---
name: enable-cursor-sound
description: >-
  Enable Cursor's sound notification so you hear a chime when the agent
  finishes responding or is waiting for input. Use when the user says
  "enable cursor sound", "turn on notification sound", or "I keep missing
  agent messages".
---
# Enable Cursor Agent Sound Notifications

Stop missing agent messages when you're working in another window. Cursor has a built-in sound that plays when the AI agent finishes responding or stops to wait for your input.

## What Works

The setting is in the **Cursor Preferences UI** -- not in `settings.json`.

### Steps

1. Open **Settings**: press `Cmd+,` (Mac) or `Ctrl+,` (Windows/Linux)
2. Type **"sound"** in the search bar
3. Enable **"Play sound when agent finishes responding"**
4. (Optional) Also search for **"flash"** and enable **"Flash taskbar on agent completion"** for a visual backup

That's it. Test by sending a message, switching to another window, and listening for the chime when the response finishes.

## What Does NOT Work

Do not try to enable this through `settings.json`. The following keys do **not** control the agent completion sound:

- `cursor.sound.enabled` -- this is not a recognized Cursor setting
- `accessibility.signals.progress` -- this is a VS Code accessibility signal for screen readers, unrelated to agent notifications

These were tested and confirmed to have no effect on agent completion sounds.

## Troubleshooting

- **No sound after enabling**: Restart Cursor (close and reopen the app)
- **Sound is too quiet**: Increase your system alert volume. On macOS: System Settings > Sound > Alert volume. Cursor does not currently support custom notification sounds or volume control
- **Works intermittently**: The sound only plays for AI agent completions, not for regular terminal output or editor events. Short/instant replies may not trigger it

## Sharing With Coworkers

Send them this checklist:

```
Cursor Agent Sound Notification — Quick Setup
----------------------------------------------
1. Open Settings (Cmd+, or Ctrl+,)
2. Search "sound"
3. Check "Play sound when agent finishes responding"
4. (Optional) Search "flash", enable "Flash taskbar on agent completion"
5. Test: send a message, switch windows, listen for the chime
6. If no sound: restart Cursor
```

Or drop this SKILL.md into your shared project's `.cursor/skills/enable-cursor-sound/` directory so any team member's agent can walk them through it.