with your TV to get the sound to come through. You can do this by following these steps with your Apple TV remote:
- Settings button (or tab)
- Sound Settings
- Audio Output
- Optical
- Stereo (PCM)
By selecting stereo on your TV audio output, your Apple TV streaming device will be connected and you should receive audio. If you did not see an option that was specifically labeled as ‘Stereo’, you should try selecting some of the other audio settings, as your TV could have different labels.
Check HDMI Connections
Before you jump into anything that is too technical, it would be wise to eliminate the easiest solutions to this problem first – given that they are usually causing it in the first place. Although improper audio formats tend to be the primary reason why Apple TVs experience no sound, the problem could also be that your HDMI connections are simply poorly connected.
Head to your TV and Apple TV box to see if the connections are tight.
If they appear to be okay, try unplugging the HDMI cable from your Apple TV box to see if this fixes the audio. Next, do the same thing with your TV HDMI output.
If the audio still does not come through, try blowing inside of the HDMI outputs of both the Apple TV and your TV in case there is any dust or debris inside.
Check HDMI Cable Condition
Whenever there is a problem with an HDMI connection, usually unplugging it and plugging it back in resolves it. However, you may have a more serious problem with your HDMI cable, which is interfering with your Apple TV audio from coming through.
You want to check the condition of the physical cable to see if you can spot any noticeable damage or exposed wires.
HDMI cables that get moved around can get used and abused which results in them getting torn. In addition to the cable, check the HDMI input pins for any damage. These can often get bent and beat up as well.
With that being said, HDMI cables can also get damaged internally, which can make seeing the issue next to impossible. The best way to identify this is to test your Apple TV with a different HDMI cable.
If you get audio when plugging in a different HDMI cable, then you will know that this was the issue. Although you can try to fix the HDMI cable, you are probably better off just buying a new one.
Stream Different Content
Most people get their content from a variety of different sources, but you should keep in mind that each application and streaming platform has its own audio. Although audio issues are extremely rare with reputable streaming services, they do happen.
With that being said, if you are streaming through uncommon websites, audio issues are notorious.
To see if your audio issues are content-related, simply try switching over to a different source. Turn on a video, song, movie, or show with several different applications and websites to check if the problem persists.
Device Reset
If you have tried all of the logical and common approaches for fixing your Apple TV sound, you may be experiencing some sort of technical glitch.
More often than not this is a software-related issue and digging in deep to find the actual problem is not going to be realistic for most Apple TV users.
In this situation, the best approach that you can take is to simply reset your Apple TV and actual TV. Let’s dive into how you can rest your devices.
Apple TV Soft Reset
Before you reset anything else, perform a soft reset on your Apple TV first. A soft reset is a very straightforward and light reset that will not change any of the settings on your Apple TV or other devices, which is why you should start here. To soft reset your Apple TV, follow these steps:
- Power down Apple TV
- Unplug the Apple TV box from the power source
- Wait for 30 to 60 seconds
- Plug the Apple TV box back in
After you plug your Apple TV back into its power source, turn on the device and test the audio to see if the sound is back.
TV Reset
Sometimes TVs also need to be reset when they start experiencing issues, which can be quite common with smart TVs that are supported by the software. To fix any technical glitches with your TV, try resetting it.
A simple soft reset should normally take care of the issue, which you can do by following these steps:
- Power down your TV
- Unplug the TV from its power source
- Wait for 30 to 60 seconds
- Plug the TV back in
If this did not work, you may need to perform a hard reset on your TV. The process for doing this varies and can be a bit different for each TV. Normally, you can do this through your TV settings but you should check the manual of your product to confirm this.
Apple TV Hard Reset
If you are still not receiving audio, you should consider performing a hard reset on your Apple TV. This is a more thorough reset that will resolve any serious software issues with your Apple TV and will essentially reboot the system as if it were fresh and out of the box. Here’s how it’s done:
- Menu button (Apple TV remote)
- Settings
- System
- Reset
- Reset and Update
Although this should solve the audio issue, you should keep in mind that it will also delete any of the customized preferences that you created with your Apple TV.
This means that all of your custom settings will be deleted and that you will have to go through the process all over again, which is why you should save this method for last.