How to Mute and Unmute Tabs in Chrome: Guide + Troubleshooting

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Make a tab in Google Chrome produce no sound on Windows, Mac, or Chromebook
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Did you know that you can control the audio of individual tabs in Google Chrome? If you want to mute specific tabs or websites, you can do so without touching your computer’s main speakers or volume controls. We'll show you how to mute Google Chrome without impacting the volume of other programs and what to do if you can't unmute or mute a website.

Muting Tabs on Chrome

To mute a tab, right-click on it and select Mute site and you'll no longer hear sound from that tab, including future visits to that site. To unmute a tab, right-click on it and select Unmute site .

Section 1 of 2:

Muting and Unmuting

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  1. A drop-down menu will open.
    • You can mute a site whether or not it's currently playing audio.
    • When a Chrome tab is actively playing audio, you'll see a volume icon on the tab.
  2. This is in the middle section of the drop-down menu.
    • The tab will be muted.
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  3. To unmute a silenced tab, right-click the tab again and select Unmute site .
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Section 2 of 2:

Troubleshooting

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  1. An extension may be affecting the mute/unmute option. Temporarily disable all Chrome extensions , then try muting again.
  2. If tabs aren't muting properly, make sure Chrome is updated to the latest version. [1]
  3. This menu has experimental features. [2] Do the following:
    • Type chrome://flags/ into the address bar and press Enter/Return .
    • Find the Tab audio muting UI control option.
    • Click the drop-down menu.
    • Select Enabled .
    • Restart Chrome.
  4. You can download an extension , such as Mute Tab if the built-in feature isn't working.
    • Once downloaded, activate it in the extensions menu to mute tabs.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Clicking the tab isn't unmuting it. What can I do?
    Community Answer
    Right-click on the tab. There should be an option to unmute it.
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    Not Helpful 40 Helpful 15
  • Question
    After muting the tab, the audio symbol disappears and I can't unmute the tab. How do I get the audio symbol to reappear?
    Community Answer
    Right-click on the tab. There should be an option to unmute it.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 19 Helpful 5
  • Question
    How do I unmute videos when I’m presenting and they are automatically muted?
    Tyler Mathis
    Community Answer
    To unmute, go into YouTube, go into the frame where the video runs, click the volume icon and click it, or you can try: right click the tab you are currently in, and press Unmute. This is not automatically muted.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95414?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
      2. ↑ https://developer.chrome.com/docs/web-platform/chrome-flags

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