Microphone Test
See and hear whether your microphone works, how loud it is and how the browser changes it.
Live input
Not startedPress Start and allow microphone access when your browser asks. The test runs on your device: nothing is uploaded, and nothing is recorded unless you press Record.
Record 5 seconds and play back
Hear yourself the way others hear you on a call. Wear headphones when you play a clip back with the microphone still on.
No clips yet. Each clip is labelled with the processing settings it was recorded with, so you can compare them.
Compare the browser’s processing
Changing a switch restarts the microphone with the new setting. Record a clip with the processing on and one with it off to hear the difference: noise suppression removes steady background noise (fans, hum), auto gain evens out your volume, and echo cancellation removes sound from your speakers that the microphone picks up.
| Feature | Asked for | Browser reports |
|---|
Your microphones
| Microphone | Sample rate | Channels | Built-in processing |
|---|
As reported by your browser. Some browsers report details only for the microphone in use; “not reported” means the browser does not say, not that the feature is missing.
Microphone not working?
Windows
- Open Settings → System → Sound. Under Input, choose your microphone and speak: the volume bar under it should move.
- If it does not, open Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone and turn on “Microphone access”, “Let apps access your microphone” and “Let desktop apps access your microphone”.
- Too quiet? In Settings → System → Sound, select the microphone and raise Input volume. Some microphones also have a Microphone Boost level under More sound settings → Recording → Properties → Levels.
- If another program locks the microphone: More sound settings → Recording → the microphone → Properties → Advanced, untick “Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device”.
- Bluetooth headsets switch to their “hands-free” mode while the microphone is in use, which sounds narrow and muffled; that is how Bluetooth headsets work, not a fault.
macOS
- Open System Settings → Sound → Input, choose your microphone and speak: the input level should move. Raise Input volume if it barely moves.
- Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and turn on your browser, then quit and reopen the browser.
- AirPods and other Bluetooth headsets sound lower quality while their microphone is in use. Choosing the Mac’s built-in microphone in the list on this page keeps the headset in high-quality playback mode.
Linux
- Open your sound settings (GNOME Settings → Sound, KDE System Settings → Audio, or the PulseAudio/PipeWire volume control “pavucontrol”), choose the microphone as input, unmute it and raise its volume.
- In pavucontrol’s Recording tab (while this page uses the microphone) check that the browser records from the right input.
- Browsers installed as a Snap or Flatpak need microphone permission in the system’s app settings (for example Ubuntu Settings → Apps, or Flatseal for Flatpak).
ChromeOS
- Open Settings → Security and privacy → Privacy controls and turn on Microphone access.
- Open the quick settings (the clock), select the arrow next to the volume, and under Input choose the microphone and raise its gain.
Android
- Open Android Settings → Apps → your browser → Permissions → Microphone and choose “Allow only while using the app”.
- Android 12 and later have a Microphone access switch in the quick settings; it must be on.
- Close apps that may be using the microphone (calls, voice assistants, screen recorders), then reload this page.
iPhone and iPad
- In Safari, tap the page menu (aA) → Website Settings → Microphone → Allow. For Chrome, Firefox or Edge: Settings app → the browser → Microphone on.
- While AirPods or another Bluetooth headset is connected, its microphone is used instead of the built-in one.
- A case, screen protector or finger can cover the microphone openings at the bottom and top of the phone.
Any device
- Close other apps and browser tabs that use the microphone (calls, voice chat, recorders), then press Start again.
- For a headset with one 3.5 mm plug (4 contacts on the plug), use the combined headset jack; a separate pink microphone socket needs a microphone plug.
- Try another USB port, a different cable, or another microphone to find out whether the device itself is faulty.
About the Microphone Test
Check that your microphone works before a call, an online class, a recording or a game. Speak and the level meter shows how loud the signal is, with a peak marker and a clip light when the input overloads; the spectrum shows which frequencies the microphone picks up, so mains hum or a muffled headset is easy to see. Record 5 seconds and play it back to hear yourself the way others hear you.
The page also lists every microphone your browser can see with the sample rate and channel count it reports, and lets you switch the browser’s echo cancellation, noise suppression and auto gain control on and off to compare clips. Everything runs on your device: the sound is never uploaded, and nothing is recorded unless you press Record.
How to use it
- Press Start microphone test and allow microphone access when the browser asks.
- Choose your microphone in the list if the wrong one is selected, then speak normally: the bar should move and the message under it should say the level is good.
