Stay Heard,Not Shouting
Control your speaking volume with real-time visual feedback—especially helpful with noise-canceling headphones or in quiet environments where you can't hear yourself clearly.
Helpful for those with, or living/working near someone with:
macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later • Free Download
Get Started in 4 Simple Steps
Install & Place Widget
Download Squawk and position the widget where you can see it during calls
Get Room Baseline
Click "Rebaseline" to measure your environment's ambient noise floor
Auto-Adjustment
Squawk automatically adapts between quiet and loud environments
Stay in the Green
Avoid red and yellow zones to maintain appropriate volume levels
No data, sound, or info ever leaves your device and is not stored
See Squawk in Action
Click to Play Feature Tour
Why Squawk?
Build Audio Awareness
Instant color-coded feedback (Green = Perfect, Yellow = Slightly Loud, Red = Too Loud) helps you develop awareness of your speaking volume over time—especially valuable when you can't hear yourself clearly.
Simple & Unobtrusive
Choose from Circular, Horizontal Bar, or Vertical Bar widgets. Small, draggable, and stays on top—giving you feedback without disrupting your workflow or being distracting to others.
Adapts to Any Environment
Automatic baseline adjustment and manual rebaseline function adapt to different environments—perfect for quiet offices, home offices, or shared spaces where volume control matters.
Complete Privacy
NO audio recording, NO network transmission, NO data storage. All processing happens locally on your Mac. Your conversations stay private, always.
Highly Customizable
Choose from 15 SF Symbols icons, adjust widget size and transparency, lock position, and match your personal preferences. Make it work the way you need it to.
Track Your Progress
Track time spent in each volume zone and monitor patterns over time. See your improvement and build better awareness of your speaking habits.
Works with Any Microphone
Full support for Bluetooth headsets, external microphones, and built-in mics. Essential for noise-canceling headphones where you can't hear your own voice.
Built for Sound Sensitivity &
Neurodivergence
Squawk provides non-judgmental, visual feedback for volume awareness—especially helpful for neurodivergent individuals and those with auditory sensitivities.
Autism Spectrum
Research shows 50-96% of individuals with ASD report sensory sensitivities, including auditory processing differences that make volume modulation challenging.1 Many autistic people struggle to accurately perceive how loud their voice is and have difficulty reading social cues about when they're too loud.
Visual supports are evidence-based interventions that reduce anxiety, foster independence, and provide clear feedback without relying on social cues.2
ADHD Support
People with ADHD commonly have difficulty regulating voice volume due to executive function deficits affecting self-monitoring.3 Many don't realize their volume until someone points it out, especially when excited or focused.
Real-time visual feedback compensates for weak internal monitoring and provides immediate, concrete awareness without disrupting focus or requiring constant self-checking.4
Hyperacusis & Misophonia
For those with hyperacusis (where normal sounds seem unbearably loud) or misophonia (sensitivity to specific sound patterns), having others aware of and controlling their volume creates more comfortable environments.5
Squawk provides an objective, non-confrontational way for partners, family, and coworkers to self-monitor their speaking volume, reducing painful or uncomfortable sound exposures.
Sensory Processing Differences
Sensory processing differences can affect the ability to accurately perceive one's own speaking volume and self-regulate in real-time.6 Visual feedback provides an alternative sensory channel when auditory processing is compromised.
External, objective feedback reduces cognitive load and supports self-regulation when internal sensory modulation is challenging.
"I can finally join video calls without worrying if I'm being too loud. The visual feedback is instant and non-judgmental."
Squawk supports those who are neurodivergent, have auditory sensitivities, or simply need help with volume awareness. We welcome everyone.
Why Visual Feedback Works
Research-Backed Approach
Visual feedback for voice control isn't new—it's been used successfully in clinical speech therapy since 1979.7 Studies show that both normal speakers and those with voice disorders can effectively control vocal intensity with visual displays.
The gold-standard LSVT LOUD treatment for Parkinson's disease uses visual feedback (voice lights and intensity meters) to help people "recalibrate" their perception of normal speaking volume.8 Evidence-based apps like Voice Meter Pro and Speak Up already use this technology to support voice therapy.
Visual vs Social Cues
For many neurodivergent individuals, processing social cues (facial expressions, body language) while simultaneously managing speaking volume is cognitively demanding. Visual feedback provides clear, consistent information without requiring interpretation of social signals.9
Immediate Biofeedback
Biofeedback uses visual or auditory feedback to encourage desired actions and create behavioral changes.10 Real-time feedback enables in-the-moment adjustment, making it particularly effective for building awareness and self-regulation skills.
Noise-Canceling Headphones
While headphones don't affect bone conduction (how you hear your own voice internally), they prevent you from hearing your voice through the air—crucial feedback for judging how loud you sound to others.11 Visual feedback compensates for this lost air-conduction reference.
Non-Judgmental Support
Unlike social feedback (which can feel awkward or confrontational), visual feedback provides objective information that reduces anxiety and relationship strain while building independence and confidence.
Who Benefits from Squawk?
Noise-Canceling Headphone Users
Can't hear yourself clearly? Get visual feedback when your ears are blocked, helping you maintain appropriate volume in calls and meetings.
Helping Others Build Awareness
Share with a coworker, friend, or spouse who needs help managing their volume. A gentle, non-judgmental tool for building audio awareness together.
Quiet Environment Workers
In libraries, quiet offices, or shared spaces where you can't easily gauge if you're too loud. Essential for maintaining consideration for others.
Content Creators & Educators
Podcasters, streamers, and online educators who need consistent volume levels for professional audio quality.
Ready to Sound Perfect?
Download Squawk today and never worry about your meeting volume again.
Download for FreemacOS 13.0+ • Privacy-First • No Subscription
Research & References
The information on this page is based on peer-reviewed research and authoritative medical sources:
1 PMC10033482: "Autism Spectrum Disorder and auditory sensory alterations" - National Library of Medicine
2 PMC5711734: "Speak Up: Increasing Conversational Volume in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder" - Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
3 CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder): "The Role of a Speech-Language Pathologist" - Resource on vocal misuse and excessive volume in ADHD
4 PMC4377113: "Event related potentials study of aberrations in voice control mechanisms in adults with ADHD"
5 Cleveland Clinic Health Library, UCSF Health: Clinical resources on Hyperacusis and Misophonia
6 PMC9688399: "Sensory Processing Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Taking Stock of Assessment and Novel Therapeutic Tools"
7 Journal of Speech and Hearing Research (1979): Studies on visual feedback devices for vocal intensity control
8 LSVT Global: LSVT LOUD® - Evidence-based voice treatment for Parkinson's disease and other neurological conditions
9 Autism Research Institute (autism.org): Visual supports as evidence-based interventions for autism
10 PMC: "Integrated biofeedback and neurofeedback" - Applications for anxiety, depression, ASD, executive functions, ADHD
11 Audio engineering research: Bone conduction vs air conduction in sound perception with headphones
Additional authoritative sources consulted: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Cleveland Clinic, UCSF Health, Autism Society, CHADD, Child Mind Institute, and various peer-reviewed journals including PLOS One, Frontiers in Neuroscience, and ScienceDirect.