FAQ

Does sotto need any permissions?

No. Muting is a CoreAudio property write and the global shortcut is a Carbon hotkey; neither requires a grant. The microphone key is claimed with hidutil, which also needs none.

There are two exceptions, both opt-in. The test button opens the microphone to measure your level, so macOS asks once and shows its orange dot while the meter runs. Push-to-talk needs an event tap to see your key, so switching that mode on asks for Accessibility.

Does sotto collect any data?

Once a day it sends an anonymous ping to Google Analytics: a random install id, the app version and which mode you use. No audio, no keystrokes, no device names. Turn it off any time by unchecking send anonymous usage stats in the menu.

What happens to Dictation when I use the 🎤 key?

It stays quiet while sotto owns the key. The key is remapped below the layer where macOS decides to start Dictation. Pick another key, choose none, or quit sotto and Dictation works exactly as before. A logout resets the mapping too, so nothing can get stuck.

Is push-to-talk supported?

Yes. Pick push to talk in the menu and hold your key: the mic opens while the key is down and mutes again the moment you let go. Holding a key means knowing when it is released, and the only macOS API that reports key-up globally is an event tap — so this one mode asks for Accessibility. Everything else keeps working without any grant.

Push to talk stopped working after an update

macOS ties the Accessibility grant to the exact binary it was given, and sotto’s builds are not yet notarized — so an update invalidates the grant while System Settings still shows sotto as enabled. sotto detects this, clears the dead record, and asks again; approve the prompt and push to talk comes back within seconds.

My shortcut won’t record

Two keys are rejected on purpose, and one is rejected by macOS:

• A key on its own (a letter, a number) is ignored — binding it globally would swallow that key everywhere you type.
• A bare F-key never reaches sotto if your function row is in media mode, which is the default. macOS turns F1–F12 into brightness and volume before any app sees them. Press fn + F7 and it records as F7.
• The 🎤 key is the exception: sotto claims it at the HID layer, so it records as itself.

So: a modifier combination, fn with an F-key, or the microphone key.

Does sotto change my audio output?

No. It only touches the input side — the microphone’s mute property, its input gain, and which device is the system default input. Speakers, headphones and output volume are untouched.

Does it work with Zoom, Meet, Teams?

Yes, because sotto mutes the device rather than the app. The apps’ own mute buttons are separate: muting in sotto while Zoom shows you unmuted means you are, in fact, silent.

One caveat: Zoom’s Automatically adjust microphone volume raises input gain behind your back. On devices where sotto has to mute by zeroing gain, it watches that property and puts it back.

Why is my microphone still muted after quitting?

Because sotto mutes the device, not itself. Quitting does not unmute — it would be a surprise to have your microphone open again without asking. Unmute first, then quit, or use System Settings.

The menu says my device can’t be muted

Some devices — Continuity microphones in particular — expose neither a mute property nor a settable input gain. Nothing can mute them short of switching inputs. Run sotto probe to see the details for every device you have.

Why is the app not notarized?

It is ad-hoc signed. Notarization needs a paid Apple Developer account; until then Homebrew clears the quarantine flag for you, or you can right-click → Open on first launch.