v141 · miscellaneous

windowAudio for getDisplayMedia()

Extends DisplayMediaStreamOptions for getDisplayMedia() with a windowAudio option. This new option allows web applications to hint to the user agent whether the user should be offered the ability to share audio when a window is selected. windowAudio can be set to exclude, system, or window based on application preference.

concepts

  1. Window Audio

    getDisplayMedia gains a windowAudio capture mode — the picked window's audio only, no system-wide mix. Privacy and product clarity win.

  2. Exclude on Window

    Video-call apps that share a window want zero audio leak. windowAudio: "exclude" drops audio if the user picks a window but keeps it on a full-monitor share.

  3. Include Window Audio

    The opposite use case — tutorial recorders that want the chosen window's audio. Decision matrix across all three picker choices × all three windowAudio values.

  4. Audio Routing Matrix

    Interactive 3×3 grid of picker type (monitor / window / browser tab) × windowAudio value (exclude / system / window). Each cell shows whether audio is captured, which audio source it would be, and the resulting getSettings() read-back. A "Start capture" button runs the live path and fills in the actual column.

why it shipped

Improving audio capture control with getDisplayMedia(). This feature allows web applications to suggest preferred audio sources (system-wide, window-specific, or no audio) when a user selects a window for screen sharing. This helps web developers provide more intuitive and contextually relevant audio sharing options to users, reducing the need for users to manually adjust audio settings during screen capture.

references