{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "During meetings, calls and presentations",
  "slug": "during-meetings-and-calls",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/during-meetings-and-calls",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/during-meetings-and-calls.md",
  "category": "Performance & battery",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/performance-and-battery/",
  "tags": [
    "quiet hours",
    "meetings",
    "performance",
    "background"
  ],
  "summary": "With Quiet Hours set to Smart and Pause during meetings on, Storage Studio holds its daily automatic run of your Rules while your camera or microphone is in use. It notices only that they're in use — nothing is recorded.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T06:15:31.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:36:47.000Z",
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Turning it on",
      "id": "turning-it-on"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "What happens during a call",
      "id": "what-happens-during-a-call"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "What a call doesn't change",
      "id": "what-a-call-doesn-t-change"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Privacy",
      "id": "privacy"
    }
  ],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "quiet-hours",
      "label": "Quiet Hours",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/quiet-hours"
    },
    {
      "slug": "a-lazy-background-utility",
      "label": "Why Storage Studio works slowly on purpose",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-lazy-background-utility"
    },
    {
      "slug": "performance-modes",
      "label": "performance mode",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/performance-modes"
    },
    {
      "slug": "background-duplicate-scans",
      "label": "Background duplicate scans",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/background-duplicate-scans"
    },
    {
      "slug": "pausing-and-stopping",
      "label": "Pausing or stopping everything",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/pausing-and-stopping"
    },
    {
      "slug": "privacy-overview",
      "label": "Privacy: what stays on your Mac",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/privacy-overview"
    },
    {
      "slug": "battery-and-power",
      "label": "Battery and power",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/battery-and-power"
    },
    {
      "slug": "is-storage-studio-slowing-my-mac",
      "label": "Is Storage Studio slowing my Mac down?",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/is-storage-studio-slowing-my-mac"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "battery-and-power",
      "title": "Battery and power",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/battery-and-power"
    },
    {
      "slug": "quiet-hours",
      "title": "Quiet Hours",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/quiet-hours"
    },
    {
      "slug": "permissions-storage-studio-asks-for",
      "title": "The permissions Storage Studio asks for",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/permissions-storage-studio-asks-for"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [
    {
      "kind": "flowchart",
      "caption": "How a call holds the daily automatic run",
      "outline": "- Time for the daily automatic run\n  - leads to Quiet Hours set to Smart?\n- Quiet Hours set to Smart?\n  - No: leads to Scheduled mode rules apply instead\n  - Yes: leads to Are you using the Mac right now?\n- Are you using the Mac right now?\n  - Yes: leads to Wait and check again later\n  - No: leads to Battery below your Quiet Hours limit?\n- Battery below your Quiet Hours limit?\n  - Yes: leads to Wait and check again later\n  - No: leads to Camera or microphone in use and Pause during meetings on?\n- Camera or microphone in use and Pause during meetings on?\n  - Yes: leads to Wait and check again later\n  - No: leads to The run goes ahead\n",
      "source": "%% caption: How a call holds the daily automatic run\nflowchart TD\n  A[Time for the daily automatic run] --> B{Quiet Hours set to Smart?}\n  B -->|No| C[Scheduled mode rules apply instead]\n  B -->|Yes| D{Are you using the Mac right now?}\n  D -->|Yes| H[Wait and check again later]\n  D -->|No| E{Battery below your Quiet Hours limit?}\n  E -->|Yes| H\n  E -->|No| F{Camera or microphone in use and Pause during meetings on?}\n  F -->|Yes| H\n  F -->|No| G[The run goes ahead]"
    }
  ],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [
    {
      "alt": "The Settings window on the Quiet Hours pane with Smart (recommended) selected and the Pause during meetings switch turned on",
      "caption": "Pause during meetings in Quiet Hours"
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [],
  "text": "Storage Studio can hold its daily automatic run of your Rules while you're on a call. It treats your Mac as \"in a meeting\" whenever any app is using the camera or microphone, and waits until the call is over. This works when Quiet Hours is set to Smart (recommended) and Pause during meetings is on. Storage Studio only checks whether the camera or microphone is in use — no video or audio is recorded. Turning it on Open Settings and choose the Quiet Hours pane. Under Mode , choose Smart (recommended) — \"Auto-detect quiet times based on your activity, battery, and meetings.