How to Mute All Sounds Globally with Howler.js

Controlling audio playback in web applications can be challenging, but Howler.js simplifies the process. This article provides a quick and direct guide on how to mute and unmute all active sounds globally using a single line of code with the global Howler object.

To mute all sounds globally in Howler.js, you use the global Howler object rather than individual Howl instances. The global Howler object controls the master AudioContext and all active sound objects currently loaded in your application.

The Code to Mute All Sounds

To mute all sounds immediately, call the mute() method on the global Howler object and pass true as the argument:

// Mute all sounds globally
Howler.mute(true);

The Code to Unmute All Sounds

To restore the sound and unmute your application, pass false to the same method:

// Unmute all sounds globally
Howler.mute(false);

How It Works

Using Howler.mute(true) is highly efficient because it silences all currently playing audio and any new audio that begins playing while muted. Crucially, this method does not alter the individual volume properties of your specific Howl instances. When you call Howler.mute(false), all sounds will instantly resume playing at their original, pre-muted volume levels. This makes it the ideal solution for building a global “Mute” toggle button for games, interactive websites, and presentation tools.