Audio Hijack: About background processes used by Audio Hijack

On MacOS 13 (Ventura) and higher, options for managing background processes are organized in the System Settings application.

Two types of background processes are controllable in MacOS:

Login items: These are apps listed in the Open at Login table
Background items: These are processes listed in the Allow in the Background section.

Several of Rogue Amoeba’s products use background items which must be enabled for the software to work correctly. This article provides more details on these processes, as well as on optional login items which improve functionality.

Examples of background processes that can be managed in the System Settings app

Audio Hijack’s background processes

Audio Hijack has two possible background processes, one required at all times, and the other only required if you use timers.

Audio Hijack’s background items on Ventura or Sonoma

The required “Rogue Amoeba Audio Capture Engine (ACE)” background item

When you first run Audio Hijack, it will prompt you to install Rogue Amoeba’s Audio Capture Engine (ACE) component. This essential technology allows Audio Hijack to access and control audio on your Mac.

ACE, properly enabled in the Allow in the Background section

Audio Hijack needs the ACE process to be enabled in the background to function correctly. If it’s disabled, you’ll be prompted to re-enable it when Audio Hijack is launched. See the Re-enabling background items section below for more detailed instructions.

The “Audio Hijack Scheduler” login item

Audio Hijack also has a helper app called “Audio Hijack Scheduler” which is installed when you use the app’s timer functionality, to ensure that your sessions run on the specified schedule. This application keeps track of timers created by Audio Hijack, working with the power management system in MacOS to prepare your Mac to automatically launch Audio Hijack so it’s ready to start that scheduled session. This is shown in the Open at Login table.

Audio Hijack Scheduler in the Open at Login table

Re-enabling background items

The ACE component must be allowed to run in the background for Audio Hijack to function properly. If it’s disabled, you’ll be alerted to re-enable it when Audio Hijack is launched.

Re-enabling a background item is easy, and can be done in just a few seconds.

From the warning prompt in Audio Hijack, click the Open System Settings link.

The in-app prompt to re-enable ACE

Alternately, open the System Settings app, click the General option on the left side, then click the the Login Items option.
Find ACE listed in the Background Items section, and click the switch to re-enable it.

Here, ACE has been incorrectly disabled item in System Settings
You’ll be prompted to enter the username and password for an administrator account on your Mac, to authorize the change.

The system prompt for your administrator password
Once complete, return to the app to continue through the process.

Audio Hijack will now be able to launch and run as expected.

Troubleshooting issues with background items

Since background items and their notifications are new to MacOS 13 (Ventura), there are some rough edges in the initial rollout. If MacOS shows the wrong name for our ACE component, or has extra notifications and listings of our software, please use the troubleshooting steps below to help sort things out.

If you see “Audio Hijack” listed in the Allow in the Background section

Initial versions of MacOS 13 (Ventura) attempted to set a recognizable name for background items, using apps which may be related to the process. Unfortunately, that resulted in the ACE component being incorrectly listed as “Audio Hijack”. As a result, you might find an item called “Audio Hijack” in the Allow in the Background section of the settings area:

System Settings incorrectly listing “Audio Hijack” in its background items

While this erroneous “Audio Hijack” entry won’t cause any issues, you may wish to remove it from the Allow in the Background section. You can do so with a current version of Airfoil, Audio Hijack, Loopback, Piezo, or SoundSource.

First, quit the System Settings app. Next, uninstall ACE from within any of the aforementioned apps. Finally, launch the app again to reinstall ACE.

When you’re done, the Allow in the Background section will show the correct “Rogue Amoeba Audio Capture Engine (ACE)” item, and the “Audio Hijack” item will be gone.

The correct entry for ACE in System Settings

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Support → Audio Hijack Information for: Airfoil for MacAudio HijackLoopbackPiezoSoundSource About background processes used by Audio Hijack