How to test volume levels on Macbook Pro with Touch Bar

3

I'm used to being able to hold down shift while pressing volume up/down to hear a click noise so that I can tell how loud the volume is. Now on the Macbook Pro with the Touch Bar (macOS Sierra), that doesn't work.

Is there a simple way like this to test the volume level while changing it, or did Apple decide to remove that completely?

Update 10/4/17

Thanks to the answer by @nickcrabtree, the checkbox "Play feedback when volume is changed" in Sound preferences should enable/disable the need to hold shift for the sound feedback to play.

However...when I check it, the sound feedback is played (though if I hold shift it still plays). When I uncheck it, the sound feedback doesn't play even when holding shift. However, when I plug in an external mac keyboard and use its volume keys, it behaves as expected. Seems like a bug to me.

Logan

Posted 2017-09-22T22:56:36.637

Reputation: 871

That is a nifty feature that I didn’t know existed. I’ll have to try it on my MacBook Pro to see if it works. In the meantime I think this would get more attention on the Ask Different section. I’ll flag it to get moved. Just hang tight. You may get an answer here too before it gets moved. – DrZoo – 2017-09-23T00:46:35.167

This feature works on my MacBook Pro (Mid 2015 model) running macOS Sierra 10.12.6. – DrZoo – 2017-09-23T04:05:19.587

Thanks @DrZoo. I'm glad to hear it works for you, but I'm specifically asking for the Macbook Pro with Touch Bar. – Logan – 2017-09-28T03:18:59.080

Yeah I know. I was just stating that it does work on mine so it is still a feature that exists, and not a feature that was removed on all Mac's. I'll dig into the touchbar Pro and see if I can find any info. – DrZoo – 2017-09-28T03:20:17.110

Answers

0

In System Preferences, in the Sound section, under "Sound Effects" there is an option in macOS Sierra "Play feedback when volume is changed".

If this option is not checked, then the behaviour described in the question occurs (you hear the feedback when the shift key is pressed).

If this option is checked, then sound feedback is played normally, and is suppressed when the shift key is pressed. This is the default behaviour.

In order to return to the behaviour you are used to, you need to deselect this check box.

(Information from https://support.apple.com/kb/PH25367?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US)

nickcrabtree

Posted 2017-09-22T22:56:36.637

Reputation: 450

Thanks for the answer, but that checkbox is already unchecked for me. When I check it, the sound feedback is played (though if I hold shift it still plays). When I uncheck it, the sound feedback doesn't play even when holding shift. However, when I plug in an external mac keyboard and use its volume keys, it behaves as expected. – Logan – 2017-10-04T23:16:29.937

Asked: 2017-09-22T22:56:36.637

Viewed: 333 times

Active: 2017-10-04T23:19:15.723