Microphone Test

Check your mic is working in seconds. Watch the live level, hear a 5-second playback and find out how noisy your room is. Nothing is uploaded or saved.

Test your microphone

Press the button and allow microphone access, then speak. You’ll see a live level, can check background noise and hear a 5-second playback.

Your voice stays on your device. Nothing is uploaded or saved.

Test your microphone in your browser

Press Test my mic and allow the microphone. Speak normally and the level bar jumps with your voice, while a message says whether it can hear you and whether you’re too quiet or loud enough to distort. If the mic is muted somewhere and sending pure silence, it tells you that too.

Then press Record 5 s test to hear exactly how you come across. The clip plays back by itself and stays in this tab only. For a longer recording you can keep, use the online voice recorder; to check your camera as well, run the webcam test.

How to test your microphone

Allow the microphone
Press Test my mic and choose Allow when the browser asks. If you have several inputs, pick one from the Microphone list.
Speak and watch the level
Talk at your normal volume. The bar should move with your voice and stay mostly in the green; red at the far right means the sound is clipping.
Play back and check the room
Press Record 5 s test and keep talking until the bar fills; the clip then plays back. Press Check background noise and stay quiet for three seconds to measure the room.

Reading the level meter

The meter shows loudness in decibels below the loudest sound the mic can pass, which is 0 dB at the right-hand end. Normal speech into a headset or laptop mic usually sits between about −30 and −10 dB. A thin line marks the latest peak and holds for a moment so you can read it.

What the microphone level tells you
What you see	Likely cause	What to do
No movement at all	Wrong input chosen, or muted	Pick another microphone from the list and check mute switches and keys.
Speech mostly below −40 dB	Too far away or input volume too low	Move closer, or raise the input volume in your system’s sound settings.
Peaks reaching 0 dB in the red	Clipping, which sounds harsh	Move back a little or lower the input volume.
Steady movement while you’re silent	Background noise or electrical hum	Run the background noise check and keep voice processing on.

Voice processing on or off

Browsers can clean up your voice the way call apps do. Noise suppression removes steady hiss and fan noise, echo cancellation stops your speakers feeding back into the mic, and automatic gain evens out loud and quiet speech. Voice processing is on by default because that’s what most video calls use.

Switch it off to hear the raw microphone, which is what music and podcast software usually records. If the playback sounds better with it off, your mic is good and the processing was working too hard. Some browsers, Safari in particular, don’t let every part be switched off, so the difference may be small there.

Microphone not working? What to check

The browser blocked the microphone

If you once chose Block, the browser now refuses without asking. Open the site settings from the icon at the left of the address bar (or, in Firefox, the crossed-out microphone in it) and allow the microphone, then reload. The test lists the exact steps for the browser you’re in.

Windows or macOS is blocking it

On Windows 11, open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and turn on Microphone access and Let desktop apps access your microphone. On a Mac, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone, switch your browser on and reopen it.

The level doesn’t move

Make sure the right input is chosen in the Microphone list: webcams, monitors and headsets often add microphones of their own. Look for a mute switch on a headset cable or a mute key on the keyboard, and check the input volume in your sound settings isn’t at zero.

Bluetooth headphones sound muffled

While a Bluetooth headset’s own microphone is in use, many headsets switch to a lower-quality call mode, so your voice and everything you hear sound thinner. Choose the laptop’s built-in microphone instead to keep full-quality sound in your ears.

Background noise results explained

Background noise check results
Result	Typical level	What to do
Very quiet room	Below −60 dB	Nothing. It’s ideal for recording.
Quiet enough	−60 to −48 dB	Fine for calls and most recordings.
Some background noise	−48 to −38 dB	Keep voice processing on and move away from fans and computers.
Noisy	Above −38 dB	Use a headset mic close to your mouth, or find a quieter room.

With voice processing on, automatic gain can raise a quiet room and noise suppression can hide a steady hum, so run the check both ways for the full picture.

Mic test questions

How can I test my microphone online?

Open the mic test, press Test my mic and allow access. Speak and watch the level bar move. Then record a five-second clip to hear yourself, and run the background noise check if you’re in a busy room.

How do I hear myself on the mic test?

Press Record 5 s test and talk. When it finishes, the clip plays back automatically and you can replay it with the player controls. There’s no live monitoring, which avoids feedback squeal through speakers.

Is the mic test private?

Yes. Sound is measured in your browser. The test clip is held in this tab’s memory and disappears when you close it; nothing is uploaded or saved.

Why is my microphone not picking up sound?

Usually the wrong input is selected, it’s muted by a switch or key, or the browser or system is blocking it. Choose another microphone from the list, check mute controls, and follow the fix steps the test shows if access is blocked.

Why does my mic sound so quiet?

You may be too far from it, or the input volume is low. Move closer, raise the input volume in your system sound settings, and leave voice processing on so automatic gain can help.

What does clipping mean?

Clipping is when sound is louder than the microphone or its input setting can handle, so the peaks are cut off and it sounds harsh. Back away from the mic or lower the input volume until the peaks stay out of the red.

Does it work with AirPods, headsets and USB mics?

Yes. Any microphone your computer or phone recognises appears in the Microphone list after you allow access. Bluetooth headsets may switch to call quality while their mic is in use.

Can I download the test recording?

The test clip is for listening only. To keep a recording, use the voice recorder on recorder.video, which saves audio you can download.