MicActiveBar

Nowadays, since the use of online communication skyrocketed, slipping personal matters through a microphone became a prevalent matter. Being aware of a hot mic is not a difficult job, as most programs come with visible and easy-to-reach microphone controls. However, most conversations go along with running processes, on-screen files, folders, or any other element that puts the mic's controls in the blind spot.

To avoid embarrassing moments, or simply have a fast microphone check tool, MicActiveBar can help. This lightweight tool creates a shortcut in the tray area and uses that to signal the user the mic's state.

Don't run the tool expecting an interface to pop up. Also, there will be no installation routine as well. MicActiveBar is portable, so it can run on the go, with whatever system you come across, as long as you deploy it from a removable device or cloud space.

When launched, the app will push its icon to the system tray. The method of choice when it comes to verifying if the mic is active is a simple icon flash. Naturally, the icon has a white hue to it, and the flashing will make it rhythmically gray out. If the icons stay white when exposed to noise, it means nothing gets picked up, so you are safe.

It seems that after several seconds, the app's icon tens to remove itself from the tray menu. If that is the case, the best course of action is to add the shortcut to the list of icons displayed in the tray area, from the taskbar's settings.

There are two CMD commands that let you adjust the app's parameters - one to determine how much the icon should darken when registering sound and the other to decide on the minimum volume threshold for the app to pick up audio.

MicActiveBar is one of the smallest and easiest-to-use mic checkers. It might need a minute to ensure its icon is pinned to the tray area, but it should be worth it, as you will always know if your microphone is active or not without moving a muscle.