Mic Test with Playback
Record up to 30 seconds from your microphone, then play it back to hear how you sound.
Mic Test
Press Start test and speak to see your microphone’s input level live, with its peak, a clipping warning and the name of the microphone your browser opened. It works with laptop, USB, headset and Bluetooth microphones.
Audio is analyzed in your browser to draw the meter. Nothing is recorded, stored or uploaded.
Names appear once you allow microphone access.
Level: —Peak: —
Start the test and speak to get a result you can copy or share.
Stopped
Runs entirely in your browser. Test results, audio and video never leave your device.
Start the mic test
- Press Start test and allow microphone access when the browser asks.
- Speak at your normal volume. The bar follows your level, the thin marker holds the recent peak, and the large number shows the level in dB.
- Check the status line under the meter. It names the microphone the browser opened, for example Listening to: Headset Microphone.
- To test another microphone, choose it from the Microphone list. While the test runs, the meter switches to it straight away.
- Press Stop when you are done. The browser releases the microphone, and the result card keeps the loudest level so you can copy or share it.
How do I know if my microphone is working?
A microphone is working when its input level rises as you speak and falls back when you stop, which shows that a live signal reaches your computer. A level that stays at the bottom while you speak means no sound is arriving, even without an error. A moving level shows the mic picks up sound, not that it sounds clear.
How to read the mic level meter
| What you see | What it means | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| The bar barely moves | The signal is weak: the mic is far from you, its input volume is low, or it is not the mic in front of you. | Move closer and raise the input volume in your system’s sound settings. |
| The bar turns red and Clipping appears | Your loudest sounds reach the top of the scale and are likely to distort. | Lower the input volume or move back from the mic. |
| The bar moves while you are silent | The mic hears the room: a fan, typing, or sound from your speakers. | Move away from the noise, or wear headphones so the mic does not hear your speakers. |
| The status line names a different mic | The browser opened another input than the one you meant. | Choose the right microphone from the Microphone list. |
Not working? Permission, wrong mic or no level
- If access was blocked, allow the microphone for this site in your browser’s site settings, usually from the icon at the left of the address bar, then press Start test again. See how to allow microphone access in each browser.
- If you opened this page from a link inside another app, such as Facebook or Gmail, that app’s built-in browser may block the microphone. Open the page in your browser instead: see camera or mic blocked in an in-app browser.
- If it is still blocked, your system may be blocking the browser. In Windows 11, select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and turn on Microphone access, Let apps access your microphone and Let desktop apps access your microphone; browsers count as desktop apps. On a Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and turn on your browser.
- If the wrong microphone opens, choose the right one from the Microphone list here, and in Windows 11 under Settings > System > Sound > Input, Choose a device for speaking or recording.
- If the level stays at −60 dB or lower with no error, the mic is sending silence (often shown as 0% in other apps): check its mute switch or key, that it is connected or paired, and the input volume. In Windows 11, select the microphone under Settings > System > Sound > Input and raise Input volume; on a Mac, raise the input volume under System Settings > Sound > Input.
- If no microphone is found, reconnect it, check that it is enabled in your system’s sound settings, and try again.
- If the page says the microphone may be in use by another app, close apps that might hold it, such as a call or recording app, and try again.
Sources: Microsoft Support: Fix microphone problems; Microsoft Support: Turn on app permissions for your microphone in Windows; Apple Support: Control access to the microphone on Mac; Apple Support: Change the sound input settings on Mac. Checked October 6, 2026.
Test with playback
A moving meter shows that sound reaches the browser, not how you sound. To hear echo, background noise, a muffled voice or a level that is too low, record a short clip with the mic test with playback and play it back. The clip stays in your browser, and you can download it to compare microphones.
Windows, Mac, Discord and Zoom
If the meter moves here, the microphone and its driver work. When an app still cannot hear you, choose the same microphone in that app and use its own test:
- Windows 11: select Start > Settings > System > Sound. Under Input, choose your microphone, then select it and use Start test under Microphone test.
- Mac: choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Sound, then Input. Select the microphone and watch the input level while you speak.
- Discord: open User Settings (the cog at the lower left), then Voice & Video. Choose the Input Device and use Mic Test, which plays your voice back. It is in the desktop app and the browser version.
- Zoom: open Settings, then Audio. Choose the microphone and select Test microphone to record and hear a short clip, or use Test speaker and microphone when you join a meeting.
Sources: Microsoft Support: Fix microphone problems; Apple Support: Change the sound input settings on Mac; Discord Support: Mic Testing; Zoom Support: Testing your audio settings for Zoom meetings. Checked October 6, 2026.
What this test can detect
- Whether sound reaches the browser: the level moves with your voice or stays at −60 dB or lower.
- Which microphone the browser opened, named in the status line, including the one behind Default microphone.
- A weak signal, where the bar barely moves, and clipping, shown by a red bar and the word Clipping.
- Noise the microphone picks up while you are silent, as far as the browser’s noise suppression lets it through.
- Blocked access, a missing microphone or one in use by another app, each explained in plain language.
How it works
The page opens the microphone with getUserMedia and reads it with the Web Audio API. On every screen frame, an analyzer takes the latest 2048 samples, about 43 ms of sound at 48 kHz, and turns their RMS level into dBFS: decibels relative to full scale, from −60 dB at the bottom of the meter up to 0 dB.
The thin marker holds the recent peak and falls at 20 dB per second. A sample above 98% of full scale turns the bar red and shows Clipping for about 600 ms. The sound goes only to the analyzer and is never played back.
Limitations
- The level is in dBFS, relative to the loudest signal the input can carry. It is not a sound level meter: it cannot tell how loud a room is in dB SPL, and the same voice reads higher when you raise the input volume.
- Chrome, Edge and Firefox turn on echo cancellation, noise suppression and automatic gain control by default, and the page keeps those defaults. The meter shows the processed signal, so steady background noise can read lower, and a quiet mic louder, than they would without processing.
- A stereo microphone is shown as one combined level. Sensitivity, frequency response and self-noise are not measured, and a meter cannot tell you how clear you sound. To see the frequency spectrum of what the microphone picks up, such as hum or whine, use the Spectrum Analyzer.
- Microphone names appear in the list only after you allow access; until then it offers Default microphone.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my mic work here but not in Zoom, Teams or Discord?
Usually because the app is set to a different input or is not allowed to use the microphone. If the meter moves here, the microphone and its driver work. Select the same microphone in the app’s audio settings, check the app’s own mute button, and allow the app in your system’s privacy settings.
Can I test AirPods or a Bluetooth headset mic?
Yes. Connect the headset, choose it from the Microphone list and speak. While its mic is in use, most Bluetooth headsets switch to a hands-free mode that lowers the sound quality of both the mic and what you hear, which is normal. After you press Stop, the Headphone Test checks its left and right sound.
Can I hear myself on this mic test?
No. The Microphone Test only shows the level and never plays your voice back, so there is no echo or feedback through your speakers. To hear how you sound, record a short clip with the Mic Test with Playback.
Does the Microphone Test record my voice?
No. The sound is analyzed in your browser only to draw the meter. It is not saved or sent to a server, and pressing Stop releases the microphone. The privacy policy explains how the site handles data.
How can I tell if an app is using my microphone?
Check your system, not a web page: a page can only see the microphone stream it opened itself. Windows 11 shows a microphone icon on the taskbar while an app is listening and lists recent use under Settings, Privacy & security, Microphone. On a Mac, an orange indicator appears in the menu bar.