Microphone Test

How to Use This Test

1. Click the start button and allow microphone access when your browser prompts you for permission.
2. Speak into your microphone and observe the real-time audio level meter and frequency visualization to confirm it is picking up sound.
3. Use the recording feature to capture a short clip and play it back to evaluate audio clarity and quality.

What This Test Checks

This microphone tester helps you verify that your mic is working and producing clear audio before joining a call, recording a podcast, or streaming.

• Microphone detection and browser permission status
• Peak and RMS audio levels in dBFS (industry-standard digital scale)
• Estimated noise floor of your environment (sample silence for 3 seconds)
• Dominant frequency readout in Hz / kHz
• Clipping detection (when peak hits 0 dBFS)
• Sample rate and channel count of the captured stream
• Multi-microphone selection if more than one input device is connected
• High-resolution frequency spectrum visualisation (2048-point FFT)
• Audio recording and playback for quality assessment

Troubleshooting

If you're having issues:

• Verify the correct microphone is selected as the default input device in your operating system's sound settings.
• Check that the microphone is not muted in your system tray or sound control panel.
• For USB microphones, try a different USB port or cable. For analog mics, ensure you are using the correct (pink) audio jack.
• Close other applications that might be using the microphone exclusively (Zoom, Discord, OBS).

Reset Mic Permissions by Browser

Nine times out of ten, "mic not working" is a denied browser permission rather than broken hardware. Reset it per-browser:

Chrome and Edge

1. Click the padlock (or tune) icon left of the address bar, then Site settings.
2. Set Microphone to Allow and reload.
3. If this site is missing from the list, open chrome://settings/content/microphone (or edge://settings/content/microphone) and remove any block entries.

Firefox

1. Click the padlock icon → Connection secure → More information → Permissions.
2. Uncheck Use default for Use the Microphone and choose Allow.

Safari (macOS)

1. Open Safari → Settings → Websites → Microphone and set this site to Allow.
2. Also confirm System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone → Safari is on.

iOS Safari / Chrome

On iPhone and iPad, browser mic access is controlled at the OS level. Go to Settings → Safari → Microphone (or Chrome's equivalent). Confirm Privacy & Security → Microphone lists the browser as allowed.

Fix Input Problems by Operating System

Windows 10 / Windows 11

1. Open Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone. Turn on Microphone access, Let apps access your microphone, and verify your browser is allowed.
2. Right-click the speaker icon → Sound settings → Input. Confirm the correct device and speak — the level bar should move.
3. Open Sound settings → Device properties → set input volume to 70-80%. Higher values introduce distortion.
4. Disable Audio enhancements (same device properties page) — they sometimes mute or distort input.

macOS

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and toggle on each browser and app that needs access.
2. Open System Settings → Sound → Input. If your mic isn't listed, unplug and re-plug the USB cable.
3. Adjust input level so the meter peaks around three-quarters when you speak at normal volume.

Linux

1. Run pavucontrol (or pwvucontrol on PipeWire). Under Input Devices, unmute the mic and set the level. Under Recording, confirm the browser is capturing from the right source.
2. If the device doesn't appear, run arecord -l to check kernel-level detection.

Common Symptoms and Fixes

Mic is too quiet in calls

• Raise the OS input level first — per-app boosts are lossy.
• USB condenser mics (Blue Yeti, Rode NT-USB) need the gain knob turned up on the mic itself, not in software.
• Headset mics mounted too far from your mouth lose 6-10 dB — keep it 2-3 cm away.

Echo on calls

• Caused by the speaker output feeding back into the mic. Wear headphones instead of using speakers.
• Windows: enable Listen to this device — only for diagnosis, never leave on.
• Disable software AEC (Acoustic Echo Cancellation) if it's mangling the signal instead of fixing the echo.

Static, hum, or buzzing

• Ground loop hum (low 50/60 Hz tone): move the mic or PC to a different power circuit, or use a USB isolator.
• USB 3.0 port interference with 2.4 GHz devices is real — plug the mic into a USB 2.0 port if possible.
• Cheap XLR-to-USB adapters introduce hiss. A real audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett Solo, etc.) eliminates it.

Preparing for a Video Call

Before an important call, run this microphone test, the audio output test, and the webcam test together — together they verify every device call software will use, in under a minute.

Test Your Mic Before a Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet Call

The fastest way to walk into a call confident is to run this microphone test first: speak, watch the level meter move, and record a short clip to hear exactly what the other side will hear. Once you know the hardware is captured cleanly, the only thing left is pointing each meeting app at the right input device. Conferencing apps remember a previously chosen mic, so after you plug in a new headset or USB mic you usually have to switch it manually.

Zoom

• Before a call: open the Zoom desktop app, click your profile icon → Settings → Audio, then pick your mic from the Microphone dropdown and click Test Mic to record and play back a sample.
• During a call: click the up-arrow next to Mute → choose your device under Select a Microphone, or open Test Speaker & Microphone.

Microsoft Teams

• Before a call: click Settings and more (…) → Settings → Devices, then choose your mic under Audio settings. Make a test call on the same page records a short message and plays it back.
• During a call: open More (…) → Settings → Device settings and switch the microphone there. Recent Teams builds also let you check the mic on the pre-join screen before you connect.

Google Meet

• Before a call: on the green-room "Ready to join?" screen, click the gear → Audio tab and select the correct Microphone. Confirm the mic icon is not crossed out.
• During a call: open More options (…) → Settings → Audio and pick your device. Meet runs in the browser, so it relies on the same browser microphone permission this test uses — if it works here, Meet can use it too.

Everything you record on this page stays in your browser. The audio is processed locally and nothing is uploaded to any server, so it is safe to do a quick "is this thing on?" check whenever you like.

Mic Not Working or Too Quiet? A Quick Pre-Call Checklist

When people say they can't hear you, the cause is almost always one of three things: the wrong input device is selected, the app or browser never got microphone permission, or the input gain is set too low. Work through them in order before blaming the hardware.

1. Select the right input device. A laptop may expose its built-in array mic, a webcam mic, and your headset all at once. Choose the one you actually want in both your OS sound settings and inside the meeting app, then re-run the test above and confirm the level meter responds when you talk.
2. Grant microphone permission. If the meter never moves here, the browser or app likely lacks access. See Reset Mic Permissions by Browser and Fix Input Problems by Operating System below for the exact toggles on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
3. Fix "too quiet." Raise the operating-system input level first rather than relying on an app boost, since per-app gain is lossy. On Windows, open Sound settings → Device properties and set the input volume so the meter peaks around three-quarters when you speak normally; if your mic has an input boost or +dB option, add a small amount only if it is still faint. On macOS, use System Settings → Sound → Input and drag the input level the same way. Position matters too — a headset boom or desk mic should sit a few centimetres from your mouth, not across the room.

If the recording you made here sounds clear but callers still struggle, the problem is downstream of your mic: check the meeting app's noise-suppression setting, your upload bandwidth, or whether the app is using the wrong device entirely. To rule out playback on your end at the same time, run the audio output test and, if you are getting ready for a video call, the webcam test alongside this one. If you happen to be checking a second-hand machine before buying, the same checks confirm the built-in mic works; see our guide to testing a used laptop.

Frequently Asked Questions