How to test your microphone
- Click Start mic test. Your browser asks for permission to use the microphone; choose Allow.
- Speak, clap or tap near the mic. The level bar and the waveform should move whenever you make a sound.
- If you have more than one microphone (for example a laptop mic and a headset), choose the one you want from the Microphone list.
- Click Record 5 seconds, say a sentence, then play the clip back. That is roughly how you sound to people on a call.
What the results mean
- The level bar moves when you talk. Your microphone works and your browser can use it. If an app such as Zoom, Teams or Discord still can’t hear you, the problem is that app’s own input setting, not the microphone.
- “Connected but very quiet.” The browser receives a signal, but it is barely above silence. The input volume may be turned down, you may be too far away, or the wrong microphone may be selected.
- “Sending complete silence.” The signal is exactly zero, which a working microphone never produces even in a quiet room. This almost always means the mic is muted somewhere: a hardware switch, a mute button on a headset cable, or a muted input in your system settings.
- Red bar or a clipping warning. The sound is louder than the microphone can capture, so peaks get cut off and your voice sounds harsh or distorted. Lower the input volume or move a little further from the mic.
The numbers are in dB relative to full scale: 0 dB is the loudest signal the microphone can deliver, and quieter sounds are negative. Exact values depend on your mic, its gain and how close you are, but normal speech usually lands somewhere between about −40 and −10 dB here, while a quiet room sits well below that.Level is the average loudness right now and Peak is the highest recent spike.
Mic works here but not in Zoom, Teams, Discord or Meet?
If the level bar moves on this page, your microphone, its driver and your system settings are fine. The problem is the input chosen inside the app, which is often not your system default. Check these settings:
- Zoom: click the arrow next to the Mute button, choose your microphone under Select a microphone, then open Audio settings and use Test mic. Turn on Automatically adjust microphone volume if you sound too quiet.
- Microsoft Teams: open Settings › Devices (or the Device settings menu during a call), pick your microphone and make a test call from the same screen.
- Discord: go to User Settings › Voice & Video, set Input Device, raise Input Volume, and click Let’s Check to see the input meter. If others only hear you sometimes, switch Input Mode to Voice Activity and lower the sensitivity, or use Push to Talk.
- Google Meet: before joining, click Check your audio and video; during a call, open More options › Settings › Audio and choose the microphone. Meet runs in your browser, so the browser permission steps below apply too.
- Desktop apps on a Mac need their own entry in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, separate from your browser’s.
If you use a headset, choose the same headset for both the microphone and the speaker in the app. That avoids echo and stops Bluetooth headsets switching between modes during a call.
Microphone not working? Fix it step by step
1. Allow microphone access in your browser
- Chrome and Edge: click the icon at the left end of the address bar, switch Microphone to on (or Allow), then reload the page.
- Firefox: click the permissions icon in the address bar, clear the blocked microphone permission, then reload and choose Allow.
- Safari on Mac: open Safari › Settings › Websites › Microphone and set this website to Allow.
2. Allow microphone access in your operating system
- Windows 11: Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone. Turn on Microphone access, Let apps access your microphone and Let desktop apps access your microphone (browsers count as desktop apps).
- Windows 10: Settings › Privacy › Microphone, with the same switches turned on.
- macOS: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, and turn on your browser. You may need to quit and reopen the browser afterwards.
- iPhone and iPad: Settings › Apps › Safari (or your browser) › Microphone, and set it to Ask or Allow. On older iOS versions the browser is listed directly under Settings.
- Android: Settings › Apps › Chrome › Permissions › Microphone, then in Chrome go to Settings › Site settings › Microphone and make sure the site isn’t blocked.
3. Pick the right input and set its volume
- Windows: Settings › System › Sound › Input. Choose your microphone and raise the input volume; the bar under it should move when you talk.
- macOS: System Settings › Sound › Input. Select your microphone and drag the input volume slider to the right.
- Your browser may use a different default than your system. Use the Microphone list on this page to pick the exact device.
4. Check the hardware
- Look for a mute switch on the microphone, a mute button on the headset cable, or a flip-up boom that mutes when raised.
- For USB microphones, try another USB port and avoid unpowered hubs.
- Many laptops have a single combined headphone/mic jack. A headset with two separate plugs (pink and green) needs a splitter adapter there, and a headset with one plug needs that plug to have four contacts (three black rings) to carry the microphone.
- For Bluetooth headsets, make sure the headset (sometimes called “Hands-Free”) device is chosen as the input, not only as the output.
5. Close other apps that use the mic
Video call, recording and streaming apps can hold on to the microphone. Close them fully (check the system tray or menu bar) and try again. On Windows you can also stop an app from locking the mic: open the classic Sound control panel, go to the Recording tab, open your microphone’s Properties › Advanced, and turn off Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.
Is this mic test private?
Yes. The test uses the microphone and Web Audio features built into your browser, and every calculation happens on your device. Audio is never uploaded, stored on a server or shared. A recorded clip lives only in your browser’s memory and disappears when you close or reload the page. You can check this yourself: once the page has loaded, disconnect from the internet and the test keeps working.
Tips for better microphone sound
- Mind the distance. Keep a headset mic about two finger-widths from the corner of your mouth, and a desk mic roughly 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) away. Closer means more voice and less room noise.
- Leave headroom. Set the input so that your normal voice never triggers the clipping warning, even when you laugh or speak up.
- Talk across the mic, not straight into it, or use a foam windscreen or pop filter to soften hard “p” and “b” sounds.
- Tame the room. Soft furnishings, curtains and rugs reduce echo far more than any software setting.
- Compare raw and processed audio. Record once with Raw audio off and once with it on. If the raw clip sounds much worse, your setup is relying heavily on noise suppression.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn’t my browser ask for microphone permission?
Browsers only ask once per site. If you clicked Block earlier, the browser remembers that and silently refuses. Open the site permissions from the icon at the left of the address bar, set Microphone to Allow, and reload the page. The prompt also never appears on pages that are not served over HTTPS.
Does this mic test work on iPhone and Android?
Yes. It works in current versions of Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. On iPhone, the recording is saved in MP4 (M4A) format instead of WebM, which is normal.
Is my audio recorded or uploaded?
No audio leaves your device. The level meter and waveform are calculated by your browser. A clip is only recorded when you press Record, and it stays in your browser’s memory until you close or reload the page.
Why does my voice sound strange in the recording?
When you talk, you hear your voice through the bones of your head as well as through the air, which makes it sound deeper to you. A recording only captures the air-borne sound, so almost everyone finds their recorded voice slightly unfamiliar. If the clip is distorted, crackly or very thin, that points to a real microphone or setting problem.
What does the “Raw audio” option do?
By default, browsers clean up microphone audio for calls with echo cancellation, noise suppression and automatic gain control. Raw audio asks the browser to turn those off so you hear what the microphone itself captures. Some devices and browsers ignore the request, which the Processing field shows.
Can I test a Bluetooth headset microphone?
Yes. Pair the headset, then choose it in the Microphone list. Expect lower quality than with wired headsets: when a Bluetooth headset uses its microphone, it switches to a hands-free mode that carries narrower-band audio.
Why does the meter move when I’m not saying anything?
Microphones pick up room noise such as fans, air conditioning, traffic and keyboard clicks. Automatic gain control can also raise background noise when you are quiet. A small amount of movement is normal; a constant high level suggests a noisy room or a gain setting that is too high.