I recently started using my Mac to take calls linked to my iPhone (one benefit of being in the same ecosystem) and soon learned of a real pain in the arse problem – you can’t simply use a USB headset to route the audio, nope, you HAVE to use the default OSX Sound settings meaning the audio always comes from your speakers.
This is annoying because both Skype and Hangouts easily allow you to alter their settings to do this so you assume that FaceTime would do the same right?
Anyway, don’t waste your time looking because as Peter Shilling describes on his blog you have to use the OSX ‘Show volume in menu bar’ option as a way to switch things around when making a call:
Top right corner of your Mac you have a tool bar. Start by ensuring that you’ve got the setting Show volume in the menu bar selected (see above screen shot).
When you receive a call via your iPhone hold down the option key on your keyboard and click the speaker icon in your tool bar and there is the answer (for the moment). You can quickly change the output settings while you take the call.
Cheers: Peter Shilling
Not ideal but works until the next OSX update.
