Orbit

Accidental Engineering · Episode 4

Your earbuds case is now a controller.

Orbit turns the dial on the CMF Buds Pro 2 into a wheel of tools for your computer and phone. Scroll reels, flip slides, scrub video, switch apps.

Download Orbit See how it works
Get the CMF Buds Pro 2 on Amazon

Free and open source · Windows, macOS, Android · Needs CMF Buds Pro 2 · The Amazon link is an affiliate link

Three moves. That's the whole thing.

No new hardware. Orbit listens to the dial through the buds' own Bluetooth controls, so it works the moment they're connected.

Double-press

The wheel opens on your screen, wherever you are.

Turn

Glide to a tool: the item you land on lights up the wheel around it.

Press

Now the dial drives that tool, until you double-press again.

What the dial can do

Pick what's on the wheel, its order and what every press does, in Settings.

Scroll & reelsSmooth page scrolling; one flick per click on your phone.
SlidesOne slide per click. Press to black out the screen.
Video timelineGlide through DaVinci Resolve, Premiere or Final Cut. Press to play.
App switcherTurn through your open apps, let go to jump.
Volume & brightnessExact clicks when slow, big moves when fast.
Camera shutterPress the dial, take the photo. Great with a tripod.
TeleprompterAndroid: turn to move the script, press to play or pause. Switch it on in the app's Wheel items.
Undo, tabs, desktopsTurn back through history, tabs or virtual desktops.
Your own shortcutsAdd any key combo to the wheel. Open any app with a triple press.

Download

Pair your CMF Buds Pro 2 with the device first. Then set the dial's gestures in the Nothing X app (on Nothing phones: Settings → Connected devices → CMF Buds Pro 2) → Controls → Dial: single press Play/Pause, double Next track, triple Previous track, hold Voice assistant. Orbit listens for exactly those. Then install Orbit. Don't have the buds yet? Get them on Amazon.

Windows

Windows 10 or 11. If Windows says "protected your PC", choose More info → Run anyway. Allow admin when Orbit starts (for press-and-hold).

Download for Windows

macOS

macOS 13+ on Apple Silicon. Unzip, move to Applications, right-click → Open the first time, then allow Accessibility.

Download for Mac

Android

Android 8+. Install the APK, then follow the checklist in the app. If a switch is greyed out: App info → ⋮ → Allow restricted settings.

Download for Android

Download not starting? In Instagram, tap ⋮ → Open in browser, then tap the button again.

New in 0.1.1

  • The wheel now opens on more Android phones, including Android 16 and Nothing phones.
  • An on/off switch everywhere: tray menu, Android app, notification and Quick Settings tile. Off means the buds work normally.
  • Easier to find on Windows: opening it again shows Settings, and the tray icon shows on dark taskbars.
  • Android: a Teleprompter tool (turn to scroll the script, press to play or pause; switch it on in the app's Wheel items).
  • Android: a simpler home screen. Setup tucks away once done, and Help has "Wheel won't open?" and "Report a problem".

Already on 0.1.0? Install the new APK over the old one; your settings are kept.

Every version and its notes: all releases. Want to know about updates? Click Watch → Custom → Releases on GitHub.

Questions

The wheel never opens when I double-press.

Set the dial gestures in Nothing X (see Download above): double press must be "Next track". On Android, Help → "Wheel won't open?" in the app turns green when a press arrives. On Windows, the tray menu should say "Buds connected".

How do I turn Orbit off?

Windows and Mac: tray / menu-bar icon → untick "Orbit on". Android: the switch at the top of the app, "Turn off" on its notification, or the Orbit Quick Settings tile. While off, the buds work normally.

Does it work with other earbuds?

Not yet. Orbit is tuned to the CMF Buds Pro 2 dial: how it reports each click, its 16 steps and its timing. Other buds with a dial or volume wheel might partly work, but aren't supported.

Why do fast spins skip a little?

The buds send at most about three dial steps a second and drop the rest. Orbit makes fast turning go further to make up for it; slow clicks are always exact.

Is it safe? What does it access?

Orbit runs only on your device and sends nothing anywhere. The code is open on GitHub. On Android it uses an accessibility service to draw the wheel and do what you pick; it reads only the name of the app in front, and the camera's buttons when you use the Camera tool.

Why does Windows warn about the installer?

The installer isn't code-signed yet (that costs money every year), so Windows SmartScreen shows a warning for new apps. Choose More info → Run anyway. The source is public if you'd rather build it yourself.

The clicks make a little sound in the buds.

That's the buds' own volume tone; apps can't turn it off. Orbit keeps your music level steady while you use tools.

Something isn't working.

Open an issue with your device and the log (Windows: tray icon → Open log; Mac: ~/.orbit/orbit.log; Android: "Copy log" in the app).