Audio Priority Bar is a native macOS menu bar application designed to automatically manage audio device priorities. The app allows users to set their preferred order for speakers, headphones, and microphones, automatically switching to the highest-priority connected device when available. This eliminates the need for manual audio device selection when connecting or disconnecting audio peripherals.

The app features priority-based auto-switching where devices are ranked by priority and automatically become active when higher-priority devices connect. It provides separate speaker and headphone modes with their own priority lists, manual override capability through Custom mode (hand icon) to disable auto-switching, and device memory that remembers all previously connected devices even when disconnected. Additional features include per-category ignore functionality to hide devices from specific categories, drag-to-reorder capability for device priorities, volume control via slider or scroll wheel, and menu bar integration showing current mode icon and volume percentage.

The application works by using CoreAudio to enumerate audio devices and listen for changes. Device priorities are stored in UserDefaults using stable device UIDs that persist across reconnects. When devices connect or disconnect, the app automatically selects the highest-priority available device for the current mode. Each output device is assigned to either speaker or headphone category with separate priority lists maintained for each category.

Benefits include automatic audio switching without manual intervention, organized device management through categorization, and persistent device memory that maintains preferences across sessions. Use cases include managing multiple audio outputs in office environments, handling headphone and speaker transitions seamlessly, and maintaining consistent audio preferences across device connections.

The app targets macOS users who frequently switch between multiple audio devices such as speakers, headphones, and microphones. It integrates with macOS CoreAudio framework and requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later. The application is built using SwiftUI and CoreAudio technologies.