Profiles Switcher Profiles Switcher › Automations › Your best mic, every time
Switch to your good microphone automatically
Create a profile that switches on when your USB microphone is attached and sets it as the input, unmutes it and opens your call app. An everyday profile returns to the built-in microphone when you unplug.
- When
- USB mic plugged in
- Then
- Mic: USB MicrophoneUnmute microphoneOpen Zoom
Last updated
How to set it up
- Plug in the microphone. Connect it first so it appears in the lists.
- Create the profile. Add a profile called Studio mic and add a USB device rule. Pick the microphone and choose "Any device of this type".
- Add the actions. Add Set microphone input with the USB microphone, Mute / unmute microphone set to unmute, and Launch an app if you want your call or recording app to open.
- Add the way back. In your Everyday profile (every day, priority 9), add Set microphone input with the built-in microphone.
Get Profiles Switcher on the Mac App Store, for macOS 13 or later
Why the wrong microphone gets used
macOS keeps one default input for the whole system. When you plug in a USB microphone, macOS may keep using the previous input, and if it does switch, it will not switch back to anything specific when you unplug. Video call apps set to the system default follow along, so a forgotten setting shows up as a muffled call.
With a profile tied to the microphone itself, the input is always right: plug in the mic and it becomes the input; unplug it and your everyday profile takes over.
Matching a specific microphone
The USB device rule matches by the device’s hardware ID, so it keeps working if the name changes. Choose Any device of this type to match any microphone of that make and model, or Only this exact device to match the one unit you own when it reports a serial number. That second option is handy in a shared studio where several identical microphones are in use.
Make it a full recording setup
A microphone rarely changes alone. Useful additions to the same profile:
- Set audio output device to your headphones or interface, so you hear yourself without the speakers feeding back.
- Prevent sleep with “Keep display awake”, so a long recording is never interrupted by the screen going dark.
- Run a Shortcut that turns on a Focus mode, so notifications stay quiet while you record.
Because the profile switches everything at once, “plug in the mic” becomes “the studio is ready”.
Frequently asked questions
My microphone is an audio interface, not a USB mic. Does this work?
Yes. Audio interfaces connect over USB too, so the USB device rule recognizes them, and they appear in the Set microphone input list.
Will apps pick up the change?
Apps set to use the system default input follow it straight away. Apps where you picked a specific microphone keep their own choice.
Can I mute the microphone automatically?
Yes. Mute / unmute microphone works on the whole system, not just one app, so you can mute it for example when you join a public Wi-Fi.
Related automations
Set it up in a few minutes
Profiles Switcher is a menu bar app for Mac (macOS 13 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel) that switches your Mac's setup automatically. You build profiles from 19 triggers, such as the Wi-Fi network you join, a place, headphones or a display, and 18 actions, including running any of your Shortcuts. Everything runs on your Mac; it is available on the Mac App Store.
Download on the Mac App Store