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Is there anyway to connect any bluetooth audio device (using the bluetooth toolbar icon) and make MacOS NOT change the output to it once connected?

When I connect any external bluetooth speaker the output changes automatically to the bluetooth as soon as I connect it. I would like to connect the bluetooth and tell the system somehow to keep using the internal speakers after connecting the bluetooth one.

In other words, I want to disable automatic speaker switching after connecting the bluetooth speaker.

The situation is: Consider you are already using the internal speakers, then you connect the bluetooth one: MacOS automatically changes the output to the Bluetooth one. I want to disable this auto-switching

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    you wrote: "I would like to connect the bluetooth and tell the system to continuing using the internal speakers." Do you want to use internal speakers or not? i'm confused what you want to do.
    – Natsfan
    Commented Aug 28, 2019 at 20:54
  • Yes, use internal speakers. I want to connect the bluetooth speaker, but keep using the internal speakers after connecting the Bluetooth one. I edited my detailed questiion above to clarify this kind of doubt. Thank you for commenting about it.
    – Prado
    Commented Aug 28, 2019 at 21:00
  • I’m with jmh, what’s the point of allowing the connection if you don’t want the switch? Maybe there’s another way to mitigate this if there’s a larger problem you’re trying to solve. No worries if not, it’s ok to want what you ask if it’s all you seek
    – bmike ♦
    Commented Aug 28, 2019 at 23:16
  • I have a reason, I use my internal soundboard connected to an external audio rack, that I use for audio production. This is why I need MacOS to always keep audio output to the internal sound board (here I called it Internal Speakers to not complicate my question, but since you asked, I am clarifying it). continuing: but sometimes I connect a bluetooth speaker or headphone so I can listen to some other music via iTunes while the soundcard is connected to the audio rack. And iTunes has its own audio output option. But I need to reconfigure everything again via system settings everytime I connect
    – Prado
    Commented Aug 29, 2019 at 0:13
  • reconfigure everything means: Set the audio output again to internal speaker, then on iTunes I can send the output just to the bluetooth device. And all other sounds except iTunes are on the internal speaker. I would like it not auto-change the default audio output evertime I connect my bluetooth device. It is very annoying and time consuming to do it everytime, and worse, if I have something already playing on the internal speakers, it cuts the sound and send it imediatelly to the bluetooth device, until I reconfigure the system settings again. So no automator stuff would work because of that
    – Prado
    Commented Aug 29, 2019 at 0:18

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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Move you speaker fairly close to your computer and go to the bluetooth icon in your menu bar. Click on the and it should open a pane like the one below.

enter image description here

I use my Amazon Echo as my speaker and the Disconnect button would read Connect if if my Echo wasn't already connected. Your bluetooth speaker should show up in the list. Click on it and select Connect. Once your speaker connects, go to System Preferences and select Sound. You'll get a panel that looks likr so:

enter image description here

You can see if you click on the tab where it lists which speaker to use, you can select the internal speakers of your mac.

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  • Thank you, I already know that. But I don't want it to automatically switch upon connecting it. The situation is: Consider you are already using the internal speaker, then you connect the bluetooth one: MacOS automatically changes the output to the Bluetooth one. I want to disable this auto-switching.
    – Prado
    Commented Aug 28, 2019 at 22:12
  • I thought after setting it to internal speakers in the Sound Preferences it would not change again. I guess I was wrong. Sorry.
    – Natsfan
    Commented Aug 28, 2019 at 22:48
  • No problem, you contributed, and that was the same I think the system should respect. But it does not respect it. That's the reason of my question. If you find a way to disable auto-switching, please edit and update your answer. Your effort is valid and I thank you anyway.
    – Prado
    Commented Aug 28, 2019 at 22:52
  • thanks. if i figure out how to do that i'll sure post it here.
    – Natsfan
    Commented Aug 28, 2019 at 23:04
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This existing answer may be of assistance:

How to stop sound output switching to a monitor when it gets plugged in?

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  • The linked question has an answer that suggests creating an aggregate device in Audio Midi Setup. Don't know why the link doesnt work (and yes the answerer should summarise the content not just link it) but you should be able to get to it by searching this site for 285311.
    – nekomatic
    Commented Sep 4, 2019 at 16:14

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