M4 Max MacBook Pro making beeping and chirping noises

Question

M4 Max MacBook Pro making beeping and chirping noises

I bought the new M4 Max MBP when it was released. A couple months later I realized the strange noise I had been hearing for weeks was surprisingly coming from the computer. I thought it was coming from outside because it sounded faint, and I didn't expect to hear a noise from a brand new device at all (it didn't sound like any computer noise I was used to). When I finally put my head closer I confirmed it was coming from the computer.

There are 2 noises. One is a repetitive "chirping" noise that sounds like a bird: https://youtube.com/shorts/oeY_0HGGbKc?feature=share

The other is a loud series of beeps:

https://youtube.com/shorts/wlCd-1gdipw?feature=share

Both are most loud from the center of the computer, underneath the space bar area.

I was able to take it to Apple, but the Geniuses said nothing was wrong. They couldn't replicate or hear anything, despite sending them my videos. I was eventually able to get a replacement through my company, but the new computer makes the same noises! At this point, I am most interested in understanding what is causing the noise, as it appears to be "normal" (though a fix would be nice if possible). Is it the SSD writing data? The noise happens even when all applications are closed and I am doing nothing. I know a couple other people with new M4 MBPs who have not noticed similar noises, so I am wondering if it is something with my specific configuration.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Feb 13, 2025 08:55 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 17, 2025 10:22 PM in response to PVRP

Hi!

Have you noticed another weird sounds like hdd noises on your m4 pro ?

You can hear it only in quiet room and when you put your hear on the keyboard. Noises are like there is hdd instead of ssd.

I get this noises while starting apps, copying files and any other actions. I dont know if it is normal(

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Answer 2

HWTech

Level 9

66,758 points

Feb 13, 2025 07:19 PM in response to matthewrileyd

I could only hear a hum and other background noises as well. To me the hum sounded like a low level sound coming from the speakers, but I'm guessing it was some appliance in the room instead. The recording would need to be made in an extremely quiet room so that only the laptop noises can be heard.

The most likely sources of sounds are:

Fan. It can sound like crackling noises (usually faint). Usually from a bad fan bearing or something stuck in the fan.
Audio from the speakers.
The "dinging" sound the laptop makes when connecting the power adapter to the laptop. If there is a hardware issue with one of the items that causes an intermittent power connection, the dinging can repeat.
A high pitch whine or hum from the SSD....very hard to hear and very rare to actually hear it.
Trackpad haptic feedback which simulates the clicking feel & sound
Intel USB-C Apple laptops tended to have a popping sound which could be loud, but it was usually intermittent & rare to hear more than one "pop". It had something to do with the shifting of the case and/or internal components. I could never pinpoint an exact cause because it could not be reproduced on demand. I have not heard anything like it with any of the M-series laptops.

Usually something like this will require a tech to hear it first hand since it can be difficult to record the sounds clearly.

If you could not reproduce the issue at the Apple Store, then perhaps something at home is contributing to making the laptop make the noise. If it only occurs when using the power adapter, perhaps there is a power issue at home. Does the issue occur when all external devices are disconnected from the laptop?

When does the noise start occurring? What app(s) are you using at the time? Or devices? Could it be some faint audio that is playing from some app? I know many times a web browser will start playing some audio on a page I'm not looking at or from a hidden pop-up browser window. Have you tried muting the audio to help eliminate the speakers/audio (it doesn't completely rule it out since I have had sound come through unpowered speakers from a strong local broadcast antenna).

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Answer 3

Feb 13, 2025 11:11 AM in response to matthewrileyd

I do not know the source of the steady sound in the background of your posted videos. By the time I play it on my computer, I can't hear anything more than a steady hum, which I may have mistakenly attributed to fan noise.

I do not hear ANY chirps or beeps or anything but a steady sound. That could be my "low fidelity" sound on my computer, but I can hear the sound in the SSD writing video.

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Answer 4

Feb 14, 2025 12:04 PM in response to HWTech

It occurs when plugged in to power and on battery. It also occurs whether external devices are connected or disconnected, apps open or closed, as I've tested all. It occurs in other parts of my home as well, so hard to tell if something is somehow causing/interfering/amplifying it.

Of the sounds you mentioned, I am familiar with all and it does not sound like any, with the exception of "a high pitch whine or hum from the SSD" - this is the only thing I could imagine it being, especially since not all others have been able to hear it in my videos, though I can hear it both in person and in the videos, and others I've had listen in person can also hear and agree it sounds like its coming from the center of the computer.

I have not been able to pinpoint how or when the noise starts or how to get it to stop in every tested instance. Initially I thought it might be the ethernet adapter dongle I have, and sometimes when I unplugged it, it went away. But other times it persists even when disconnected. It also happens when only on wifi. I can not be using any apps, leaving the computer alone (but not asleep) and return to find the noise.

Like I mentioned above, I heard the noise for a couple months initially thinking it was a bird outside, but then realized it was too "perfect" and mechanical (and also never really stopped). It sounded faint but still audible from a normal distance away, so I thought it was outdoors. I only put my ear to the computer when I heard the second noise, which was a more consolidated sequence of beeps. I did actually think that noise was low audio somehow playing, so I put my head close and realized it was not coming from the speakers, and also that I could hear the original noise clearly, at the same time. That's when I first realized the initial noise was coming from the computer, as well as this new, second noise—which has only happened twice.

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Answer 5

PVRP

Level 1

26 points

Feb 16, 2025 05:54 AM in response to matthewrileyd

Mostlike is whine or hum, from electric componetes. My M4 pro has it, when is in heavy use, and if I'm in a silente room I can hear it but very low and when the fans kick I can't, but in normal/medium use is not audible, only if I put my hear at the center of the keyboard I notice it.

I guess that it can be variable from equipement to equipemnet.

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Answer 6

Feb 25, 2025 08:09 AM in response to matthewrileyd

I have been working on my old Mac Pro 5,1 and wanted to share my recent experiences.

When installing software on a slow (around 500 Mbytes./sec) SSD drive in a SATA bay, deep inside the chassis, I heard some small scratching and ticking noises. These could not possibly be coming from the drive, it is far too slow and far away.

I ultimately determined that these noises were coming from the completely unshielded wiring to my very cheap amplified speakers run from the headphone jack. The pattern sounded vaguely familiar to me. I had heard it while debugging something different before, but could not place it.

Then I remembered. What I was hearing was generated by the iPhone in my pocket, saying Hi to other devices nearby. It was picked by the unshielded wiring and amplified and presented as a faint sound through the speakers..

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