KeyBell For Mac

Keyboard users are very much divided when it comes to the sounds their devices make. Some prefer silent typing, while others want clear audible feedback, even opting for key switches that are designed to produce a more “clicky” sound when pressed.

If you’re on a Mac, chances are that your keyboard is very silent, like all of Apple’s products. Some users might prefer a louder keyboard without switching to a third-party device, which is especially difficult if you use a MacBook. KeyBell is an interesting solution — an app that plays various types of mechanical keyboard sounds while typing.

The app is very simple to use. It runs in the menu bar, where you can go to choose your preferred typing sound. There are quite a few to choose from, and a short demo will be played when selecting one.

There are various types of classic mechanical keyboards, such as the Atari, IBM, Commodore, and Osborne, a selection of typewriters, some electronic keyboards (including the one on the iPhone), and some fun extras, such as drum and sword sounds.

You also have the option of emulating mouse clicking noises, which might be useful if you have a particularly silent mouse or noise-cancelling headphones and need audio feedback when clicking.

KeyBell seems to have been designed to simulate classic devices, but it would be awesome if it included modern devices as well, for users who are accustomed to them and can’t get used to their MacBook’s silent typing.

For instance, we could have a choice between variations of Cherry MX switches, Razer, Romer-G, and so on. It would even be a nice way to test them out before buying one of these keyboards.

The app lets you configure global keyboard shortcuts for enabling and disabling KeyBell, as well as increasing and decreasing the volume.

It’s possible to assign certain keyboard sounds to specific applications. This could be useful, for instance, if you want to hear typewriter sounds when using a writing app, but regular keyboard noises for everything else.

Overall, KeyBell is a nice app for Mac users who can’t quite get used to their silent Apple keyboards. It’s easy to configure and comes with plenty of options, but it still needs some modern mechanical keyboard alternatives.