I discovered that setting macOS input volume to 0 doesn't actually stop "Listen for Siri" or Apple Intelligence from hearing you. The wake-word detection bypasses the system volume setting entirely.

So la I built NoSpy — a 156-line Swift CLI that:

- Toggles your mic with one command

- Warns you if Siri can still listen (even when "muted")

- Opens the right settings pane to actually disable it

No dependencies. Just compile and run:

  swiftc nospy.swift -o nospy
  ./nospy status

Example output when you think you're muted but aren't:

  Microphone is MUTED (input volume: 0)
  
  Siri/Apple Intelligence is ENABLED — "Listen for Siri" can still hear you.

GitHub: https://github.com/BrowserBox/NoSpy

Inspired by: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46790765

Curious if others have run into this. The distinction between "system mute" and "voice assistant mute" isn't obvious in macOS, and I suspect most people assume muting the mic means nothing is listening??