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fix: address upstream Chromium shift to enable CoreAudio Tap API for audio capture used in electron's desktopCapturer (🍏 macOS). (#49717)

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* fix: Enable CoreAudio Tap API for Audio Capture (🍏 macOS)

* fix: addressed markdown issue which caused pre-commit hook failure

🧑‍🔧 : Ref : https://github.com/electron/electron/pull/49717#issuecomment-3874660013

* fix: updated docs to cover `desktopCapturer` nuances with macOS

📝 : PR https://github.com/electron/electron/pull/49717
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2026-02-10 09:06:21 -05:00
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docs/api/desktop-capturer.md
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@@ -94,18 +94,45 @@ The `desktopCapturer` module has the following methods:
Returns `Promise<DesktopCapturerSource[]>` - Resolves with an array of [`DesktopCapturerSource`](structures/desktop-capturer-source.md) objects, each `DesktopCapturerSource` represents a screen or an individual window that can be captured.
> [!NOTE]
> Capturing the screen contents requires user consent on macOS 10.15 Catalina or higher,
> which can detected by [`systemPreferences.getMediaAccessStatus`][].
> * Capturing audio requires `NSAudioCaptureUsageDescription` Info.plist key on macOS 14.2 Sonoma and higher - [read more](#macos-versions-142-or-higher).
> * Capturing the screen contents requires user consent on macOS 10.15 Catalina or higher, which can detected by [`systemPreferences.getMediaAccessStatus`][].
[`navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia`]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Web/API/MediaDevices/getUserMedia
[`systemPreferences.getMediaAccessStatus`]: system-preferences.md#systempreferencesgetmediaaccessstatusmediatype-windows-macos
## Caveats
### Linux
`desktopCapturer.getSources(options)` only returns a single source on Linux when using Pipewire.
PipeWire supports a single capture for both screens and windows. If you request the window and screen type, the selected source will be returned as a window capture.
`navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia` does not work on macOS for audio capture due to a fundamental limitation whereby apps that want to access the system's audio require a [signed kernel extension](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Security/Conceptual/System_Integrity_Protection_Guide/KernelExtensions/KernelExtensions.html). Chromium, and by extension Electron, does not provide this.
---
It is possible to circumvent this limitation by capturing system audio with another macOS app like Soundflower and passing it through a virtual audio input device. This virtual device can then be queried with `navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia`.
### MacOS versions 14.2 or higher
`NSAudioCaptureUsageDescription` Info.plist key must be added in-order for audio to be captured by `desktopCapturer`. If instead you are running electron from another program like a terminal or IDE then that parent program must contain the Info.plist key.
This is in order to facillitate use of Apple's new [CoreAudio Tap API](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/CoreAudio/capturing-system-audio-with-core-audio-taps#Configure-the-sample-code-project) by Chromium.
> [!WARNING]
> Failure of `desktopCapturer` to start an audio stream due to `NSAudioCaptureUsageDescription` permission not present will still create a dead audio stream however no warnings or errors are displayed.
As of electron `v39.0.0-beta.4` Chromium [made Apple's new `CoreAudio Tap API` the default](https://source.chromium.org/chromium/chromium/src/+/ad17e8f8b93d5f34891b06085d373a668918255e) for desktop audio capture. There is no fallback to the older `Screen & System Audio Recording` permissions system even if [CoreAudio Tap API](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/CoreAudio/capturing-system-audio-with-core-audio-taps) stream creation fails.
If you need to continue using `Screen & System Audio Recording` permissions for `desktopCapturer` on macOS versions 14.2 and later, you can apply a chromium feature flag to force use of that older permissions system:
```js
// main.js (right beneath your require/import statments)
app.commandLine.appendSwitch('disable-features', 'MacCatapLoopbackAudioForScreenShare')
```
---
### MacOS versions 12.7.6 or lower
`navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia` does not work on macOS versions 12.7.6 and prior for audio capture due to a fundamental limitation whereby apps that want to access the system's audio require a [signed kernel extension](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Security/Conceptual/System_Integrity_Protection_Guide/KernelExtensions/KernelExtensions.html). Chromium, and by extension Electron, does not provide this. Only in macOS 13 and onwards does Apple provide APIs to capture desktop audio without the need for a signed kernel extension.
It is possible to circumvent this limitation by capturing system audio with another macOS app like [BlackHole](https://existential.audio/blackhole/) or [Soundflower](https://rogueamoeba.com/freebies/soundflower/) and passing it through a virtual audio input device. This virtual device can then be queried with `navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia`.