What USB Moaner does
USB Moaner is SlapMac's second major feature — it listens for IOKit USB and power events from macOS and fires a sound the instant your charger state changes. Connect the charger: one sound. Disconnect: a different sound. Instant, no delay.
This is different from what Shortcuts or Automator can do. Those tools poll for power state on a timer — meaning there's a 1–3 second lag between physical connection and the sound. USB Moaner uses a native event listener that fires in under 50ms.
How to enable USB Moaner
- Click the ✋ icon in your menu bar
- Go to Settings
- Toggle on USB Moaner
- Plug or unplug your charger to test
USB Moaner uses the same voice pack you've selected for slap detection. If you want different sounds for charger events, set up a custom sound folder with a connect and disconnect subfolder.
Using custom sounds for connect vs disconnect
Create a folder with two subfolders:
connect/— sounds for when the charger plugs indisconnect/— sounds for when the charger unplugs
Put different audio files in each. In SlapMac Settings → Custom Sound Pack, point to the parent folder. Toggle on Use Custom Pack. Now charger connect and disconnect events play from their respective subfolders.
Works with MagSafe and USB-C
USB Moaner works with both MagSafe 3 (the magnetic connector on MacBook Pro) and USB-C chargers. It listens to the OS-level power event, not the physical connector type — so any power source that macOS registers will trigger it.
This includes USB-C docks and hubs that carry power. If you plug your laptop into a dock that also provides power, USB Moaner will fire.
Practical uses beyond the comedy
Confirming cable connection. With MagSafe, you sometimes think the magnet caught but the laptop isn't actually charging. An instant audio confirmation removes all doubt.
Accidental unplug alerts. If a pet, colleague, or tangled bag unplugs your charger, you hear it immediately. Good for anyone who's been surprised by a dead battery in a meeting.
Accessibility. A clear audio cue is easier to register than glancing at the tiny battery icon in the menu bar, especially on larger screens where the menu bar is far away.
USB Moaner vs macOS Shortcuts
macOS Shortcuts can be set up to play a sound on charger events — but with significant downsides: 1–3 second delay, breaks after OS updates, and requires manual re-enabling after sleep cycles. USB Moaner is always-on, instant, and survives reboots because SlapMac launches at login.
Full comparison: Mac charger sound page →
Troubleshooting
"It doesn't fire when I plug in" — make sure USB Moaner is toggled on in Settings (the toggle can look on but be off if the app was just installed). Try toggling it off and back on.
"It fires twice" — some USB-C docks send two power events on connection (initial detection + negotiation). This is a macOS/dock behavior, not a SlapMac bug. Use a shorter cooldown for USB events in Settings (separate from slap cooldown in v1.3+).