Bug 496272

Summary:	Request: Create two visually distinct mute icons
Product:	[Plasma] Breeze	Reporter:	Fernando M. Muniz <fernandommuniz>
Component:	Icons	Assignee:	visual-design
Status:	CONFIRMED ---
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	anditosan1000, kainz.a, m, nate, niccolo.venerandi, plasma-bugs
Priority:	NOR
Version First Reported In:	6.2.3
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Arch Linux
OS:	Linux
See Also:	https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=494664
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Fernando M. Muniz 2024-11-14 17:14:04 UTC

There's both "mute by reducing volume to 0%" and "mute by pressing the mute button", which means that you can go from one mute type straight into the other.

To differentiate them, "Mute by Fn" key should have "Fn" in its mute icon, and "Mute by reducing into 0% volume" should have "0%" in its mute icon.

It is necessary because if the user at night can assume the icon means it's a 0% mute, but then upon increasing the volume once the volume would go straight to 100%/150% (as intended) waking everyone up.

Comment 1 Nate Graham 2024-11-14 19:26:04 UTC

What would be the advantage of this? And how would they be visually distinct?

Comment 2 Fernando M. Muniz 2024-11-14 19:44:21 UTC

(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #1)
> What would be the advantage of this? And how would they be visually distinct?

You can't tell by the icon if the volume is at zero by reducing it until the mute icon appears, or at any volume but under the effect of the mute button that some notebooks have that will also make the mute icon appear.

Both mutes will react differently when the volume is raised slightly be the user, which could lead to situations which the user thinks it's a 0 volume mute, but it's actually a mute button mute, which can hurt the ears of a headset wearer, or wake up everyone at night.

As I've said in the Description, "0%" and "Fn + 🔊" could work to make the distinction between the two types of mutes.

Comment 3 Fernando M. Muniz 2024-11-14 21:06:51 UTC

Ignore the "Fn" thing. It would be far better to just have the current percentage of volume somewhere on the icon. "🔇0%" , "🔇97%".

Comment 4 Andres Betts 2024-11-14 21:08:54 UTC

If I read this correctly, it seems to me that there is a button mute and there is a state mute that are getting mixed up. Is that right?

Comment 5 Fernando M. Muniz 2024-11-14 21:11:53 UTC

(In reply to Andres Betts from comment #4)
> If I read this correctly, it seems to me that there is a button mute and
> there is a state mute that are getting mixed up. Is that right?

That's correct.
There's muting via button, and muting via lowering volume to 0%. And both use the exact same icon.

Comment 6 Fernando M. Muniz 2024-11-15 03:30:40 UTC

Perhaps the code for the percentage in the battery icon can be repurposed for this.

Comment 7 Nate Graham 2024-11-15 19:50:27 UTC

So basically, we need
1. An icon that means "the volume is at 0%"
2. An icon that means "the volume is normally higher than 0% but has been muted by pressing a mute button"

Comment 8 Fernando M. Muniz 2024-11-15 22:33:24 UTC

(In reply to Nate Graham from comment #7)
> So basically, we need
> 1. An icon that means "the volume is at 0%"
> 2. An icon that means "the volume is normally higher than 0% but has been
> muted by pressing a mute button"

Preferably with a fix that let the user know the exact volume in situation 2.
5% being treated the same as 150% doesn't completely solve the problem.