MacPipAnswer
How do I pause or turn off Clacky quickly?
Click Clacky's icon in the menu bar and turn off the switch at the top of the menu: every sound and ripple stops at once, and the same switch turns it back on.
For a key press instead of a click, set an On/off shortcut in Settings → General. Clacky has none until you pick one.
Every way to pause Clacky
| Way | Where | What stops |
|---|---|---|
| The main switch | Top of the menu-bar menu, or top of the Settings sidebar | Everything |
| On/off shortcut | Settings → General (or Settings → Shortcuts) | Everything, press again to turn it on |
| Click shortcut | Settings → Shortcuts → Click shortcuts | Everything, with a mouse rhythm |
| Keyboard, Release, Scroll, Ripples | The switches in the menu-bar menu | Just that one |
| Quiet during calls | Settings → General → More options (on by default) | Sounds, while a call uses the mic |
| Quiet in these apps | Settings → General → More options | Sounds or ripples in the apps you choose |
| Quit Clacky | Menu-bar menu, ⌘Q | Clacky closes until you open it again |
How to set an on/off shortcut
If the keys are already used by another app or by macOS, Clacky warns you.
- Open Clacky's Settings and go to General.
- Click the On/off shortcut field and press the keys you want, for example ⌃⌥⌘C.
- Press it once to turn Clacky off, and again to turn it on. It works in any app and needs no extra permission.
Pause just one thing
Often you don't want silence everywhere, only less of one sound. The switches in Clacky's menu stay open while you flip them, so it is quick to try:
- Keyboard off: no typing sounds, clicks still play.
- Release off: one sound per click instead of two.
- Scroll off: no ticks while you scroll.
- Ripples off: no ring under the pointer.
- The volume slider in the same menu lowers everything without switching it off.
Let Clacky pause itself
Two settings mean you rarely need the switch. Quiet during calls, on by default, keeps Clacky silent while Zoom, Meet, FaceTime, Teams, Discord or another call uses your microphone. Only with headphones keeps sounds off the speakers, so Clacky goes quiet when you take your headphones off. Keyboard sounds also pause by themselves in password fields, because Clacky respects Secure Input.
Turning Clacky off for good
To stop Clacky starting with your Mac, turn off Launch at login in Settings → General. To remove it completely, follow how to uninstall Clacky. Your settings stay if you only quit or switch it off.
Questions
Does turning Clacky off lose my settings?
Where is Clacky's menu-bar icon?
Can I pause Clacky for just one call?
Facts checked on 5 November 2026.
Related
- What are Clacky's keyboard shortcuts?Clacky's shortcuts: ⌥⇧⌘4 area, ⌥⇧⌘5 window, ⌥⇧⌘3 full screen, ⌥⇧⌘6 polished shot, ⌥⇧⌘T Grab Text, ⌘K search. Change any in Settings.
- 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.
- How do I turn off keyboard sounds on a Mac?macOS makes no typing sounds itself, so turn them off where they come from: a keyboard sound app, Slow Keys, the alert beep or VoiceOver.
- How do I uninstall Clacky?Quit Clacky, drag it to the Trash, remove it from Input Monitoring and Screen Recording, then delete its support folder and preferences file.
- 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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