Lets Mute

Lets Mute works with any of these. It detects which one is active automatically.

Zoom — host limitation: when you are the meeting host, remote leave will end the meeting for all participants instead of just removing you. If you are hosting, leave Zoom manually.

† Google Meet is supported via your browser. Supported browsers: Google Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Arc. Meet must be the active tab when you press your hotkey. Other browsers (Firefox, Brave, etc.) are not supported.

First launch

• Grant Accessibility permission The Setup Wizard opens automatically. Click Open Settings next to Accessibility, tick the checkbox for Lets Mute, and return to the wizard.
• Set your hotkey The default is F16 (the mute key on some keyboards) and ⌥⌘M as a fallback. Change either in the wizard or later in Settings → Hotkeys.
• Pair your iPhone or Watch (optional) Open the Lets Mute iPhone app, enter the 6-digit code shown in the wizard, and tap Connect. Your Watch pairs automatically once the iPhone app is installed and connected.
• Click "Start Using Lets Mute" The app lives in your menu bar. A mic icon shows your current status at a glance.

The menu bar icon reflects your best-known mute state:

• 🎙 Mic (filled) — unmuted / live
• 🎙/ Mic with slash — muted

For Zoom and Webex the icon stays in sync instantly via Accessibility observers — if you mute directly inside the app, the icon and Watch update within milliseconds. For Microsoft Teams — which does not expose its call controls to the Accessibility API — the icon tracks what Lets Mute has toggled and resets to unmuted at the start of each call. If Teams gets out of sync, press your hotkey once to re-align.

Click the icon to open the menu. From there you can Toggle Mute, Toggle Camera, access Settings, re-run the Setup Wizard, Check for Updates…, or quit the app.

Toggle mute

Press your configured hotkey (default F16 or ⌥⌘M) from any app. Lets Mute detects which meeting app is active and toggles its mic.

Push-to-talk

Configure a Push-to-Talk key in Settings → Hotkeys. Hold the key to unmute; release to re-mute. Supports a primary and secondary combo. Great for quick comments without taking your hands off the keyboard.

Camera toggle

Assign a hotkey to start or stop your camera without switching to the meeting app. Supports a primary and secondary combo. Configure in Settings → Hotkeys.

Leave meeting

Assign a Leave combo in Settings → Hotkeys. Hold the key for 3 seconds to leave — a countdown appears on screen so you can release early to cancel. Supports a primary and secondary combo. Hidden automatically for apps that don't support remote leave.

Mute HUD

A small floating indicator appears above your Dock for 1.8 seconds whenever your mute state changes. It disappears on its own — no interaction needed.

If you speak while muted, an "You're on mute!" warning appears instead. This requires the microphone permission (to detect audio level) and can be turned off in Settings → General → Overlays.

Leave countdown HUD

When you press a Leave hotkey, a countdown overlay appears above your Dock showing a 3-second ring timer. Release the key before it reaches zero to cancel. Hold for the full 3 seconds to confirm the leave.

Auto-mute on screen lock

When your screen locks or your session goes to sleep, Lets Mute automatically mutes you so you don't accidentally broadcast audio. Toggle in Settings → General → Automation.

Auto-mute on headphone disconnect

If your headphones disconnect mid-call, Lets Mute mutes you immediately to prevent your call audio being broadcast through your Mac's speakers.

Meeting-end notification

When a call ends (the meeting app releases the mic), Lets Mute can send a notification showing how long the meeting lasted. Enable in Settings → General → Automation.

Next meeting in menu bar

With Calendar access granted, Lets Mute shows your next upcoming conference meeting directly in the menu bar so you always know what's coming. Enable in Settings → General → Automation.

Pairing

1. Open the Lets Mute iPhone app.
2. On your Mac, open Settings → Connections or the Setup Wizard — note the 6-digit pairing code.
3. Type the code in the iPhone app and tap Connect.

Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Once paired, the iPhone reconnects automatically whenever both are on the same network.

On corporate or managed Wi-Fi where automatic discovery doesn't work, tap "Can't find Mac automatically?" to scan the local network for Macs running Lets Mute, or enter the Mac's IP address directly.

