I discovered that setting macOS input volume to 0 doesn't actually stop "Listen for Siri" or Apple Intelligence from hearing you. The wake-word detection bypasses the system volume setting
entirely.
So la I built NoSpy — a 156-line Swift CLI that:
- Toggles your mic with one command
- Warns you if Siri can still listen (even when "muted")
- Opens the right settings pane to actually disable it
No dependencies. Just compile and run:
swiftc nospy.swift -o nospy
./nospy status
Example output when you think you're muted but aren't:
Microphone is MUTED (input volume: 0)
Siri/Apple Intelligence is ENABLED — "Listen for Siri" can still hear you.
Curious if others have run into this. The distinction between "system mute" and "voice assistant mute" isn't obvious in macOS, and I suspect most people assume muting the mic means nothing is listening??
keepamovin•2h ago
So la I built NoSpy — a 156-line Swift CLI that:
- Toggles your mic with one command
- Warns you if Siri can still listen (even when "muted")
- Opens the right settings pane to actually disable it
No dependencies. Just compile and run:
Example output when you think you're muted but aren't: GitHub: https://github.com/BrowserBox/NoSpyInspired by: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46790765
Curious if others have run into this. The distinction between "system mute" and "voice assistant mute" isn't obvious in macOS, and I suspect most people assume muting the mic means nothing is listening??