During yesterday’s WWDC keynote Apple debuted macOS Big Sur, the latest version of its desktop operating system, and brought along a little Easter egg.
Although we heard that tell tale Mac startup chime during the macOS portion of the event’s video stream, it didn’t quite click with us at the time.
It has since been confirmed that Apple is bringing back the startup chime it began to jettison with new Mac computers as far back as 2016.
With the developer beta of macOS Big Sur released following the event yesterday, MacRumors editor Juli Clover tweeted to confirm the sound has been reinstated.
The startup chime in macOS Big Sur. pic.twitter.com/rRSN4MrIBp
— Juli Clover (@julipuli) June 23, 2020
The sound is enabled by default, but if it isn’t working, those sampling the Big Sur beta can access the settings by navigating to System Preferences > Sound and ticking the “Play sound on startup” box.
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The sound was originally ditched by Apple because new MacBook Pro models automatically started up when they were connected to a power source or opened up the lid.
That rendered the sound when pressing the power button somewhat redundant, although it could still be re-enabled via the Terminal app. It involved entering the command sudo nvram StartupMute=%00 and hitting return. After this you’ll need to enter the user admin password to confirm the changes, close the terminal and restart your Mac.
Elsewhere, MacRumors also points out another sound-related feature in Big Sur. Macs still connecting to power via the much-missed MagSafe connection will now hear a noise confirming they are hooked up to the mains, mirroring the functionality on USB-C Macs.
macOS Big Sur will launch towards the end of 2020 and will be the first operating system to support the new Apple Silicon platform, which will see Apple move from Intel to ARM-based processors, with the first new Macs also arriving before the end of the year.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
