Visual Studio Code / How to Turn Off Sound Effects

To mute the built-in accessibility sound effects in Visual Studio Code (VS Code), set accessibility.signalOptions.volume to 0 in User Settings. This controls signal sounds associated with events such as moving to a line with an error; an extension that plays its own audio may require a separate setting.

Turn off sounds in the Settings editor

Accessibility signals convey states such as errors, warnings, and breakpoints using sounds and other feedback. Lowering their volume mutes those sounds; it does not disable every spoken announcement from a screen reader.

1. Open Settings with Ctrl + , on Windows or Linux, or Command + , on macOS.
2. Select User below the search box. User Settings apply across projects opened with the current profile. Workspace settings apply to the current project.
3. Search for accessibility.signalOptions.volume.
4. Set Accessibility › Signal Options: Volume to 0. The display label may be translated, but the setting key is the same in every interface language.

If you cannot find the User tab, press F1 and run Preferences: Open User Settings (UI). This opens User Settings directly. The User tab is a scope selector inside the Settings editor, rather than one of the file tabs above your code.

Repeat an action that previously produced a sound to check the result. To restore sound, choose a value above 0 or use Reset Setting in the setting's gear menu. The accepted volume range is 0–100; the current default is documented in the official VS Code setting definition.

Mute sounds in settings.json

You can also edit the user configuration file. JSON is a text format that stores setting names and values. Open the Command Palette with Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows or Linux, or Command + Shift + P on macOS.

1. Run Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON). Choose the editable user file, rather than the read-only default settings.
2. Add "accessibility.signalOptions.volume": 0 inside the existing outer { }. If the key already exists, update its value instead of adding it twice.
3. Save the file and repeat the action that previously made a sound.

If the settings file is empty, this is a complete configuration:

{
  "accessibility.signalOptions.volume": 0
}

Keep any settings already in your file. For example, the following retains an existing font-size setting and adds the sound setting, with a comma separating the properties:

{
  "editor.fontSize": 16,
  "accessibility.signalOptions.volume": 0
}

The editor.fontSize property is only an example of an existing preference; you do not need to add it. Avoid nesting a second pair of outer braces or omitting the comma between properties. To undo the change, remove only the volume property or restore its previous value. The official User and Workspace Settings guide explains configuration scopes and precedence.

Disable only specific sound effects

To keep useful sounds while removing an unwanted one, configure individual accessibility signals. First restore the master signal volume to a level above 0; an individually enabled sound remains inaudible when the master volume is zero.

1. Press F1 to open the Command Palette.
2. Run Help: List Signal Sounds.
3. Find the relevant signal and disable its sound. The list also lets you preview sounds as you move between entries.

Alternatively, search Settings for accessibility.signals and turn off the appropriate Sound setting. When an announcement option is shown alongside it, distinguish spoken feedback from sound effects. A value of auto is conditional, rather than fully disabled: a sound can become active when a screen reader is detected. See the official accessibility signals guide for the list command and signal behavior.

What to check if sounds continue

Identify when the sound occurs before changing more settings: moving through errors, running a terminal command, or finishing an extension task can involve different sources.

• Check workspace overrides. A value configured for the current workspace can override User Settings. Inspect the Workspace scope and the project's .vscode/settings.json for the same key. In multi-root or remote workspaces, also check the relevant folder or remote scope.
• Check the active profile. If you switched profiles, reopen User Settings for the profile now in use. A change in one profile does not necessarily configure every other profile.
• Check extensions. If audio occurs only during a particular extension's work, search its settings for sound, audio, or notification. Temporarily disable a suspected extension, repeat the action, and re-enable it after the comparison.
• Check programs running in the terminal. Muting accessibility signals does not necessarily stop audio played directly by another program. Review that program's sound or notification options.

Also confirm that the saved volume is 0 and that the settings file has no syntax errors. If you only want to mute sounds, adjusting the volume or the individual signal lets you retain other accessibility support.