Watch
MicPin waits for the macOS default input to change.
A free, tiny utility for macOS
Keep your MacBook microphone selected.
AirPods can become your Mac's input whenever they reconnect or switch between devices. MicPin quietly switches the input back to the built-in microphone.
macOS 13+ · Apple silicon · No microphone permission
Sound output
AirPods
Sound input
MacBook Microphone
Output stays untouched. MicPin manages input only.
The problem
Stop AirPods from taking over your Mac microphone
When Bluetooth headphones reconnect, macOS may make their microphone the system default. Calls and recordings can suddenly use the wrong input—especially frustrating when the headset microphone is faulty, muffled, or simply worse than the MacBook microphone.
How it works
One job, handled locally
Recognize
It identifies the built-in microphone through Core Audio, not by its display name.
Restore
If another microphone takes over, MicPin immediately switches the input back.
Install
Running in under a minute
- Download and open MicPin.dmg.
- Drag MicPin into the Applications folder.
- Control-click MicPin, choose Open, then confirm once.
The current release is ad-hoc signed and not notarized, which is why macOS asks for the one-time confirmation.
Private by design
It never listens to you
MicPin changes one system setting. It does not capture audio, connect to the internet, collect analytics, check for updates, run a helper process, or require administrator access. The complete implementation is one small native Swift source file.
Questions
A few useful details
Can I still hear sound through my AirPods?
Yes. MicPin changes only the microphone input. Your AirPods can remain the sound output.
Does MicPin record or access microphone audio?
No. It changes the default input route without opening or recording from the microphone.
Can an app ignore MicPin?
Yes. An app that selects its own microphone instead of following the macOS system default must be changed in that app's audio settings.