PowerToys
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microsoft
Change playback source with hotkey
Summary of the new feature/enhancement
A hotkey that changes the playback source on your computer. Makes swapping between playback sources quick and easy into a single hotkey, sometimes I use headphones and other times my speakers, I currently use https://soundswitch.aaflalo.me/ to do this.
It would allow for quick switching between playback sources and I think it matches this projects goal of performing common actions and making it as simple as possible.
Proposed technical implementation details (optional)
Maybe the [https://github.com/Belphemur/SoundSwitch](SoundSwitch Github) can be useful.
I would love to see implementation as I think it matches this projects goal and is extremely useful.
Soundswitch is GPL, we can't incorporate it due to license conflicts. Idea is pretty good. A possible idea for https://github.com/File-New-Project/EarTrumpet
/cc @riverar
I'm confused. For me, audio sources means apps/programs. Do you mean output devices?
I'm confused. For me, audio sources means apps/programs. Do you mean output devices?
I said 'playback source', but what I meant to say was 'output device' as you stated.
Soundswitch is GPL, we can't incorporate it due to license conflicts. Idea is pretty good. A possible idea for https://github.com/File-New-Project/EarTrumpet
Ah, that's a shame. I use SoundSwitch everyday for this, it follows in the steps of media controls and is something people don't realise they're missing out on.
As a side note, what's the reason app's like EarTrumpet (which has an MIT license btw, could this be added?) and other lightweight, simple and powerful programs, like all the PowerToys tools are not implemented as default into Windows? I mean I only just found out about PowerTools yesterday after using a PC for years and years. I'm just curious cause I feel like to get the maximum out of Windows I need several third-party programs and the functionality at times is as simple as letting me control volume per app. It's obviously not a technical reason. Is it more to do with the huge customer base and ensuring one change fits all needs? Or a matter of priority for features?
I appreciate your time if you answer!
Each app inside PT means we, as a team, need to support them. Ear trumpet by itself is a great app. I'd rather list out great apps like that if we can't improve it
I understand, but isn't the point of making Windows and continuing it's development to introduce better features? If it's something that you recommend to people, why is it's functionality not built in as default? Just curious.
@100mph, yes but right now we're stabilizing features. What makes Windows great is having an ecosystem that can extend Windows as well. One of our goals for PowerToys is to show how we're doing all this work as well so people can learn how to extend stuff :)
Making an OS for billions of people is hard. Different users use and expect things differently. Making things accessible is important as well. A great example was with PT Run, we took over Alt-Space. For most, everything was fine. For a group of users that use that regularly, it is super important. Same with WinKey+Space. If you swap keyboard languages, that is a super important keystroke to you. For a user like me, not so much.
As for this, it is a good idea, is it something we're tracking for v1 for PowerToys, it is not.
I also would love this feature. A wonderful implementation of it would be to mimic the way that you can switch between keyboard layouts with ⊞ Win + Space. If you're not familiar with that, try adding another keyboard layout or two and then switch between them with ⊞ Win + Space. The UI that pops up is very simple, very elegant, and a very fast way to "switch between a relatively short list of things"; I think audio rendering devices is a prime candidate for this. Both keyboard layouts and audio devices can be switched by clicking icons on the taskbar, but only keyboard layout switching gets a keyboard shortcut. Adding a keyboard swap for output devices would just be completing the analogy. Many things can be cycled with keyboard shortcuts. We can also cycle windows with alt + tab, virtual desktops with ⊞ Win + ->. Why not give output devices some love?.
Changing the output device via the speaker icon on the task bar is fairly quick (only 3 clicks), but I have found that I am most commonly changing output devices when using a full-screen app. I usually don't realize that I'm on the wrong output device until I've fullscreened a youtube video or launched a video game, for example. Then, to switch devices, I have to minimize the app (sometimes this requires alt + tab or other ways of escaping the current fullscreen window).
@crutkas I understand your reasoning for being selective about the features included in PowerToys. It does seem redundant (and places maintenance burden on your team, of course) to implement something that already has a 3rd-party solution. However I think it's worth noting that having the "Microsoft Stamp" on this project lends it credibility. I generally don't download any third-party software that does heavy modification to the Windows UI because I don't feel good about making my workflow more dependent on 3rd party software than I need to. I might start to completely rely on a program for my day-to-day work only to have it lose support. I feel better using something that Microsoft is managing, even if it is open source. That's pricesely why I love PowerToys so much. I trust the devs and community to support it because it's "1st party". I don't know if other customers are picky in the same way, but I thought it's worth mentioning this sentiment in case it's a trend. I'm not going to download a 3rd party audio device switcher like SoundSwitch, but if you put similar functionality in PowerToys, I will use the heck out of it, and love Windows all the more 👍
@sycosquirl18 good to see vocal support of someone that agrees with me, haha. It's something so obvious it's not a question of if it should be implemented but rather why hasn't it been already. Shame that you won't try SoundSwitch, I don't think I would ever use go back.
I really would love to see a hotkey for audio switching. It would be so helpful for switching between headphone and speaker outputs.
You can create a .lnk shortcut file that directly point to the Sound devices page in Win Settings: use URI "ms-settings:apps-volume". You can give the .lnk shortcut a keyboard shortcut (a.k.a. hotkey) in its properties. Or pin it to your task bar.
@100mph @crutkas Would that be the solution to the question?
