VolumeBar 0.4.2

VolumeBar now uses an on-demand AppKit panel, bounded thumbnail icons, and stops unnecessary process polling when the panel is closed. Closing the panel releases its controls, subscriptions, icon cache, and window. Saved custom app levels continue to be monitored.

Measured on the same Mac running macOS 26.6.2, using the signed release:

State	RSS	Physical footprint
0.3.0 after panel use	117 MiB	41 MiB
0.4.2 before first panel use	42 MiB	11 MiB
0.4.2 after Applications/search, Devices, Options, and closing	87 MiB	26 MiB

The final idle sample recorded 0.00 CPU seconds over 30 seconds with no custom levels active. These are observations, not guaranteed limits; active mixing and UI history affect resource use. RSS includes shared mappings, while physical footprint better represents memory-pressure cost.

Classic native rendering reduces macOS 26 rendering caches. Apple ignores the compatibility setting in SDK 27+ builds; future toolchain upgrades need fresh profiling.

Validation: 19 automated tests passed; the unchanged audio engine passed 12 live gain measurements across three route lifecycles in 0.4.1. Search, Devices, Options, and panel dismissal were checked in this signed 0.4.2 release. Checksums, Developer ID signature, Apple notarization, stapling, and Gatekeeper passed.

Download the DMG, open it, and drag VolumeBar into Applications. macOS 14.4+ on Apple Silicon. Existing saved settings are preserved.

VolumeBar 0.4.1

Native Apple Silicon build for macOS 14.4+.

Open the DMG and drag VolumeBar into Applications. On first launch, adjust an app slider and allow System Audio Recording if prompted.

Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple, and stapled. SHA-256 checksums are included.

Source commit: 564e2c9

VolumeBar 0.4.0

Native Apple Silicon build for macOS 14.4+.

Open the DMG and drag VolumeBar into Applications. On first launch, adjust an app slider and allow System Audio Recording if prompted.

Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple, and stapled. SHA-256 checksums are included.

Source commit: 8d0f01b

VolumeBar 0.3.0

VolumeBar 0.3.0 adds connected audio-device controls and a volume-aware menu bar icon.

• Speaker icon shows mute and low/medium/high volume, with the exact level and output in its tooltip.
• Choose connected outputs from Devices or the output-name shortcut. Favorite devices stay at the top.
• Select the system microphone independently; Bluetooth users can choose the Mac microphone while keeping headphones for output.
• View connection type, sample rate, and channel count.
• Notification-driven discovery, device identity revalidation, and route cleanup before switching.

Native Apple Silicon; macOS 14.4+. Download the DMG and drag VolumeBar into Applications. The app and DMG are Developer ID signed, notarized, and stapled. SHA-256 checksums are included.

Validation: 12 unit tests, 12 live gain measurements, and native UI checks. Only built-in audio hardware was available for local testing; physical switching to a second device and Bluetooth profiles need hardware coverage. This release has no AirPods-specific battery, noise-control, or connection controls.

Source: ee8a5a3

VolumeBar 0.2.0

Native Apple Silicon build for macOS 14.4+.

Open the DMG and drag VolumeBar into Applications. On first launch, adjust an app slider and allow System Audio Recording if prompted.

Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple, and stapled. SHA-256 checksums are included.

Source commit: a50567e

VolumeBar development build 8

Native Apple Silicon build for macOS 14.4+.

Open the DMG and drag VolumeBar into Applications. On first launch, adjust an app slider and allow System Audio Recording if prompted.

Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple, and stapled. SHA-256 checksums are included.

Source commit: 8d0f01b

VolumeBar development build 6

Native Apple Silicon build for macOS 14.4+.

Open the DMG and drag VolumeBar into Applications. On first launch, adjust an app slider and allow System Audio Recording if prompted.

Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple, and stapled. SHA-256 checksums are included.

Source commit: ee8a5a3

VolumeBar development build 4

Native Apple Silicon build for macOS 14.4+.

Open the DMG and drag VolumeBar into Applications. On first launch, adjust an app slider and allow System Audio Recording if prompted.

Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple, and stapled. SHA-256 checksums are included.

Source commit: a50567e

VolumeBar development build 14

Native Apple Silicon build for macOS 14.4+.

Open the DMG and drag VolumeBar into Applications. On first launch, adjust an app slider and allow System Audio Recording if prompted.

Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple, and stapled. SHA-256 checksums are included.

Source commit: 6be57eb

VolumeBar development build 12

Native Apple Silicon build for macOS 14.4+.

Open the DMG and drag VolumeBar into Applications. On first launch, adjust an app slider and allow System Audio Recording if prompted.

Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple, and stapled. SHA-256 checksums are included.

Source commit: 14070c9