Turn off Internal Microphone?

[RubyRoses]

I now have a microphone specific question. As you can probably guess, that question is: how do you turn off the Internal Microphone in these new iMacs?

I use to run Tiger (what a leap it's been from Tiger to Mountain Lion, I can tell you!) - and on that OS, it seemed to me that the microphone was only on when the mic icon was floating on the desktop. Was I right in that belief?

And if that's the case, why is it switched on by default now?

I've tried to research the answer to this question, but it looks like I'm the only person asking it…

Thanks SO much to anyone who can give me an answer - I just find it really weird/pointless that it's there, sensing every stupid little sound in the room.

 

[Weaselboy]

The microphone is not on by default. It only comes on if some app like Facetime or Skype for example turn it on. Do you have something running that is maybe turning it on?

 

[RubyRoses]

Massive thanks for the reply. That's a good question. Don't have Skype installed (unless Apple buried it in there somewhere, which I don't imagine it has), but Facetime obviously has come with the system. At the very least, I can tell you I'm not signed in to Facetime (as I have no interest in using it).

However, if I go into System Preferences > Dictation & Speech, I can see the Internal microphone graphic responding to any sound in the room. It's the same business when I go into System Preferences > Sound > Input. I can see the 'Input volume' flying up and down in response to noise.

Just had a thought now though - do you reckon the very act of going into these parts of System Preferences has activated it? Is the microphone off when I'm not looking at these windows? I will feel pretty daft if that's the case!

 

[lightz39]

Massive thanks for the reply. That's a good question. Don't have Skype installed (unless Apple buried it in there somewhere, which I don't imagine it has), but Facetime obviously has come with the system. At the very least, I can tell you I'm not signed in to Facetime (as I have no interest in using it).

However, if I go into System Preferences > Dictation & Speech, I can see the Internal microphone graphic responding to any sound in the room. It's the same business when I go into System Preferences > Sound > Input. I can see the 'Input volume' flying up and down in response to noise.

Just had a thought now though - do you reckon the very act of going into these parts of System Preferences has activated it? Is the microphone off when I'm not looking at these windows? I will feel pretty daft if that's the case!

That would be the case.

 

[Weaselboy]

Just had a thought now though - do you reckon the very act of going into these parts of System Preferences has activated it? Is the microphone off when I'm not looking at these windows? I will feel pretty daft if that's the case!

Yes, that is what is going on. It comes on to allow you to adjust the input levels.

 

[RubyRoses]

Whoops. Sorry about the dumb question then, guys! ^^;

Just out of curiosity now - would the microphone graphic float on the desktop (as it did on Tiger) if it was switched on?

Thanks again! I remember it was fun playing round with that thing.

 

[Weaselboy]

Whoops. Sorry about the dumb question then, guys! ^^;

Just out of curiosity now - would the microphone graphic float on the desktop (as it did on Tiger) if it was switched on?

Thanks again! I remember it was fun playing round with that thing.

I don't think that feature exists any longer. I don't recall seeing it on Snow Leopard, Lion, or Mountain Lion.

 

[benwiggy]

If you are using Dictation, then you get a little Microphone blob to show that it's on.

 

[DJLC]

Whoops. Sorry about the dumb question then, guys! ^^;

Just out of curiosity now - would the microphone graphic float on the desktop (as it did on Tiger) if it was switched on?

Thanks again! I remember it was fun playing round with that thing.

It wouldn't necessarily appear if the mic was on, but it would appear if you used Speakable Items — which is what the little popup is. Even then, the mic is only technically on when you hold the speech command hotkey you choose (unless it's set to respond to a name, and thus listens continuously).

SI used to live in what is now called Dictation & Speech. In ML, Apple moved the SI controls to the Accessibility pane of System Preferences.

 

[RubyRoses]

It wouldn't necessarily appear if the mic was on, but it would appear if you used Speakable Items — which is what the little popup is. Even then, the mic is only technically on when you hold the speech command hotkey you choose (unless it's set to respond to a name, and thus listens continuously).

SI used to live in what is now called Dictation & Speech. In ML, Apple moved the SI controls to the Accessibility pane of System Preferences.

Ah, I see! That's interesting to know; thank you.

In fact, I've managed to track down the little fellow in the Activity Monitor - coreaudiod - and can now watch it activating and deactivating (depending on where I go).

I feel like my curiosity has been satisfied now; thanks ever so much to everyone else who responded as well!