Tattle
A sound starts playing and you have too many apps open. Tattle tells you which one is making noise, so you can get back to what you were doing.
Why I built it
Who is making that noise?
I keep way too many YouTube tabs and browser windows open. Every so often one of them starts playing sound, and I have no idea which.
Then I started making a game with Claude Code. While it ran headless tests, sound kept coming out of nowhere. Those processes run hidden in the background with no window, so there was nothing to click and nothing to close.
The audio apps out there are either paid, or packed with things I don’t need, like EQs and complex mixer UIs. I just wanted to know who’s making noise and shut it up. So Tattle does that one job.
What it does today
An answer at a glance.
- 01
See active audio apps
Every app currently producing sound on your Mac, in one place.
- 02
Spot noisy processes
Browser helper processes are grouped under their browser, and headless sources are flagged.
- 03
Quit the culprit
Found it? Quit that app right from Tattle.
Coming next: per-tab controls, mute and pause. These aren’t in the current release yet.
FAQ
Questions
How do I find which app is playing sound on my Mac?
Open Tattle. It lists every app currently producing audio, so you can spot the source at a glance instead of hunting through windows and tabs.
Can Tattle find background processes with no window?
Yes. Headless and background sources are flagged, which is how I track down sound from things like automated game tests. You can quit the culprit right from Tattle.
Which browser tab is playing audio?
Tattle groups browser helper processes under their browser, so you know which browser is making noise. Per-tab controls are being built next.
Can I mute or pause an app with Tattle?
Not yet. Mute, pause and per-tab controls are in development and not part of the current release.
Where can I download Tattle?
Download the latest version from GitHub Releases at github.com/hieudvu/tattle/releases.
Is Tattle open source?
Yes. The full source code is on GitHub at github.com/hieudvu/tattle. Issues and pull requests are welcome.