Mic not working: how to find the cause

Start with a quick test

Open the mic test, press Start and speak. The level bar shows whether the browser receives any sound, and you can record a few seconds and play them back. Nothing is uploaded.

• The bar moves: the microphone works. If people still cannot hear you in Zoom, Teams, Discord or a game, the problem is the input chosen inside that app. Jump to the app section below.
• Access is blocked: a permission is missing, either in the browser or in the system. Start with the privacy settings.
• No microphone is found: the computer does not see one. Check connections, mute switches and the input device.
• The bar barely moves: the microphone is muted, set very low, or a different microphone is selected.

Mute switches and connections

• Headset mute: many headsets have a mute button or switch on the cable or ear cup, and some mute when the boom arm is raised.
• Laptop mute key: many laptops have a microphone key, often with a small light, that turns the microphone off for the whole system.
• Cables: a headset with one combined plug needs a combined headset jack; on a computer with separate pink and green jacks, the microphone plug goes into the microphone jack. Try another USB port for USB microphones.
• Bluetooth: make sure the headset is connected and chosen as the input, not only as the output.

Windows 11 and 10: privacy and input settings

1. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone. Turn on Microphone access and Let apps access your microphone. Browsers and most call apps are desktop apps, so Let desktop apps access your microphone must be on too.
2. Open Settings > System > Sound. Under Input, choose the microphone you want to use.
3. Select that microphone to open its properties, check the Input volume and run the built-in Microphone test.
4. If it still fails, Windows has a troubleshooter for input devices in the same Sound settings, under Advanced.
5. If Windows does not list the microphone at all, Microsoft suggests checking Device Manager and scanning for hardware changes. Install drivers only from Windows Update or the manufacturer of your computer or headset.

Mac: privacy and input settings

1. Open Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and turn on access for the app or browser you are using. An app appears in this list only after it has asked for the microphone once. On Macs managed by a school or company, this setting may be locked.
2. Open System Settings > Sound and choose the right device under Input. Speak and watch the input level, and raise the input volume if it barely moves.
3. After changing a permission, quit and reopen the app.

AirPods and other wireless earbuds

• Which earbud is the microphone: AirPods can use either earbud as the microphone. By default this is automatic, but it can be fixed to the left or right one in the AirPods settings on your iPhone or iPad. If it is fixed to an earbud that is in the case, the microphone will not work.
• Input on a computer: on Windows and Mac, choose the earbuds as the input device as well as the output.
• Call mode: most Bluetooth earbuds switch to a lower-quality call mode while the microphone is in use, so music sounds worse during a call or a mic test. That is normal.
• Clean the openings: dust or earwax over the microphone openings makes your voice muffled or quiet.

Works in the test but not in one app

If the level bar moves in the mic test, the microphone, the system permission and the input device are all fine. Look inside the app instead:

• Open the app's audio or voice settings and choose the same microphone as input, not "Default" if the default is something else.
• Check that you are not muted in the call itself, and that push-to-talk is not turned on.
• Close other apps that may be holding the microphone, then rejoin the call.

Quiet, echo or static

• Too quiet: raise the input volume in the system settings, move the microphone closer to your mouth, and check that the right side of the microphone faces you.
• Echo: the other person usually hears their own voice from your speakers. Use headphones, or turn on echo cancellation in the app. The mic test lets you compare with echo cancellation on and off.
• Static or crackling: try another cable, port or jack, and move away from chargers and other electrical devices. If the noise stays on every computer, the microphone or cable may be faulty.