Microphone mute hotkey on macOS.md

1. Open Automator.app
2. Create new Quick Action
3. Select Run AppleScript
4. Add this:

set inputVolume to input volume of (get volume settings)
if inputVolume = 0 then
	set inputVolume to 100
	display notification "Volume set to 100" with title "✅ Microphone is on"
else
	set inputVolume to 0
	display notification "Volume set to 0" with title "❌ Microphone is off"
end if
set volume input volume inputVolume

5. Save as mute-microphone
6. Go to System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts -> Services -> General
7. Find the mute-microphone service and set the hotkey (e.g. control-cmd-option M)

At first, I was frustrated that @henrik242's script didn't work for me. I suspect that many of you may be running into the same issue I had.

The problem for me was that my Shure Digital X2U microphone input had no way of digitally muting it:

My solution was to create a Loopback device using the aptly named app called Loopback with the following simple configuration:

I now have a device that I can select as my input that has an "input volume" slider:

Problem solved! Now @henrik242's unmodified AppleScript works flawlessly on macOS Sonoma 14.3.1.

I got the script itself to run instantly using a keyboard shortcut in FastScripts.

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Additional notes:

Automator: I too have noticed in the past that using Automator is slow. Don't bother, unless you need something free.

BetterTouchTool: This works in BetterTouchTool as well, but the "display notification..." doesn't work; you'll have to use the built-in one, but that one can't alternate between Muted/Unmuted notifications.

So, ideally just use FastScripts for this.

I also slightly tweaked @henrik242's script as follows, incorporating some of the flourishes of others:

set inputVolume to input volume of (get volume settings)

if inputVolume < 50 then
	set volume input volume 100
	display notification "✅ Unmuted" with title "Microphone 🎤"
else
	set volume input volume 0
	display notification "❌ Muted" with title "Microphone 🎤"
end if

You can link others to this solution here.

Thanks a lot. works great for sonoma!
if you can add or explain how to add an icon in status menu item (i'm not sure about the name, near the clock). It will be perfect. I don't find yet.

mac newbie.

Thanks, it works on sequoia 15.0.1

works well with sonoma, I'm using this to keep chatgpt running in the background and chat with it during work