Using the Apple Watch app? Pair the iPhone app first — the Watch app routes all commands through the iPhone. Once the iPhone is paired, open the Watch app and follow its pairing steps to give the Watch its own token.

iPhone controls

• Mute tab — tap the large circle to toggle mute. The icon reflects best-known state (always accurate for Zoom and Webex; tracks toggles for Teams).
• Camera tab — tap to toggle your camera.
• Push to Talk tab — hold the button to speak; release to re-mute.
• Leave tab — hold for 3 seconds to leave the current call. Hidden automatically when the active app doesn't support remote leave.

Watch pairing

1. Pair the iPhone app with your Mac first — see the iPhone section above.
2. Install the Watch app from the Watch app on your iPhone (it appears under the Lets Mute Remote app).
3. Open the Watch app on your wrist. Tap Pair with Mac.
4. Enter the 6-digit code shown in the Mac app (Settings → Connections or the Setup Wizard) and tap Pair.

The Watch communicates with the Mac by routing commands through the iPhone app via Apple's WatchConnectivity framework. Your iPhone must be in Bluetooth range of your Watch and on the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac.

Watch controls

The Watch app has up to five pages (swipe to navigate):

• Toggle — tap Toggle Mute. The mic icon reflects best-known state.
• Camera — tap Toggle Camera. The video icon reflects best-known state.
• Push to Talk — hold the pill to speak, release to re-mute.
• Leave Meeting — hold 3 seconds to leave the call. Hidden automatically when the active app doesn't support remote leave.
• Unpair — disconnect this Watch from your Mac.

Haptic feedback confirms every action.

Hotkey doesn't work

• Check that Accessibility is granted in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
• Make sure a meeting app (Zoom, Teams, etc.) is actually running — Lets Mute only fires when a supported app is detected.
• Try reassigning the hotkey in Settings → Hotkeys in case another app claimed the same combo.

Mute or camera icon out of sync

Zoom and Webex: state is read via Accessibility observers and updates instantly — if you mute or unmute directly inside the app, the Lets Mute icon and any connected Watch or iPhone reflect the change within milliseconds.

Microsoft Teams: Teams does not expose its call controls to the Accessibility API, so Lets Mute cannot read the true mute or camera state from Teams. The icon tracks what Lets Mute has toggled and resets to unmuted/camera-on at the start of each call. If you mute or stop your camera directly inside Teams, press your hotkey once to re-align.

iPhone app can't find Mac

• Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network.
• The Mac app must be running (check your menu bar).
• On corporate or managed Wi-Fi — enterprise networks often block Bonjour (mDNS) between devices. Tap "Can't find Mac automatically?" on the pairing screen to scan for Macs on the network. The app will show a list of Macs running Lets Mute — tap yours to connect. You can also enter the Mac's IP address manually (find it in System Settings → Wi-Fi → Details).
• Firewall software may block local connections — on the Mac, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Firewall and make sure Lets Mute is allowed.
• If still stuck, tap Settings → Unpair from Mac and re-pair using the code in the Mac app.

Watch app not connecting or says "Not connected"

• Don't force-quit the iPhone app. iOS wakes the Lets Mute iPhone app automatically in the background — you don't need to keep it open. However, if you swiped it away in the app switcher, it won't relaunch automatically. Open it once and it will stay running in the background.
• Pair the iPhone app first. The Watch app requires the iPhone app to already be paired with your Mac before the Watch can pair.
• Keep your iPhone nearby. The Watch communicates with the iPhone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Move your iPhone closer to your Watch if commands aren't going through.
• Check your Mac is reachable from the iPhone. The iPhone must be on the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac. The Watch itself doesn't need Wi-Fi access to the Mac.
• If pairing keeps failing, unpair the Watch from within the Watch app and re-pair using a fresh code from the Mac.

Menu bar icon not changing

The icon updates based on the mute state reported by the active app. If it stops updating, check that Accessibility is granted in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, and that the meeting app is running. For Teams specifically, the icon tracks toggles rather than reading live state — this is a Teams limitation.

Have a question or found a bug? Email fionnyboy@gmail.com and we'll get back to you.