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Is Soundflower safe, and does it still work on a Mac?

Tested on macOS 26.4.1 (Tahoe), Apple M3 Max, 3 Sept 2026. Updated 2026-09-03.

No, not on Apple silicon. Soundflower is a kernel extension (.kext) by Matt Ingalls, MIT licensed, whose GitHub repository is marked "DEPRECATED Silicon Macs are not supported." Its last release is 2.0b2, and the release notes say M1 chip-based Macs are not yet supported. Apple states that kexts are no longer recommended for macOS. For routing, use BlackHole; for recording what you hear, use a ScreenCaptureKit recorder.

Does Soundflower still work on Apple silicon Macs?

No. The project's own README carries the notice "DEPRECATED Silicon Macs are not supported. New version coming shortly!" and the notes on the 2.0b2 release repeat that "M1 chip-based Macs are NOT YET SUPPORTED." The GitHub releases list shows two beta releases, the last being 2.0b2 from December 2014, whose notes mention Big Sur and M1. The repository description says Soundflower works on macOS Catalina, and the repository's last push was in December 2024 without a new release. No M1, M2, M3 or M4 build exists as of 3 Sept 2026.

The reason is architectural, not neglect. Soundflower is a kernel extension: a driver loaded into the macOS kernel. Apple's Platform Deployment guide says kexts are no longer recommended and risk the integrity and reliability of the operating system. On Apple silicon, loading any third-party kext requires restarting into recoveryOS, enabling Reduced Security, and allowing kernel extensions from identified developers. Even if you did that, the existing Soundflower binary was built for Intel, so there is nothing for an Apple silicon kernel to load.

On an Intel Mac running Catalina or Big Sur, the 2.0b2 build can still be installed. Every Mac Apple has sold since 2023 is Apple silicon, so for most readers the practical answer is that Soundflower is finished, and the question becomes which replacement to pick.

Is Soundflower safe on a Mac?

The code is safe in the sense of being open: MIT licensed, on GitHub since 2014, widely used for a decade. The installation is where the concerns sit, and they are real on any modern Mac:

Soundflower is not malware and never was. It is simply a driver from an era before user-space audio plug-ins existed. Is BlackHole safe covers the modern equivalent, which runs entirely outside the kernel.

What should you use instead of Soundflower?

Match the replacement to the job Soundflower used to do for you:

  1. Routing audio from one app to another (DAW into OBS, browser into Ableton, a virtual microphone for a call): BlackHole. Free, GPL-3.0, no kernel extension, built for Intel and Apple silicon, current release v0.7.1 from July 2026. You will still need a Multi-Output Device to hear playback, exactly as with Soundflower's retired SoundflowerBed helper; the 2.0b2 notes themselves recommend Multi-Output and aggregate devices in its place.
  2. Mixing several apps and a mic into one stream: Loopback from Rogue Amoeba, $99, macOS 14.5 to 27. It builds virtual devices with sources, monitors and volume controls, which is more than BlackHole plus Audio MIDI Setup can do.
  3. Recording what the Mac plays: no driver. Since macOS 13, ScreenCaptureKit lets a recorder capture system audio directly. OBS Studio does it for free into a video file; AirCheck does it into a WAV or MP3 for $39 on macOS 14 or newer.

Most people who search "how to install Soundflower on Mac" want case 3. They were told years ago that a driver is required, and it no longer is. The virtual audio driver guide sets out the line between routing, which still needs a driver, and recording, which does not.

How do you check whether Soundflower is still on your Mac?

Old Intel Macs migrated to a new machine sometimes carry Soundflower along. Three checks, run in Terminal on macOS 26.4.1:

  1. ls /Library/Extensions | grep -i soundflower lists the kext bundle if the files are still there. On the author's Mac this folder holds only two RAID controller kexts, so nothing is returned.
  2. kmutil showloaded --list-only | grep -iv apple lists any loaded third-party kernel extensions. An empty result means nothing from outside Apple is in the kernel.
  3. Open Audio MIDI Setup and look for "Soundflower (2ch)" or "Soundflower (64ch)" in the sidebar. If the files are present but the device is missing, the kext is blocked, which is what you would expect on Apple silicon.

If any check finds it, remove the kext bundle and restart; the exact commands are in how to uninstall BlackHole or Soundflower. Also delete any aggregate or Multi-Output Device that referenced Soundflower, otherwise Audio MIDI Setup keeps a dead member in the list.

Kexts are no longer recommended for macOS. Kexts risk the integrity and reliability of the operating system.

Apple, Platform Deployment guide, Kernel extensions in macOS

Soundflower and its replacements on a Mac (checked 3 Sept 2026)

OptionRuns on Apple siliconKernel extensionMaintainedRoutes app to appMixes sourcesRecords a filePrice
Soundflower 2.0b2noyesno (DEPRECATED)yes (Intel only)nonofree
BlackHole v0.7.1yesnoyesyesnonofree
Loopback 2.5yesnoyesyesyesno$99
ScreenCaptureKit recorder (AirCheck)yesnoyesnonoyes$39

Maintenance status from each project's GitHub or vendor page on 3 Sept 2026.

Where AirCheck fits

If Soundflower was your way of recording what the Mac plays, AirCheck ($39, macOS 14 or newer) is the driverless replacement: it captures system audio through ScreenCaptureKit after a one-time Screen Recording permission, with no kext, no Reduced Security, no Multi-Output Device, and your speakers left alone. It records 24-bit at the device rate (48 kHz on the author's Mac) and exports WAV or MP3. It also records any Core Audio input, so an interface or USB mic works in the same app.

When you do not need it: If Soundflower was doing routing for you, such as sending a DAW into OBS, install BlackHole instead; it is free and AirCheck does not route audio between apps.

AirCheck records what your Mac plays, or any input, to one file. $39 once.

Buy AirCheck for $39

macOS 14 or newer. One-off payment. Fourteen-day refund, no questions asked.

Questions people ask

Is Soundflower safe for Mac?

The code is open source and not malicious. The installation is the problem: it is an unsigned installer for a kernel extension, which on Apple silicon requires lowering boot security in recoveryOS. Apple no longer recommends kexts. On a modern Mac, use BlackHole or a ScreenCaptureKit recorder instead.

What is Soundflower on Mac?

A free, open-source kernel extension by Matt Ingalls that creates virtual audio devices so one app's output can be another app's input. It dates from the Intel era, its last release is 2.0b2, and its GitHub page marks it deprecated with no Apple silicon support.

How do I install Soundflower on an M1, M2 or M3 Mac?

You cannot; the project states that Apple silicon Macs are not supported and no build exists. Install BlackHole with brew install blackhole-2ch or the installer from existential.audio, which does the same job without a kernel extension.

Does Soundflower work on macOS Sonoma, Sequoia or Tahoe?

Not on Apple silicon hardware, which is what those versions ship on. On an Intel Mac the 2.0b2 build was last documented for Big Sur; there is no statement of support for later versions and no maintenance.

Sources

Hannes Hennerbichler builds AirCheck and records his own DJ sets with it through a Focusrite Scarlett 8i6. Every step on this page was run on the macOS version stated above. Drafted with AI assistance, checked and edited by the author. About