--- title: "Turn Off Sony Speak-to-Chat from Your Mac" description: "Music stops when you talk? Turn Sony Speak-to-Chat off on the headphones, in Sony's app or from your Mac, or tune its sensitivity. WH-1000XM4, XM5, XM6, XX." url: https://opensoundconnect.app/features/speak-to-chat language: en --- # Speak-to-Chat, on or off Speak-to-Chat pauses or quiets your music as soon as you start talking. Handy for a quick word, annoying when you sing along or think out loud. Here's how to turn it off, or make it less eager. Applies to: [WH-1000XM4](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm4), [WH-1000XM5](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm5), [WH-1000XM6](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm6), [WH-1000XX](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xx) · Updated 2026-11-03 ## Short answer If your music stops whenever you talk, Speak-to-Chat is on. Turn it off in any of these ways: 1. **On the headphones (WH-1000XM4 and XM5):** hold two fingers on the touch panel until you hear the voice guidance. The same gesture turns it back on. 2. **On your Mac:** in Open Sound Connect, turn off **Speak-to-Chat** on the **Voice** page (⌘3), in the menu bar panel or in the **Headphones** menu. 3. **On your phone:** turn it off in Sony | Sound Connect. On the WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XX this, or the Mac, is the only way. The setting is stored in the headphones, so turning it off once works everywhere. ## What Speak-to-Chat does When the headphones hear you speak, they make room for the conversation, then return to your music when you stop. What exactly happens depends on the model: | Model | When you start talking | Gesture on the headphones | | --- | --- | --- | | [WH-1000XM4](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm4) | Pauses or mutes the music and lets the other person's voice through | Hold two fingers on the touch panel | | [WH-1000XM5](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm5) | Pauses or mutes the music and lets the other person's voice through | Hold two fingers on the touch panel | | [WH-1000XM6](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm6) | Lowers the volume | None: app only | | [WH-1000XX](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xx) | Lowers the volume | None: app only | The [MDR-1000X](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/mdr-1000x), [WH-1000XM2](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm2) and [WH-1000XM3](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm3) don't have Speak-to-Chat. If music stops on one of those, the cause is something else: see [Sony headphones keep pausing](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-pausing-mac). Speak-to-Chat is off when the headphones are new. ## Turn it off on your Mac 1. Open Open Sound Connect with your headphones connected. 2. Go to **Voice** (⌘3). 3. Turn off **Speak-to-Chat**. You can also click the headphones icon in the menu bar and switch **Speak-to-Chat** there, or choose it in the **Headphones** menu. The app shows these controls only when your headphones report Speak-to-Chat. Since the setting lives in the headphones, it stays off when you go back to your phone. ## Keep it, but make it less eager If you like the idea but it reacts too often, change how it behaves on the **Voice** page instead of turning it off: - **Voice detection:** **Auto**, **High** or **Low**. **Low** makes it react less readily. - **Ends after:** how long it waits after you stop talking before your music comes back: **Short**, **Standard**, **Long** or **Don't end automatically**. When the headphones report the times, the app shows them; on a WH-1000XM4 that's about 15 seconds, 30 seconds and 1 minute. Sony's default on the WH-1000XM5 is about 15 seconds. ## Why it keeps turning back on Speak-to-Chat doesn't switch itself on, so if it keeps coming back, something is turning it on: - **An accidental gesture (XM4, XM5).** Two fingers resting on the touch panel for a moment, for example while you adjust the headphones, can count as the on/off gesture. Listen for the voice guidance when it happens. If it keeps happening, turning off **Touch Sensor Control Panel** on the **Wearing** page stops touch gestures, this one included, but also the taps and swipes you use for playback. - **A scene.** A [scene](https://opensoundconnect.app/features/scenes) can turn Speak-to-Chat on or off. Check your scenes on the **Scenes** page (⌘5), especially ones with an **On connect**, **Schedule** or **App** trigger. The starter scene **Deep Focus** turns it off. - **Another device.** Sony's app on your phone, or another computer, can change it too. The last change wins. ## Calls over the cable When you use the headphone cable, the headphones' microphone isn't used: Sony says to talk through your phone's microphone. On the XM4 and newer, Sony also says to turn Speak-to-Chat off for calls over the cable, or you may not hear the other person. More on calls: [Sony headphones for meetings on a Mac](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-meetings-mac). ## Common questions ### Does the WH-1000XM3 have Speak-to-Chat? No. Among the 1000X headphones, only the WH-1000XM4, WH-1000XM5, WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XX have Speak-to-Chat. On the WH-1000XM3, WH-1000XM2 and MDR-1000X the app doesn't show it. ### Can I turn off Speak-to-Chat on the WH-1000XM6 without the app? Sony's Help Guide for the WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XX gives no gesture for it, only the app. On a Mac, turn it off on the **Voice** page or in the menu bar panel of Open Sound Connect. ### Is there a way to disable Speak-to-Chat permanently? Turning it off is permanent until something turns it on again: the two-finger gesture on the XM4 and XM5, a scene, or Sony's app. Remove Speak-to-Chat from your scenes and it stays off. ## Where to next - [Headphones keep pausing](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-pausing-mac): Find out why music pauses by itself: Speak-to-Chat, wearing detection, the touch panel, a second device or macOS. - [Noise canceling and ambient sound](https://opensoundconnect.app/features/noise-cancelling): Switch noise canceling, ambient sound and off from the menu bar or keyboard, with the ambient level and Focus on Voice. - [Scenes and automation](https://opensoundconnect.app/features/scenes): Save your settings as scenes and apply them with a click, a shortcut, on connect, on a schedule or by app. --- Open Sound Connect is independent software. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sony. 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