MediaDevices: selectAudioOutput() method

The selectAudioOutput() method of the MediaDevices interface prompts the user to select an audio output device, such as a speaker or headset. If the user selects a device, the method grants user permission to use the selected device as an audio output sink.

Following selection, if the device is available it can be enumerated using MediaDevices.enumerateDevices() and set as the audio output sink using HTMLMediaElement.setSinkId().

On success, the returned Promise is resolved with a MediaDeviceInfo describing the selected device.

Syntax

selectAudioOutput()
selectAudioOutput(options)

Parameters

options Optional

An object that configures what device(s) may be offered in the user prompt.

deviceId Optional

A string representing the ID of a single previously exposed/permitted device. If not set, a prompt with all available audio output devices will be displayed.

The option is intended for applications that want to store a device id so that the same device can be used by default in future sessions. Note that the method may return a new ID for the same device, and that persisted ids must be passed through selectAudioOutput() successfully before they will work with setSinkId().

Note: A user agent may choose to skip prompting the user if a specified non-null id was previously exposed to the user by selectAudioOutput() in an earlier session. In this case the user agent may simply resolve with this device id, or a new id for the same device if it has changed. If permission for the specified device was previously granted but has since been revoked, the user-agent might display all allowed devices, highlighting the one with the specified ID.

Return value

A Promise that is fulfilled with a MediaDeviceInfo object that describes the audio output device selected by the user.

Exceptions

NotAllowedError DOMException

Returned if a speaker-selection Permissions Policy is used to block use of audio outputs (in addition the popup for selecting an audio output won't be displayed), or the user closed the selection prompt without choosing a device.

NotFoundError DOMException

Returned if there are no available audio output devices.

InvalidStateError DOMException

Returned if there hasn't been a transient activation (you must trigger it from some kind of UI event).

Security requirements

Access to the API is subject to the following constraints:

• The method must be called in a secure context.
• Transient user activation is required. The user has to interact with the page or a UI element for this feature to work.
• Access may be gated by the speaker-selection HTTP Permission Policy.

The permission status can be queried using the Permissions API method navigator.permissions.query(), passing a permission descriptor with the speaker-selection permission.

Examples

Here's an example of using selectAudioOutput(), within a function that is triggered by a button click. It outputs the selected device IDs and labels (if available) or an error message.

document.querySelector("#myButton").addEventListener("click", () => {
  if (!navigator.mediaDevices.selectAudioOutput) {
    console.log("selectAudioOutput() not supported.");
    return;
  }

  // Display prompt and log selected device or error
  navigator.mediaDevices
    .selectAudioOutput()
    .then((device) => {
      console.log(`${device.kind}: ${device.label} id = ${device.deviceId}`);
    })
    .catch((err) => {
      console.error(`${err.name}: ${err.message}`);
    });
});

On selection of an output this might produce:

audiooutput: Realtek Digital Output (Realtek(R) Audio) id = 0wE6fURSZ20H0N2NbxqgowQJLWbwo+5ablCVVJwRM3k=

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• HTMLMediaElement.setSinkId()
• HTMLMediaElement.sinkId
• WebRTC - the introductory page to the API