No more explanation needed other than the title.
I don't know why this isn't a thing.
MacBook Pro 14″
Individual volume control per app is not a feature of macOS. I understand you think this should be a basic feature of macOS but it is not and never has been.
If you need individual volume controls there is a nice app called Sound Source that will do the job.
FernandoE99 wrote:
No more explanation needed other than the title.
I don't know why this isn't a thing.
There is more explanation needed. You did not provide any issue details or context. Please read this user tip:
Writing an effective Apple Support Commun… - Apple Community
FernandoE99 wrote:
Thats the whole point.
No reason it shouldn't be a default feature of any OS.
Volume mixers are something easy to implement.
My computer is not an iPhone that only needs 1 master volume control.
So write your app the way you want it. Or pay a contractor to write your app. Or tell Apple and maybe they will write your app
But none of us, fellow Mac users, participating in this thread are going to do it for you.
Lawrence Finch wrote:
There are over a million apps in the app store. I have 300 on my phone. Apple would need to have a table of a million different volume settings in order to have a separate volume setting for each app.
I'm a little confused by this. Maybe I am misunderstandng you, but Apple would not need to create a table of volume settings for every app. The operating system is aware of each app that is currently running on the platform and can independently control the volume for each one.
There was also a comment about Apple not having access to the code for 3rd party applications. By definition, the operating system has access to everything.
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:
FernandoE99 wrote:
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.
There are over a million apps in the app store. I have 300 on my phone. Apple would need to have a table of a million different volume settings in order to have a separate volume setting for each app.
If they have the possibility to "ask app not to track" they got the possibility to control each individual volume input/output.
You hit the nail on the head. Ask App not to track tells the APP to control tracking. It doesn’t manage tracking for the app. and it is a binary value, on or off.
This is a situation of nothing is difficult for the person who doesn’t have to do it.
good old wish for flexibility vs. fear of complexity
apple seems to mostly go for the simplicity in that respect
Microsoft Windows has had this feature for literally at least a decade.
FernandoE99 wrote:
For a OS that tries to simplify its users lives, it's making it more complicated by not having it.
FWIW, having settings for separate apps is more complex than having just a global setting. I actually have two apps that have volume settings for separate apps and I never use the settings. Just to add, I also have TVs and none have separate volume controls for each channel.
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.
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.
FernandoE99 wrote:
I don't feel I should be installing 3rd party apps for such a basic feature.
Then don't. FWIW, it's not a basic feature in macOS.
I've used it personally since at least Windows Vista, and never had issues.
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.
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.
mercedesmarilyn wrote:
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.
I guess you haven’t read the rest of the 3 page thread you just posted to
Can we have individual volume controls for each app please?
