Call mute for the Mac, on one shortcut
ForIT Squelch
A native Mac app that mutes you inside Microsoft Teams, so everyone in the call sees you muted. One shortcut, Control + Option + Shift + Command + M, works from any app. Free to download, signed and notarized, and open source. Tips are welcome.
Features
What it does
- Control + Option + Shift + Command + M mutes you inside Microsoft Teams itself, so everyone in the call sees you muted
- Tested in real Microsoft Teams calls; ForIT names another call app here only after the same test
- A menu bar strip during a call: the app, your mic, your camera, and a leave button that asks once before it hangs up
- No call? The shortcut mutes the Mac's microphone, and the menu bar shows whether an app is using it
- Native and light: about 500 kilobytes on disk, 18 megabytes of memory and 0.1% of the processor
- Signed with ForIT's Developer ID and notarized by Apple; one app for Apple silicon and Intel Macs, tested on macOS 27
- Open source under the General Public License, version 3 (GPL-3.0)
How it works
Squelch finds the mute button in Microsoft Teams and presses it through macOS Accessibility. Because Teams itself mutes, everyone in the call sees you muted, and when you mute with the button in Teams Squelch follows along.
In a call the menu bar shows one strip: the app, your mic, your camera and a red hang up. Click the mic to mute, the camera to turn it off, and the hang up twice to leave. With no call, the shortcut mutes the Mac's microphone instead.
Pricing
ForIT Squelch for Mac: free
- The signed, notarized app, ready to open
- Use it on all your Macs
- No account and nothing to renew
Tips: you choose the amount
If Squelch earns its place on your Mac, leave a tip. It is optional and unlocks nothing: the free app is the whole app.
Source: free
The full source under GPL-3.0, to read or to build yourself. View the source
For your team: deployment quoted as a service
ForIT deploys Squelch through your device management with its settings, and quotes the deployment as a service.
Requirements
- An Apple silicon or Intel Mac, tested on macOS 27
- The Accessibility permission, asked for on first launch
- Microsoft Teams for the mute inside a call
Questions
Which call apps does it work with?
Microsoft Teams on the Mac. ForIT names a call app here only once Squelch has been tested with it in real calls, and so far that is Teams. Outside a call the shortcut still mutes the Mac's microphone.
Why does it need Accessibility, and why is it not in the Mac App Store?
Squelch presses buttons and menu items in your call app, and macOS allows that only with the Accessibility permission. Mac App Store apps must run in Apple's sandbox, which does not allow it, so ForIT ships Squelch as a download signed with its Developer ID and notarized by Apple. The shortcut itself needs no permission.
Is it really free?
Yes. The signed, notarized app is free on every Mac you own, with no account and nothing to renew. Tips are optional and unlock nothing. To leave one, choose an amount on ForIT's Stripe checkout.
Is Squelch really open source?
Yes. The source is on GitHub under GPL-3.0 and you can build it yourself. The download from ForIT is that app, signed with ForIT's Developer ID and notarized by Apple, ready to open.
What happens when I am not in a call?
The shortcut mutes the Mac's microphone with the microphone's own mute switch, or by turning its input volume down. Some microphones have neither; Squelch tells you when an app can still hear you.
Does Squelch send my data anywhere?
No. There is no account and no analytics, and the app makes no internet connections.
Can ForIT roll it out to our team?
Yes. ForIT deploys Squelch through your device management with its settings, and quotes the deployment as a service. Contact us.