- Press Record 5 seconds, speak, and play the clip back (headphones avoid feedback).
- To compare the browser’s processing, untick a switch such as noise suppression, record another clip and play both. Copy results puts the readings, the processing table and the device list on the clipboard as text, ready for a support ticket.
- If nothing works, open the troubleshooting section for your system at the bottom of the tool.
Examples
Speaking at a normal distance into a USB headset
Average about −24 dB, peaks about −8 dB · “Good: the microphone picks you up clearly.”
The mute key is on (its light is lit)
“The microphone sends pure digital silence. It is muted …” — the meter stays empty and both readouts show −∞ dB.
A working microphone in a quiet room still shows a little noise (around −70 to −50 dB); exact silence means it is switched off somewhere.
A microphone on a long cable next to a charger
Loudest frequency 50 Hz with spikes at 100 and 150 Hz in the spectrum (60, 120 and 180 Hz in the Americas)
Moving the cable away from power leads or using a different USB port often removes it.
Reading the meter
Levels are in dBFS (decibels relative to full scale): 0 dB is the loudest value digital audio can hold, so every level is below zero. The bar shows the peak level and falls back slowly; the thin marker holds the highest recent peak.
- Below about −70 dB average: almost nothing is coming in.
- About −45 to −12 dB average: a usable to strong voice level. For recording, many people aim for speech peaks around −12 to −6 dB, which leaves headroom.
- Peaks above −3 dB: very close to the limit; a louder word will clip.
- Clip: a sample reached full scale. Clipped sound is distorted and cannot be repaired afterwards, so lower the input gain.
The average is the RMS (root-mean-square) level over the last second. For a pure tone the RMS is 3 dB below its peak; for speech the peaks are usually far above the average.
Echo cancellation, noise suppression and auto gain
Browsers can process the microphone before a page receives it. These are the three switches defined by the W3C Media Capture and Streams standard:
- Echo cancellation removes sound from your own speakers that the microphone picks up again — essential for calls without headphones.
- Noise suppression reduces steady background noise such as fans, air conditioners and hum.
- Auto gain control raises quiet voices and lowers loud ones to keep the level even.
They are on by default because most pages use the microphone for calls. For music or a clean recording they are often better off. The table shows what you asked for and what the browser says it applied: some devices and browsers keep a feature on or off regardless.
What the device list tells you
For each microphone the browser reports the sample rates and channel counts it supports. Chrome and Edge report this for every device; other browsers may report it only for the microphone in use. Most microphones run at 44.1 or 48 kHz. A sample rate of 8 or 16 kHz on a Bluetooth headset means it is in its hands-free (call) mode, which sounds narrow. A “Default” entry follows whatever microphone the operating system is set to use.
Limitations
- Device names appear only after you allow microphone access; until then browsers hide them for privacy.
- The page cannot change the hardware input gain; use the system sound settings described in the troubleshooting section.
- Recorded clips are kept only while the page is open. Use the Download button to keep one.
- The browser may resample the input (the page shows the rate it processes at); the spectrum therefore ends at half that rate.
Privacy
Everything happens in your browser. What you enter or open here is not uploaded or stored by MySmartCoPilot.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the meter not move?
Usually the wrong microphone is selected, it is muted, or the system blocks it. Pick another microphone in the list, check the mute key or headset switch, and follow the steps for your system in “Microphone not working?”. If the page says the microphone sends pure digital silence, it is muted or blocked rather than broken.
Is my voice recorded or uploaded?
No. The meter and spectrum are computed live in your browser and nothing is stored. A clip is only recorded when you press Record; it stays in this page’s memory until you close it, and you can download or remove it.
Why does my voice sound different in the playback?
You normally hear your own voice partly through your bones, which adds bass. A recording is how others hear you. Processing also changes the sound: compare a clip with noise suppression off.
What is a good microphone level?
When you speak normally the average should sit roughly between −40 and −15 dB and the peaks should stay below about −6 dB, so the clip light never comes on. Lower the input gain if it clips; raise it or move closer if the message says the level is quiet.
Why are my microphones called “Microphone 1”, “Microphone 2”?
The browser reports no names until you allow access, and some drivers report none at all. After you allow access the real names appear.
Why can’t I turn noise suppression off?
Some browsers or devices apply processing in the operating system or the microphone itself. The “Browser reports” column shows when the browser kept a feature on; switch it off in the system or device software (for example Windows “Audio enhancements” or a headset app) instead.