Every year, Mac users hope the next macOS release will finally include a volume mixer. Every year, they're disappointed. With macOS Tahoe (macOS 26), Apple delivered a redesigned interface, new system features, and major under-the-hood improvements. But did they add per-app volume control?
The short answer: no
macOS Tahoe does not include a built-in volume mixer. There is no per-app volume control in System Settings, Control Center, or the menu bar. The audio experience is the same as every macOS release before it: one system volume slider that controls everything at once.
Apple's Control Center still shows a single volume slider. The Sound preferences in System Settings still let you pick an output device and adjust one master volume. There's no hidden feature, no advanced option, and no new API that exposes per-app volume to users.
What macOS Tahoe did improve for audio
While per-app volume is still missing, Tahoe did bring some audio-related improvements:
- Improved Bluetooth audio stability — fewer disconnections and codec switching issues with AirPods and third-party headphones
- Better spatial audio processing — enhanced head tracking and more accurate spatial rendering for supported content
- Core Audio performance — lower latency for professional audio applications and music production
None of these address the fundamental request: "Let me turn down Spotify without affecting Zoom."
Will Apple ever add a volume mixer?
There's no indication Apple plans to add this feature. It hasn't appeared in any macOS beta, WWDC session, or known roadmap. Apple's audio design philosophy continues to favor simplicity — one slider for everything.
The irony is that Apple's own Core Audio framework fully supports per-process audio tapping and volume control. The Audio Tap API introduced in macOS 14 (Sonoma) made it even easier for developers to build per-app audio tools. Apple built the infrastructure — they just haven't built the user interface for it.
How to get per-app volume control on macOS Tahoe
Since Apple won't build it, third-party apps fill the gap. SoundDial is a native macOS menu bar app that gives you a volume mixer — independent volume sliders for every running application.
SoundDial is fully compatible with macOS Tahoe and uses Apple's modern Core Audio Tap API — no third-party audio drivers or kernel extensions required. It works cleanly with macOS's security model and doesn't interfere with other audio apps.
What you get:
- Per-app volume sliders — 0% to 200% for every app
- Per-app mute — one click to silence any app
- Volume profiles — save configurations and switch instantly
- Auto-ducking — background audio lowers automatically during calls
- Volume boost — amplify quiet apps beyond 100%
- Volume memory — remembers each app's volume between restarts
- Keyboard shortcuts — toggle the mixer or mute all from the keyboard
One-time purchase on the Mac App Store. No subscription. macOS 14.2+.