tobi/AudioPriorityBar

Audio Priority Bar

A native macOS menu bar app that automatically manages audio device priorities. Set your preferred order for speakers, headphones, and microphones - the app automatically switches to the highest-priority connected device.

Features

• Priority-based auto-switching: Devices are ranked by priority. When a higher-priority device connects, it automatically becomes active.
• Separate speaker/headphone modes: Output devices are categorized as either speakers or headphones, each with their own priority list.
• Manual override: Enable "Custom" mode (hand icon) to disable auto-switching and select devices freely.
• Device memory: Remembers all devices you've ever connected, even when disconnected. Edit mode shows disconnected devices with "last seen" timestamps.
• Per-category ignore: Hide devices from specific categories without affecting others.
• Drag-to-reorder: Reorder devices by dragging or using up/down arrows.
• Volume control: Adjust volume with slider or scroll wheel.
• Menu bar integration: Shows current mode icon and volume percentage.

Installation

Requirements

• macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later

Build from Source

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/tobi/AudioPriorityBar.git
   cd AudioPriorityBar
   

2. Build using the build script:

   ./build.sh
   

3. The app will be at dist/AudioPriorityBar.app

Or open AudioPriorityBar.xcodeproj in Xcode and build with ⌘R.

Download Release

Check the Releases page for pre-built binaries.

Usage

Modes

Managing Priorities

• Click a device: Moves it to #1 priority (in normal mode) or just selects it (in custom mode)
• Drag devices: Reorder by dragging the handle
• Up/Down arrows: Fine-tune order on hover

Device Actions (hover menu)

• Move to Speakers/Headphones: Change device category
• Ignore as [category]: Hide from current category only
• Ignore entirely: Hide from both speaker and headphone lists
• Forget Device: Remove disconnected device from memory

Edit Mode

Click "Edit" in the footer to:

• See all devices ever connected (disconnected ones grayed out)
• Reorder disconnected devices in the priority list
• View "last seen" timestamps
• Forget old devices you no longer use

How It Works

1. Device Discovery: Uses CoreAudio to enumerate audio devices and listen for changes.
2. Priority Storage: Device priorities are stored in UserDefaults, keyed by device UID (stable across reconnects).
3. Auto-Switching: When devices connect/disconnect, the app automatically selects the highest-priority available device for the current mode.
4. Categories: Each output device is assigned to either "speaker" or "headphone" category, with separate priority lists.

Project Structure

AudioPriorityBar/
├── AudioPriorityBarApp.swift    # App entry, MenuBarExtra, AudioManager
├── Models/
│   └── AudioDevice.swift        # Device model, OutputCategory enum
├── Services/
│   ├── AudioDeviceService.swift # CoreAudio wrapper
│   └── PriorityManager.swift    # Priority persistence
└── Views/
    ├── MenuBarView.swift        # Main popover UI
    └── DeviceListView.swift     # Device list and row components

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgments

Built with SwiftUI and CoreAudio for macOS.