This mic test tells you in seconds whether your microphone works: click Test my mic, allow access and speak. If the level meter moves, the browser hears you. Record a short clip to hear yourself, run the noise check for a plain verdict, and switch noise suppression off to hear what call apps do to your voice. It is one of the free ghacks tools.
How to test your microphone
Start the test, allow access, speak, and watch the meter.
- Click Test my mic. The browser asks for permission; choose Allow.
- Pick the right input in the Microphone list; USB microphones and headsets appear by name once access is allowed.
- Speak. The status reads "Microphone working: speak and watch the meter" and the Input level bar moves.
- Click Run noise check: stay quiet for 3 seconds, then read the sentence aloud for 5 seconds.
- Click Stop microphone when you are done.
Quick mic check: what the results mean
A moving meter means the browser receives sound; the readouts tell you whether it is good enough for calls or recordings. Levels are in dBFS, decibels relative to full scale: 0 is the loudest a digital signal can be.
| Readout | What it means | Good range |
|---|---|---|
| Level and Peak | Current loudness and the loudest recent moment | Speech peaks between -18 and -6 dBFS (the marked speech target) |
| Clipping | The signal hit -1 dBFS or higher and distorts | Never; lower the input volume |
| Noise floor | Background level in the quietest moments | Below -60 dBFS excellent, -60 to -50 good, -50 to -40 audible hiss, above -40 noisy |
| Speech-to-noise ratio | Speech level (RMS) minus the noise floor, in dB | Higher is cleaner: speech at -30 over a -55 floor gives 25 dB |
| Sample rate | Samples per second, as reported by your browser | 48 kHz or 44.1 kHz; 16 kHz or less suggests hands-free mode |
The noise check ends with a one-sentence verdict, such as "Good for calls: clear level and low background noise." dBFS is a digital level, not calibrated loudness: no browser can measure dB SPL.
Hear yourself: mic test with playback
Press Record (max 10 s), speak, then play the clip to hear what others hear. The page keeps your two latest clips side by side, each labelled with its processing setting; Delete removes one.
For live mic monitoring, tick Hear yourself live. It is off by default: use headphones, or the speakers will feed back.
Noise suppression on or off: test what call apps do to your voice
Browsers apply noise suppression, echo cancellation and auto gain control by default, the same processing most web call apps request. Switch them off and compare.
- Leave Processing on and record a clip.
- Click Raw mic (all off) and record a second clip with the same sentence.
- Play both: the raw clip is what the hardware delivers, the first roughly what a browser call sends.
The Processing row shows what the browser actually applied.
Mic not working? Fix it by error
When the test fails, the panel names the cause and lists fix steps for your browser and operating system.
Microphone access is blocked
In Chrome and Edge, click the site settings icon at the left end of the address bar and set Microphone to Allow. In Firefox, click the crossed-out microphone icon and remove the block. In Safari, open Safari > Settings > Websites > Microphone. Reload afterwards.
No microphone found
Check the cable, reconnect the USB or Bluetooth microphone, and look for a mute switch on the headset.
Microphone in use or cannot start
Close Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Discord, OBS and other tabs with a call.
The microphone sends pure silence
If every sample stays at zero for 3 seconds, the microphone is muted at system or hardware level: check the mute key (often F4) and the input volume. To rule out a stuck key, run the keyboard tester. A system-wide mute hotkey is another common culprit.
Sounds like a phone call
If the panel says the input could be a Bluetooth headset in hands-free mode, the microphone runs at a low sample rate; use the built-in or a wired microphone. If the test works but one app fails, check the input in Zoom, Teams or Discord audio settings.
How to test a microphone on Windows 11 and Windows 10
On Windows 11, open Settings > System > Sound, select your input device, and use Test your microphone > Start test. If browsers cannot hear you, open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and turn on Microphone access, Let apps access your microphone and Let desktop apps access your microphone. Windows 11 test builds add per-app microphone controls for desktop programs.
On Windows 10, watch the input level bar under Settings > System > Sound; access switches sit under Settings > Privacy > Microphone.
How to test a microphone on a Mac
Open System Settings > Sound > Input, select the microphone, then speak and watch the Input level meter. If this page stays silent, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone, turn on your browser, then quit and reopen it.
How to test the microphone on an iPhone or Android phone
Record a voice memo and play it back; if that works but this page hears nothing, allow the browser. In Safari on iPhone, tap aA in the address bar, open Website Settings and set Microphone to Allow; for other browsers, go to Settings > (your browser) > Microphone. On Android, tap the icon left of the address, open Permissions and allow Microphone.
FAQ
Is this mic test safe?
Yes. The microphone opens only after you click Test my mic, and the audio is analysed in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored on a server, and clips stay in the tab's memory until you delete them or leave. To check, open the developer tools (F12), select Network and start the test. When you stop, the browser's microphone indicator goes out.
Why can't I hear myself?
Live monitoring is off by default to prevent feedback. Tick Hear yourself live with headphones on, or press Record (max 10 s) and play the clip back. If the meter moves but playback is silent, check your output device and volume, not the microphone.
Why does my mic sound quiet or muffled?
Quiet usually means the input volume is low or you sit too far away: raise the input volume in your sound settings until speech peaks reach -18 to -6 dBFS. Muffled, phone-like sound often comes from a Bluetooth headset in hands-free mode or strong noise suppression. Record a clip with Raw mic (all off) to find out which.
Can I test a microphone and webcam together?
This page tests audio only, so camera problems cannot affect the microphone result. To check your camera, open the webcam test, which measures frame rate, resolution and lighting. Before an important call, run both: the camera first, then this mic test, so each device gets its own verdict and fix steps.