#muteglow

platformmacOS 13+version1.1.0pricefreesourceclosed

A glowing reminder that you're on mute. MuteGlow is a lightweight macOS menu-bar utility that paints a soft, pulsing red border around your screen whenever your microphone is muted during a video call — works across multiple displays, click-through, no dock icon.

↓Download for Mac

###What it does

Video calls are great. Forgetting you're muted and talking for 30 seconds is not. MuteGlow watches your mic state across all major conferencing apps and paints a soft red glow around your screen the instant you go on mute. The overlay is click-through, so it never blocks your work.

###Features

Pulsing red border when muted — visible on every connected display
Auto-detects mute state in Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, Webex, Slack Huddles, Discord, and FaceTime
Lives in the menu bar — no dock icon, no clutter
Click-through overlay never blocks your work
Under 2 MB, no telemetry, no analytics

##Installation#

Heads up — MuteGlow isn't signed with an Apple Developer certificate, so macOS will block it on first launch. The bypass is a one-time thing; here's the short version.

# 1. Download & unzip

$ curl -LO "https://madebyjames.app/downloads/MuteGlow.zip"

$ unzip MuteGlow.zip

$ mv MuteGlow.app /Applications/

###Step by step

Download & unzip MuteGlowUse the Download for Mac button above. Unzip; you'll get MuteGlow.app. Drag it into /Applications.
First launch — bypass Gatekeeper
- Double-click MuteGlow.app. macOS will say "Apple could not verify…"; click Done.
- Open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click Open Anyway next to MuteGlow.
- Or: right-click the app → Open → Open. You only do this once.
Grant Accessibility permission
- The menu-bar popover will show an Accessibility Required banner.
- Click Open Settings — it deep-links to the right pane. Toggle MuteGlow on.
- This is what lets MuteGlow detect mute state in apps like Teams and Meet.
You're doneMuteGlow appears as a small mic icon in your menu bar. Hop into a call, hit mute, and watch the edges glow.

##Requirements#

OS	macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later
Architecture	Apple Silicon & Intel (universal)
Permissions	Accessibility (prompted on first launch)
Supported apps	Teams, Zoom, Meet, Webex, Slack Huddles, Discord, FaceTime
Network	None — runs fully offline, no telemetry

##Changelog#

history·2 entries

v1.1.0—Accessibility permission banner with one-click Settings deep-link. Distributable ZIP build.2026-02-11

v1.0.0—Initial release. Teams, Meet, Zoom, Webex, Slack, Discord, FaceTime.2026-02-10

##FAQ#

###Why isn't it on the Mac App Store?

Sandboxed apps can't read mic state from other apps reliably. MuteGlow needs Accessibility access, which the Mac App Store doesn't allow. Direct distribution is the only honest path.

###Does it record or transmit anything?

No. It reads mic-on / mic-off state and that's it. No audio is captured, no network calls are made. You can verify with Little Snitch or Activity Monitor.

###Can I change the color?

Yes — ⌘ + , in the menu bar opens preferences. Color, intensity, and pulse speed are all configurable.