Mic test: check your microphone

How it is calculated

Before a video call, after buying a headset or when people suddenly cannot hear you: this mic test shows within seconds whether any sound arrives, how loud it is and how you sound. It uses the same browser interface as Teams, Zoom or Meet in the browser – if your microphone works here, it basically works there too.

How it works

1. Click “Test microphone” and choose Allow in the browser prompt.
2. Speak normally. The bar shows the level, and the verdict above it says too quiet, good or clipping.
3. If you have several microphones (e.g. laptop and headset), pick the right one at the top – the list appears after you allow access.
4. “Start recording” records up to 30 seconds so you can hear yourself. That reveals hiss, echo or crackling a level meter cannot show.
5. “Turn mic off” ends access at once. When you leave the page, the microphone is released automatically.

What the values mean

• dBFS (decibels relative to full scale) measures the digital level. 0 dBFS is the maximum that can be represented digitally; everything below is negative. −6 dBFS is half, −20 dBFS a tenth of the largest possible amplitude.
• Average (RMS) is the root mean square – roughly the perceived loudness. Peak is the highest swing, for example on “p” and “t” sounds. The thin line in the bar briefly holds the latest peak.
• Guide values of this test (a rule of thumb for speech, not a standard): average below −60 dBFS = hardly any signal, below −40 dBFS = too quiet, peaks from −1 dBFS = clipping. Clipped audio is cut off and sounds distorted, which cannot be repaired afterwards. Audio that is too quiet gets noisy when software boosts it.
• Sample rate (usually 48,000 or 44,100 Hz) and channels show what the browser receives from the device. Many laptops report stereo because they have two microphones side by side.
• Waveform shows the signal over the last few milliseconds, Frequencies the spread from low (left) to high sounds (right). A constant bar at low frequencies while nobody speaks points to hum, for instance from a power supply.

Echo cancellation, noise suppression, automatic gain

Browsers can process the microphone signal before a page receives it – video calls usually turn this on. Here everything starts off, so you see what your microphone really delivers. Turn the options on to hear how you sound in a call. Automatic gain control boosts quiet voices; while it is on, the level says little about the real sensitivity. “Active processing” lists what the browser actually switched on – not every browser can turn every option off.

Mic not working? Troubleshooting

• Windows 11: Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone: turn on “Microphone access” and “Let desktop apps access your microphone”. Under Settings → System → Sound → Input, choose the right device and check the input volume. Many laptops also have a mic mute key (often F4 or F8).
• macOS: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone: enable your browser, then restart it. Input volume is under System Settings → Sound → Input.
• Android: In Chrome, tap the icon on the left of the address bar → Permissions → allow Microphone. If that does not help: Settings → Apps → Chrome → Permissions → Microphone. From Android 12 on, Quick Settings also have a “Microphone access” toggle.
• iPhone/iPad: Settings → Safari → Microphone: set to “Ask” or “Allow” (from iOS 18: Settings → Apps → Safari). For Chrome or Firefox, use their own entry in Settings.
• The bar does not move: wrong device selected (e.g. the microphone of a webcam lying in a drawer), mute switch on the headset, or the plug is in the headphone jack instead of the mic jack.
• Bluetooth headset sounds muffled: as soon as the microphone of a Bluetooth headset is active, many devices switch to a hands-free mode with much lower audio quality. That is normal and not a fault of this page.

Honest limits

The test measures the digital level, not sound pressure: how many dBFS a voice produces depends on the microphone, distance and system volume. A quality “score” is therefore not possible – your ears and the test recording are the best judge. The values are meaningful for browser apps; programs that talk to the microphone directly (e.g. recording software with its own drivers) may show different levels.

Privacy

The sound is analysed only in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored; the test recording exists until you close the tab – unless you download it yourself. The page only works over https because browsers do not allow microphone access otherwise.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and legal basis

• MDN Web Docs – MediaDevices.getUserMedia()
• MDN Web Docs – AnalyserNode (Web Audio API)
• MDN Web Docs – MediaRecorder
• W3C – Media Capture and Streams

As of: 27 September 2026