Microphone Test
Check that your microphone is picking up sound, with a live input level meter.
Permission is only requested when you start the test. Audio is never recorded or uploaded.
Your test runs locally in your browser. No device data is uploaded.
How to use the microphone test
Press Start microphone test and allow access when the browser asks. Speak normally and watch the level meter and waveform respond.
What this test checks
The test analyses the live audio stream in your browser and shows the signal level and waveform. Nothing is recorded, saved or uploaded.
If the meter stays flat while you speak, the browser is receiving silence: the wrong input device may be selected, or the microphone is muted in your system settings.
Use the device selector to compare a headset, a webcam microphone and a built-in microphone.
Common microphone problems
Very low levels usually mean input gain is turned down. Crackling or clipping points to gain set too high or a failing cable.
Frequently asked questions
- Is my audio recorded or uploaded?
- No. The level meter reads the audio stream in your browser and discards it. Nothing is recorded, stored or sent anywhere, and stopping the test releases the microphone immediately.
- The meter does not move when I speak. What is wrong?
- Work through it in order: check that the browser is using the microphone you think it is, that the device is not muted in system settings or by a hardware switch, and that no other application has taken exclusive control of it. A headset mic muted on the cable is a common culprit.
- Can I choose which microphone to test?
- Yes, if more than one input is available — pick it from the device list. Which devices appear depends on the permission you have granted the browser, so allow microphone access first.
- Why is my microphone so quiet?
- Usually input gain rather than the microphone. Raise the input level in your system's sound settings, and if there is a microphone boost option try enabling it. Distance matters too: a desk microphone an arm's length away will read far lower than a headset one.
- Why does the browser ask for permission every time?
- Because permission is requested only at the moment you start the test, rather than being held open. If you would rather not be asked again, allow the site to remember the permission in your browser's site settings.