MacPipAnswer
Do Clacky’s sounds work in games?
Yes. Clacky’s click, keyboard and scroll sounds play in any app, games included, and the ripple shows over full-screen games too.
Keyboard sounds pause while an app has Secure Input on, and Quiet during calls keeps Clacky silent while Discord or another call app uses your mic, so the people you play with don’t hear your clicks.
What you get in a game
- A click for every press and release, side buttons included, and a keyboard sound for every key.
- A ripple under every click, drawn above full-screen apps. If you stream or share your screen, viewers see it.
- Clacky only listens. It can’t change, delay or block a click or a key press, so it never gets between you and the game. If Clacky stopped for any reason, your input would carry on as normal.
Voice chat while you play
Quiet during calls is on by default. It keeps Clacky silent while a call app or your browser uses the microphone: Zoom, Meet, FaceTime, Teams, Discord and others. Clacky only checks whether the mic is in use. It never opens or listens to it.
Voice chat built into the game itself isn’t on that list. For that, widen Quiet during calls to any app that uses the mic, or add the game to Quiet in these apps.
Keep games quiet, keep Clacky everywhere else
- Open Clacky’s settings and find Quiet in these apps (press ⌘K and type Quiet).
- Add the game, from the apps that are running or with Choose from Applications….
- Pick what to mute in it: Sounds and ripples, Sounds only or Ripples only.
- Prefer the opposite? Set Sounds play to Only in these apps and add just the apps you want sounds in.
Speed and delay, honestly
In our own check Clacky used about 1 to 3% of one CPU core in the background (29 October 2026, M5 Pro MacBook Pro, macOS 26.7.1). We haven’t measured sound latency in milliseconds, so we won’t claim a number.
If sounds feel late, the usual cause is Bluetooth headphones, which add a delay to every sound your Mac plays. See why keyboard sounds lag with Bluetooth.
Questions
Can I switch Clacky off quickly in the middle of a game?
Does Clacky record what I type in games?
Why did keyboard sounds stop in one game?
Facts checked on 5 November 2026.
Related
- Will people on my Zoom call hear Clacky's sounds?No, not by default. Quiet during calls keeps Clacky silent while Zoom, Meet, FaceTime, Teams or Discord uses your mic. The ripple shows on screen share.
- Can Clacky play sounds only in some apps?Yes. Add apps to Quiet in these apps, or flip the list to Only in these apps. Keyboard sounds can also use a different sound, or none, per app.
- Why do keyboard sounds lag with Bluetooth headphones?Bluetooth audio adds a delay to every sound your Mac plays, so typing sounds arrive late. Play them through wired or built-in speakers to fix it.
- Does Clacky slow down my Mac or drain the battery?Clacky is light: about 1 to 3% of one CPU core in the background in our own check. Battery life isn’t measured yet. Check it in Activity Monitor.
- How do I pause or turn off Clacky quickly?Click Clacky in the menu bar and flip the switch at the top. Or set an on/off shortcut, mute one sound type, or let Quiet during calls do it for you.
- Sounds where you want themOnly with headphones, on the output you pick, or only in the apps you choose. Ripples still show everywhere.
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