An tip for people reading this thread later: you can leverage the Xbox game overlay to do audio switching as well (⊞ Win + G). There will be an "Audio" panel where you can change the audio output device. The overlay is designed to go over fullscreen apps, so it works well with games and the like. This isn't quite as quick as a pure shortcut but it's much better than having to minimize an app to do the switch. The Xbox overlay is a pretty nice feature overall; add to the list of great features in Windows that are not well advertised :)
You can create a
.lnkshortcut file that directly point to the Sound devices page in Win Settings: use URI "ms-settings:apps-volume". You can give the.lnkshortcut a keyboard shortcut (a.k.a. hotkey) in its properties. Or pin it to your task bar.
This is ok, but seems more "hacky" than a feature that I'm sure many people don't even know they're missing. If you take a look at SoundSwitch's implementation though, it's much better.
It list's all your devices and you toggle which ones you want to cycle through, you can easily have more speakers than you want to use, e.g., dedicated speakers, monitor speakers and headphones but want to omit monitor speakers from the list (I know you can disable individual sound outputs) and it'll only cycle through them every hotkey press. It's really so simple and so useful, calling someone over to your desk and showing them something, clicking a single button and you're on your way. Don't think I'll ever not install this on PC ever again.
An tip for people reading this thread later: you can leverage the Xbox game overlay to do audio switching as well (
⊞ Win+G). There will be an "Audio" panel where you can change the audio output device. The overlay is designed to go over fullscreen apps, so it works well with games and the like. This isn't quite as quick as a pure shortcut but it's much better than having to minimize an app to do the switch. The Xbox overlay is a pretty nice feature overall; add to the list of great features in Windows that are not well advertised :)
Didn't know about this, thanks for the tip. Although it's still multiple clicks and a hotkey; for a fullscreen app it can be useful but still is only 1 step closer to easily switching output device.
I use another app called EarTrumpet which has the same functionality as the Xbox audio mixing (is that the right word?) and have assigned it a numpad hotkey so I can play with individual apps' sound. Here's a pic:
Also, a side note to those unaware, game bar may be automatically recording gameplay which results in FPS loss, not sure if it's still happening with later updates but worth a check 🙂
I downloaded PowerToys simply to be able to map my media keys. Surprised that I couldn't map a key to switch the playback source instead of manually clicking the sound icon in Windows. Hope this gets implemented, seems like a useful feature right next to mute toggle/volume up/volume down...
I downloaded PowerToys simply to be able to map my media keys. Surprised that I couldn't map a key to switch the playback source instead of manually clicking the sound icon in Windows. Hope this gets implemented, seems like a useful feature right next to mute toggle/volume up/volume down...
As I've said above, I'm sure almost everyone will use this feature. It's something that you don't realise you're missing but once you have it, you won't want to live without it! Lets hope this continues to get upvoted and implemented sooner rather than later! 🙂
I don't like using 3rd party software to manipulate/change my Windows OS. But PowerToys are so awesome that for me is now a must have. I would verry appriciate if you would add feature to change audio output with a shortcut.
I would like to +1 this request, too. I don't want to install many tweak utilities to my system, but PowerToys (with their FancyZones) are a must and it would so great to have an option to toggle between audio sources easily.
I don't like using 3rd party software to manipulate/change my Windows OS. But PowerToys are so awesome that for me is now a must have. I would verry appriciate if you would add feature to change audio output with a shortcut.
I would like to +1 this request, too. I don't want to install many tweak utilities to my system, but PowerToys (with their FancyZones) are a must and it would so great to have an option to toggle between audio sources easily.
Love to see more support! Hold on guys, I'm sure it's coming soon :)
Our current roadmap and thoughts can be found here. https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/wiki/Roadmap
^--- So is that a no, this isn't being implemented anytime soon? Or am I not looking at the right place on that roadmap?
It currently is not on our roadmap. When looking at what to focus on, we do heavily look at engagement on the thread (comments, reactions, linked issues) as well as other feedback (such as windows feedback hub)
It currently is not on our roadmap. When looking at what to focus on, we do heavily look at engagement on the thread (comments, reactions, linked issues) as well as other feedback (such as windows feedback hub)
Thanks for the replies and info. Direct interaction with dev's is good for all. Let's hope more engagement comes soon ^^
1000000% would use this feature. Also do not want 3rd party apps like soundswitch. currently running an autohotkey script but its a bad solution to an easy problem. hope it gets added to the roadmap eventually. This is one of those features that people probably dont ask for because they arnt aware of how much they would prefer it.
1000000% would use this feature. Also do not want 3rd party apps like soundswitch. currently running an autohotkey script but its a bad solution to an easy problem. hope it gets added to the roadmap eventually. This is one of those features that people probably dont ask for because they arnt aware of how much they would prefer it.
Have a link to that AHK script you are using??
1000000% would use this feature. Also do not want 3rd party apps like soundswitch. currently running an autohotkey script but its a bad solution to an easy problem. hope it gets added to the roadmap eventually. This is one of those features that people probably dont ask for because they arnt aware of how much they would prefer it.
Exactly! After PowerToys implementation I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see it included in future versions of Windows!
Have a link to that AHK script you are using??
Here's a link I found, maybe useful to you!
- https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=68952
Another bump for the ability to set a toggle button...
I get happy everytime I see a reply on this thread, there is clear demand for this. Let's hope for sooner rather than later!
Sorry, it's just me from April again. hah
Do we know if Windows 11 (release in October) has this functionality perhaps out of the box?
Sorry, it's just me from April again. hah
Do we know if Windows 11 (release in October) has this functionality perhaps out of the box?
Well I'm still happy stuff is being typed 😂, and from afaik I haven't heard of it