What this mic test checks
The test requests your microphone through the browser's standard getUserMedia API — the same path Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, and Discord use in the browser. If your mic works here, the capture chain from hardware to browser is working: device, driver, OS permission, and browser permission.
- Live waveform and level: confirms the mic is delivering a signal right now, and how strong it is.
- Record and playback loop: the only reliable way to judge how you sound to other people — tone, volume, background noise.
- Reported device info: the negotiated sample rate, channel count, and whether echo cancellation, noise suppression, and auto gain control are active on the stream.
- Input device switching: compare every microphone your system exposes and confirm the right one is selected.
How to read the results
Speak at a normal distance and volume. A healthy setup shows the waveform clearly tracking your voice, with the level meter moving well above its idle position but not pinned at 100%. A meter stuck near zero means no usable signal is arriving; a meter slammed to 100% with distorted playback means input gain is too high.
Constant movement while you are silent indicates background noise or electrical interference — listen to a recorded clip to identify hum (often a grounding or cable issue) versus room noise. If the waveform shows activity but playback is silent, the problem is on the output side: run the speaker and sound test to check it.
Mic not working? Troubleshoot by platform
Windows 10 / 11
Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone: turn on "Microphone access" and "Let apps access your microphone". Then Settings → System → Sound → Input: pick the right device and raise the input volume. Test again after any change.
macOS
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone: enable your browser. Then System Settings → Sound → Input: select the device and raise the input level. If the browser never asked for permission, quit and reopen it.
Android
When Chrome asks, choose Allow. If it never asks: Site settings → Microphone, remove the block for this site. Also check Android Settings → Apps → your browser → Permissions → Microphone.
iPhone / iPad
Safari asks per site — tap Allow. If blocked earlier: Settings → Apps → Safari (or the site’s entry under Settings → Safari) and reset website permissions, or use aA → Website Settings → Microphone → Allow.
Chrome / Edge
Click the camera-and-mic icon at the right end of the address bar (or the padlock/tune icon on the left) → Site settings → Microphone → Allow, then reload. Check chrome://settings/content/microphone for the default device.
Firefox / Safari desktop
Firefox: click the permissions icon left of the address bar and clear the microphone block, then retry. Safari: Safari menu → Settings for This Website → Microphone → Allow.
Still silent after permissions are correct? Try the same mic in another browser, then another app (the OS voice recorder). If it fails everywhere, suspect the hardware, cable, or port; if it only fails in one browser, reset that browser's site permissions.
Test before your next call
Meeting apps pick a default microphone that is not always the one you expect — a webcam mic instead of your headset is the classic case. Run this test with the device selector set to the mic you plan to use, confirm the level, then choose the same device inside your meeting app. Checking your gear? Also run the headphone test and the keyboard test.
Mic test questions
Click "Test my mic", allow microphone access when the browser asks, and speak normally. If the waveform moves and the level meter responds to your voice, the microphone is delivering audio to the browser. Record a short clip and play it back to judge how you actually sound.
Everything runs locally in your browser tab. The live waveform is computed on your device, and the optional recording is held only in this tab’s memory until you leave the page. No audio is uploaded, stored, or sent to any server.
The most common causes are: permission denied for this site, the wrong input device selected, the OS-level microphone privacy switch turned off, another app holding the device exclusively, or a muted hardware switch on the headset itself. Work through the troubleshooting checklist on this page from top to bottom.
A low meter with a working mic usually means input gain is set too low in your OS sound settings, or you are speaking into the wrong side of the microphone. Muffled playback often comes from a covered mic hole, a Bluetooth headset dropping to the low-quality hands-free profile while its mic is active, or aggressive noise suppression.
Most microphones report 44,100 Hz or 48,000 Hz here, which is what the browser negotiated for the audio stream — both are fine for calls and recording. The browser value can differ from the hardware’s maximum spec, so treat it as the operating rate, not the device’s limit.
Yes. Any input the operating system exposes — built-in mics, USB and XLR-via-interface microphones, Bluetooth headsets and AirPods, webcam mics — appears in the input device list once permission is granted. Select each device to test it separately.