ToneCue lives in the menu bar and picks your microphone and speakers by situation: a dock, a calendar meeting, an open app. It tells you why it switched, and you can undo it.
14 days free, then €9.99 once. No account. macOS 13 or later.
A short demo, from switching by hand to scenes that switch for you.
That works until your day has more than one setup.
A priority list fixes the order. It does not know what you are doing. ToneCue picks the devices for the situation you are in.
Example of the headset problem: Apple Community thread, December 2024.
A scene is a name, a few triggers and two ordered lists of devices, one for input and one for output.
Order your scenes. The first one with an active trigger decides the devices. A default scene covers everything else, so a plain "best connected device wins" list works from day one.
A device connects, a calendar meeting runs (optionally only with a meeting link, with a few minutes of lead), an app is open or in front, a microphone is in use, or the clock is in a time window on chosen weekdays.
When macOS flips the input to a headset that just connected, ToneCue switches it back. It works per scene, and you can turn it off.
The popover names the active scene and gives the reason in one sentence. A history of recent switches has an Undo for each.
Choose a device by hand and automation pauses until the scene changes or you press Resume. ToneCue switches at most once per second, so it never fights you mid-call.
A global shortcut mutes the microphone and follows the input device. Links like tonecue://scene/Meeting work from Shortcuts and scripts. There is no link that unmutes, on purpose.
Pick a moment from your day. This is an illustration of the popover, not a recording.
Click the ToneCue item next to the clock. The popover shows the active scene, the reason and the devices in use. One click switches a scene or a device.
Each scene card says what triggers it. When a calendar meeting begins, the Calls scene takes over and uses your headset. When it ends, the Desk scene returns to the monitor and the studio microphone.
Each scene keeps two ordered lists. ToneCue uses the first device in each list that is connected, so a missing headset falls through to the next choice instead of to silence.
Welcome
The first run builds a scene from the devices on your Mac. Calendar access and shortcuts are optional.
Most tools rank your devices or mix their sound. ToneCue decides by situation, and says why.
| Feature | ToneCue | Free priority listsAudio Priority Bar, SoundAnchor | Recadio | SoundSource |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switches devices automatically | Yes | By ranking | Paid tier | Not listed |
| Reacts to a calendar meeting, an app, a mic in use or the time of day | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Gives a reason for every switch | One sentence | A notice, at best | Not listed | Not listed |
| Undo for each switch | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Keeps a headset from taking over the microphone | Per scene | By ranking | Yes | Not listed |
| Per-app volume, effects and sample rate | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Yes |
| Price | €9.99 once | Free | About $10 once | One-time license |
| Minimum macOS | 13 | 14 (Audio Priority Bar) | Not listed | 15 |
A dash means the feature is not listed on the product’s page. Based on each product’s own page in October 2026, not on our tests; features and prices change. Sources: Audio Priority Bar, Recadio, SoundSource, SoundAnchor.
ToneCue changes which devices macOS uses. It does not record or process your sound.
Install it and use it. The 14-day trial runs on your Mac.
Audio control needs none. Calendar access is asked for only when you use a meeting trigger.
A license check and an update check, and a diagnostic report only if you send one. No analytics, no tracking.
Try it for two weeks. Pay once if it earns its place in your menu bar.
No subscription. One license covers three of your Macs. Launch offer: 50% off for the first 100 buyers across all three apps.
Buy a licenseBuilt and maintained in Austria. Questions before buying? Write to hello@didact.digital.
The ones that come up.
