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FernandoE99 Author

Level 1

87 points

Can we have individual volume controls for each app please?

No more explanation needed other than the title.

I don't know why this isn't a thing.

MacBook Pro 14″

Posted on Aug 31, 2023 5:30 PM

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FernandoE99 Author

Level 1

87 points

Posted on Aug 31, 2023 6:05 PM

The thing is, it should be a basic feature. Why should I go and find the settings of the app I am using if I could just click the volume icon at the top of my screen and lower the volume of whatever i want. For a OS that tries to simplify its users lives, it's making it more complicated by not having it.

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FernandoE99 Author

Level 1

87 points

Jul 10, 2024 2:01 PM in response to Mac Jim ID

Based on your logic if I have 20 different apps open and don't know where the sound is coming from, I will have to search through each app to mute the volume or lower it.

Instead, with my logic, I could just go to the nice volume icon at the top of my screen, show all the apps that are outputting volume and select the one I want to mute or lower.

FernandoE99 Author

Level 1

87 points

Jul 10, 2024 3:10 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Why do they need access to the code in the app to control its volume? The app sends the audio feedback to the OS and it gets outputted through the speakers.

If they have the possibility to "ask app not to track" they got the possibility to control each individual volume input/output. It doesn't make sense in a phone tho, too complicated, only in a computer + the only apps that really output volume anywhere you are in are in iOS are music apps or any app with background video playback.

FernandoE99 Author

Level 1

87 points

Jul 10, 2024 4:26 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

So just to remind you we are talking about MacOS not iOS.

Volume controls should also only be shown for open apps.

You do not have to store any information about volume controls anywhere other than in memory. If app is open, store volume % for the app in memory and regulate output of the speakers. Even if it was stored in disk, its a json with the app name and the volume percentage...

You are telling me, its impossible for Apple to code a middleware between the OS and the App that inputs the volume from an app that is open and displays a volume control...

You are telling me, 3rd party software can do it but not Apple? Yeah... no.

Windows can, Linux can, there is no reason for Apple to not be able to do it.

Sep 7, 2024 7:28 PM in response to Mac Jim ID

Hmm...

It is a terrible idea to and poor design to require a user to go to an OS control panel to change the volume for that app.

Agreed. But, I haven't seen anyone here saying that a user should be required to go to an OS control panel to change the volume for that app. My understanding of this thread is that those who agree are saying that the option should be available (if not from the app itself, possibly from at the OS level). From what I can tell, it is a fair ask. Feel free to correct me if I have misunderstood.

If you are confused now, you would really be confused if each app controlled their volume, then the OS also controlled the volume of each app, and you also had a global volume setting to control the volume of all apps.

What is your basis for this claim that it would be confusing, or, what exactly would you find confusing about that experience?

Mac Jim ID

Level 7

26,435 points

Sep 8, 2024 7:29 AM in response to damienestewart

Very thoughtful response and thank you for your input. The only thing I would like to emphasize is the apps currently are able to control the volume of their own apps and many of them do. You see this in many games in the App Store that have a Background Music level as well as a game volume level. These settings are relative to the actual System Volume level. Apple also does this with many of their own app such as Music, Apple TV, GarageBand, Quicktime, etc.

It seems the issue is when an app does not add their own volume control. This is not a major hurdle for app developers and I have done it to many of my apps with very few lines of code.

It seems to me that to avoid confusion you would need to have either app control of the volume or a System control for each app, but not both. Since currently apps can control their own volume, adding an extra layer of app volume settings in a System control panel would require those apps to not allow adjusting their own volume.

Jul 10, 2024 2:11 PM in response to FernandoE99

FernandoE99 wrote:

No reason it shouldn't be a default feature of any OS.

I imagine Apple has their reasons.

You can let them know your thoughts here:

Product Feedback - Apple

FernandoE99 Author

Level 1

87 points

Aug 31, 2023 5:37 PM in response to leroydouglas

Thank you, will do.

WP7

Level 1

8 points

Aug 24, 2024 11:17 PM in response to FernandoE99

BackgroundMusic (free, github) as alternative to SoundSource.

Aug 28, 2024 1:10 PM in response to FernandoE99

This! I switched to Mac circa 2013 and my old Dell had this feature. As someone said, it should be BASIC! It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to install an app.