Online Mic Test: Check Your Microphone

How to test your microphone online

Press Start mic test and allow microphone access when your browser asks. Then speak, clap or tap near the microphone. If it works, the level bar jumps, the waveform moves and the status says your microphone is working. The whole test happens in your browser: the sound is analysed on your device and is not recorded or sent anywhere unless you press the record button, and even then the clip stays on your device.

To hear what other people hear on a call, press Record 5 seconds, talk normally, and the clip plays back straight away. This is the quickest way to catch a muffled, distant, echoing or crackling microphone before a meeting, an interview or an online class.

Reading the numbers

The big number is the level in dBFS, decibels relative to full scale. 0 dBFS is the loudest signal the microphone can record before it distorts, so every reading is negative. Silence in a quiet room sits around −60 to −50 dBFS. Normal speech at arm's length lands around −30 to −20. Shouting close to the microphone may reach −6 or higher, and readings near 0 mean the sound is clipping.

Peak holds the loudest moment and slowly falls back. Sample rate shows how many times per second the audio is measured: 44.1 or 48 kHz is normal. Channels shows mono (1) or stereo (2).

This tool measures the digital signal, not the loudness of the room. To measure how loud your surroundings are in decibels, use the decibel meter.

Microphone not working? Check these first

• Permission: if you pressed Block, click the padlock or settings icon next to the address bar and allow the microphone, then reload.
• Wrong input: laptops often have several microphones, plus any headset or webcam. Pick another one from the Input list.
• Hardware mute: many headsets and laptops have a mute button or switch, sometimes on the cable.
• Another app: close video call apps that may be holding the microphone.
• System privacy settings: on Windows and macOS, check that your browser is allowed to use the microphone in the privacy settings.
• Phone case or dust: on phones, make sure the microphone holes at the bottom are not blocked.

Why does my microphone sound quiet or muffled?

Distance matters most. Halving the distance between your mouth and the microphone raises the level by about 6 dB. Headset microphones near the corner of your mouth beat laptop microphones across the desk. A muffled sound usually means the microphone is covered or pointing the wrong way. This test turns off the browser's noise suppression and automatic gain so you hear the raw signal; video call apps add those back, which can make your voice sound slightly different on a call.