\" Make sure Pause during meetings is on. It's on to begin with, but it only takes effect in Smart mode. Quiet Hours starts in Scheduled mode, which keeps a fixed quiet window and doesn't look at meetings. What happens during a call How a call holds the daily automatic run Flowchart outline: How a call holds the daily automatic run Time for the daily automatic run leads to Quiet Hours set to Smart? Quiet Hours set to Smart? No: leads to Scheduled mode rules apply instead Yes: leads to Are you using the Mac right now? Are you using the Mac right now? Yes: leads to Wait and check again later No: leads to Battery below your Quiet Hours limit? Battery below your Quiet Hours limit? Yes: leads to Wait and check again later No: leads to Camera or microphone in use and Pause during meetings on? Camera or microphone in use and Pause during meetings on? Yes: leads to Wait and check again later No: leads to The run goes ahead Storage Studio checks every few seconds whether any app is using the camera or microphone. Microphone detection needs macOS 14 or later; the camera is detected on every supported version. While that's true, the daily run of your Rules waits. When the call ends, it goes ahead at the next quiet moment. In the Advanced view's popover, the Power row shows \"in a meeting\" or \"no meeting\" while Quiet Hours is in Smart mode. What a call doesn't change Meeting detection only holds that daily automatic run. Storage Studio's other background work doesn't watch for calls — but it's already built to stay out of your way: Whenever you're typing or using the mouse, background work slows right down, and it gives way further on battery. See Why Storage Studio works slowly on purpose . If your Mac gets busy or hot during a call, Automatic performance mode eases off, and pauses background work altogether under heavy load. Background duplicate scans of your Mac only run when you've stepped away. See Background duplicate scans . There's no separate detection for presentations or screen sharing. If you want Storage Studio to hold everything for an important presentation, do two things beforehand: choose Minimum — core only as the performance mode, which holds its background work, and use Pause , which holds its automatic clear-ups and the daily run. Undo both afterwards. See Pausing or stopping everything . Privacy Storage Studio asks macOS only whether a camera or microphone is currently in use by another app. It doesn't record, capture or keep any video or audio, and it doesn't note which app is using them. See Privacy: what stays on your Mac . See also: Quiet Hours · Battery and power · Is Storage Studio slowing my Mac down?",
  "markdown": "Storage Studio can hold its daily automatic run of your Rules while you're on a call. It treats your Mac as \"in a meeting\" whenever any app is using the camera or microphone, and waits until the call is over. This works when [Quiet Hours](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/quiet-hours) is set to **Smart (recommended)** and **Pause during meetings** is on. Storage Studio only checks whether the camera or microphone is in use — no video or audio is recorded.\n\n## Turning it on\n\n1. Open Settings and choose the **Quiet Hours** pane.\n2. Under **Mode**, choose **Smart (recommended)** — \"Auto-detect quiet times based on your activity, battery, and meetings.\"\n3. Make sure **Pause during meetings** is on. It's on to begin with, but it only takes effect in Smart mode.\n\nQuiet Hours starts in **Scheduled** mode, which keeps a fixed quiet window and doesn't look at meetings.\n\n## What happens during a call\n\n```mermaid\n%% caption: How a call holds the daily automatic run\nflowchart TD\n  A[Time for the daily automatic run] --> B{Quiet Hours set to Smart?}\n  B -->|No| C[Scheduled mode rules apply instead]\n  B -->|Yes| D{Are you using the Mac right now?}\n  D -->|Yes| H[Wait and check again later]\n  D -->|No| E{Battery below your Quiet Hours limit?}\n  E -->|Yes| H\n  E -->|No| F{Camera or microphone in use and Pause during meetings on?}\n  F -->|Yes| H\n  F -->|No| G[The run goes ahead]\n```\n\n*Flowchart — How a call holds the daily automatic run. Outline:*\n\n- Time for the daily automatic run\n  - leads to Quiet Hours set to Smart?\n- Quiet Hours set to Smart?\n  - No: leads to Scheduled mode rules apply instead\n  - Yes: leads to Are you using the Mac right now?\n- Are you using the Mac right now?\n  - Yes: leads to Wait and check again later\n  - No: leads to Battery below your Quiet Hours limit?\n- Battery below your Quiet Hours limit?\n  - Yes: leads to Wait and check again later\n  - No: leads to Camera or microphone in use and Pause during meetings on?\n- Camera or microphone in use and Pause during meetings on?\n  - Yes: leads to Wait and check again later\n  - No: leads to The run goes ahead\n\n- Storage Studio checks every few seconds whether any app is using the camera or microphone. Microphone detection needs macOS 14 or later; the camera is detected on every supported version.\n- While that's true, the daily run of your Rules waits. When the call ends, it goes ahead at the next quiet moment.\n- In the Advanced view's popover, the **Power** row shows \"in a meeting\" or \"no meeting\" while Quiet Hours is in Smart mode.\n\n## What a call doesn't change\n\nMeeting detection only holds that daily automatic run. Storage Studio's other background work doesn't watch for calls — but it's already built to stay out of your way:\n\n- Whenever you're typing or using the mouse, background work slows right down, and it gives way further on battery. See [Why Storage Studio works slowly on purpose](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-lazy-background-utility).\n- If your Mac gets busy or hot during a call, Automatic [performance mode](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/performance-modes) eases off, and pauses background work altogether under heavy load.\n- Background duplicate scans of your Mac only run when you've stepped away. See [Background duplicate scans](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/background-duplicate-scans).\n\nThere's no separate detection for presentations or screen sharing. If you want Storage Studio to hold everything for an important presentation, do two things beforehand: choose **Minimum — core only** as the performance mode, which holds its background work, and use **Pause**, which holds its automatic clear-ups and the daily run. Undo both afterwards. See [Pausing or stopping everything](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/pausing-and-stopping).\n\n## Privacy\n\nStorage Studio asks macOS only whether a camera or microphone is currently in use by another app. It doesn't record, capture or keep any video or audio, and it doesn't note which app is using them. See [Privacy: what stays on your Mac](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/privacy-overview).\n\nSee also: [Quiet Hours](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/quiet-hours) · [Battery and power](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/battery-and-power) · [Is Storage Studio slowing my Mac down?](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/is-storage-studio-slowing-my-mac)\n"
}