Microphone test
Check that your microphone works, see how loud it is, and hear yourself back. Runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Status
Not started
Loudness
-
Device
-
The test clip stays in your browser's memory and is gone when you leave the page.
How to use the microphone test
- Press Start microphone test and choose Allow when the browser asks for the microphone.
- Pick the microphone you want to check from the list. Headsets, webcams and laptops often each have their own.
- Talk at your normal volume and distance. The meter and waveform should move with your voice and settle when you stop.
- Press Record a 5-second test, say a sentence, and listen back. This is the best check for hum, echo, muffled sound or a crackling cable.
- Tick the browser processing option to hear roughly what a call app does to your voice. Leave it off to see the raw signal.
Reading the results
The meter shows level in decibels relative to full scale (dBFS), where 0 dB is the loudest a digital signal can be and everything else is a negative number. The bar follows the average level; the thin line marks the most recent peak.
- Meter barely moves: the mic is far away, its input level is low, or you have picked the wrong device.
- Speech mostly in the middle of the meter: a comfortable level for calls and recordings.
- Clipping warning: the signal hit the top and is being cut off, which sounds harsh and distorted. Lower the input level or move back.
- "Sending pure silence": the device is connected but delivers exact zeros. That almost always means a mute switch, a mute key on the keyboard or headset, or a muted input in system settings.
The loudness labels on this page are practical guides rather than a standard; call apps adjust levels on their own, so aim for steady movement without clipping rather than a precise number.
Microphone not working? Fix it by system and browser
Windows 11 and 10
- Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone: turn on microphone access, "Let apps access your microphone" and "Let desktop apps access your microphone".
- Settings > System > Sound > Input: choose the right device, check the input volume, and use "Test your microphone".
- If the device is listed as disabled, open the Sound control panel (More sound settings > Recording) and enable it.
- Close apps that might hold the mic (other call apps, recorders, game chat). Some USB mics only work with one app at a time in exclusive mode.
macOS
- System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone: switch on your browser. You usually have to quit and reopen the browser afterwards.
- System Settings > Sound > Input: pick the microphone and raise the input volume; the input level bar there should move as you talk.
- Bluetooth headphones switch to a lower-quality headset mode when their mic is used. For better sound, use the Mac's built-in mic or a wired one.
Linux
- Open your desktop's Sound settings (or
pavucontrol, Input Devices tab) and check the right input is selected and not muted. - In
pavucontrol's Recording tab you can see which input the browser is actually using while the test runs. - Sandboxed browsers (Flatpak or Snap) need microphone permission in the sandbox too, for example through Flatseal or your software center.
Browsers
- Chrome and Edge: click the icon left of the address, set Microphone to Allow, reload. Global settings live under Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone.
- Firefox: click the permissions icon in the address bar and clear the blocked microphone permission, then reload and allow again.
- Safari: Safari > Settings > Websites > Microphone, and set this site to Allow or Ask.
- Microphones only work on secure (https) pages, and some browsers block them inside embedded frames.
Microphone settings in Zoom, Teams and Google Meet
A mic that works here can still be wrong in a call app, because each app keeps its own choice of device.
- Zoom: Settings > Audio. Pick the microphone, use Test Mic, and consider leaving "Automatically adjust microphone volume" on unless you set levels yourself. Zoom's background noise suppression is in the same panel.
- Microsoft Teams: Settings > Devices (Audio settings in newer versions). Choose the microphone and use "Make a test call", which records a short message and plays it back.
- Google Meet: on the pre-join screen use "Check your audio and video", or during a call open More options > Settings > Audio and pick the microphone.
- In all three, a headset with a boom mic usually beats a laptop's built-in mic for background noise and echo.
Our guides to recording a Zoom meeting and recording a Teams meeting cover what to set up before you hit record. If you want your calls kept as a transcript, Hark records your microphone and computer audio for meetings in any app (on a Mac, the microphone only) and transcribes them on your computer.
How this test works
The page asks the browser for the microphone with the standard getUserMedia API, then feeds the
audio into the Web Audio API, which measures the level and draws the waveform many times a second. The test
recording uses the browser's built-in MediaRecorder. No audio leaves your device; when you press Stop
or close the tab, the microphone is released. For a longer recording you can download, use the
online voice recorder, and check your camera with the
webcam test.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test my microphone online? +
Press Start microphone test on this page and allow microphone access when your browser asks. Speak normally: the level meter and waveform should move with your voice. You can also record a 5-second clip and play it back to hear exactly what other people hear. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Why is my microphone not working? +
The most common causes are a blocked permission (in the browser or in your operating system privacy settings), the wrong input device being selected, a hardware mute switch or mute key, or another app holding the microphone. The error message on this page tells you which one applies, and the troubleshooting section lists the exact settings to check on Windows, Mac and Linux.
How do I know if my mic is too quiet or too loud? +
Watch the meter while you talk at your normal volume and distance. Normal speech should mostly sit in the green part of the meter with peaks well short of the end. If it barely moves, move closer or raise the input level; if the clipping warning appears, turn the input level down or move back a little.
Is this microphone test safe? Does it record me? +
The test runs entirely in your browser. Audio is analysed on your device to draw the meter and is never sent anywhere. The optional 5-second test recording is kept only in your browser memory and disappears when you leave or reload the page.
How do I allow microphone access in Chrome? +
Click the icon to the left of the web address (a tune or lock icon), find Microphone and set it to Allow, then reload the page. If Chrome itself is blocked by your operating system, also allow it under Privacy and security, Microphone in Windows Settings or Privacy and Security, Microphone in macOS System Settings.
Why does my mic work here but not in Zoom or Teams? +
Each app chooses its own input device. Open the audio settings in Zoom, Teams or Google Meet and pick the same microphone you selected here. Also check that the app is allowed to use the microphone in your system privacy settings, and that no other app has taken exclusive control of it.
Related
- Webcam test Check your camera before a call: picture, resolution and frame rate.
- How to record a Zoom meeting Zoom's local and cloud recording, and recording when you're not the host.
- How to record a Teams meeting Recording in Microsoft Teams, licenses, and where files go.
- How to record Google Meet Which plans can record Meet, and options on a free account.
- How to transcribe a Zoom meeting Zoom's transcripts and other ways to get a transcript.
- Google Meet transcription Meet's built-in transcripts and the alternatives.
Record, transcribe and remember every meeting
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