Mic Test — Check Your Microphone Online
This microphone test shows what your computer hears: a live level meter and waveform as you speak, a recording you can play back, and a device picker for machines with several inputs. Audio is processed in the browser and never leaves your device.
Quick answer: Press Start test mic and allow microphone access. Speak normally — if the level meter moves, your mic works. If it stays flat, the browser is using the wrong input device (pick another in the dropdown), your system input volume is muted, or another app has exclusive access.
Your browser will ask for permission to use the microphone. Audio is analysed on your device and never uploaded — recordings stay in this tab and disappear when you close it.
| What it does | Live level meter, waveform, recording with playback, input device chooser, and a peak-hold reading |
|---|---|
| Privacy | Audio is analysed in your browser with the Web Audio API; nothing is recorded to a server and nothing is uploaded |
| Permission | Browsers require an explicit allow, and only on a secure page — this page is served over HTTPS |
| Common causes of silence | Wrong input device selected, mute switch or hardware mute button, system input level at zero, or another app holding the mic |
What the level meter is telling you
Normal speech should push the meter into the upper half without touching the top. Peaks that sit permanently in the red mean the gain is too high and speech will sound clipped; a meter that barely moves means the input level is low, the wrong device is selected, or the microphone's own mute switch is on. The waveform view helps with another common problem: constant background hiss or a hum is visible as a thick band even when you are silent.
Fixing a microphone that does not work
Work in order: check that the right input is selected on this page; check the operating system's sound settings for that device and that it is not muted; check for a hardware mute button on the headset cable or the mic body; close other apps that may hold the microphone (conferencing clients and voice chat keep it open); and finally try another browser. A USB microphone that works in one browser and not another is nearly always a permission or device-selection problem, not a broken mic.
When to use this test
- You are about to join a call and want to confirm people will hear you
- You switched headsets and the wrong device is being used
- Your voice sounds distant, quiet or distorted and you want to see the level while adjusting the mic gain
- You need to find which of several inputs is the right one on a laptop with an external microphone