Device Checks
Microphone Test Online — Check Mic, Volume, and Noise Floor
Check your mic before the call. Live volume meter, noise floor measurement, record-and-playback — all in your browser.
🔒 Privacy promise: your audio is processed entirely in your browser. Nothing is recorded on our servers. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
Step 1 — Grant mic access
When you click Start, your browser will ask permission to use the microphone. Click "Allow." If you previously blocked it, click the lock icon in your address bar and switch microphone to "Allow."
Can't access your mic
- Click the lock icon in your address bar → "Microphone" → "Allow"
- Check your OS settings: System → Privacy → Microphone → enable for your browser
- Try refreshing the page and clicking "Allow" when prompted
Live volume
−∞ dB
Say "hello" or clap your hands
−60−40−200 dB
Green (−30 to −6) = healthy · Yellow (−6 to 0) = loud · Red (clipping) = too loud
Noise floor
— dB
Stay quiet for 5 seconds. Lower is better — below −50 dB is studio-quiet.
Record & playback
Hear exactly what others hear when you talk. Stop whenever — no fixed duration.
Frequency spectrum (advanced)
20-band spectrum from low to high frequency. Useful for checking if your voice has a balanced tone.
Platform-specific guides
Testing mic on Windows 11 ▼
- Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar → Sound settings
- Under "Input," select your mic from the dropdown
- Speak and watch the input bar — it should bounce as you talk
- If Windows doesn't see your mic at all, check Device Manager → Audio inputs and outputs
Testing mic on macOS ▼
- Apple menu → System Settings → Sound → Input
- Pick your device, speak, watch the input level
- If level is flat, check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone — make sure your browser is enabled
Testing mic for Zoom / Teams / Google Meet ▼
- Zoom: Settings → Audio → Test Mic (records and plays back)
- Teams: Settings → Devices → Make a test call
- Google Meet: click the three dots in the call → Settings → Audio → check the mic level
Frequently asked questions
Why is my microphone so quiet?
Three usual suspects: input gain is too low (boost it in your OS sound settings); you're using the wrong mic (check the device selector above and pick your actual mic, not an internal laptop one); physical distance (USB mics work best 15–30 cm from your mouth). If none of these fix it, try another app to isolate whether the problem is hardware or browser-specific.
How do I fix background noise?
Order of effectiveness: close windows, turn off fans/AC during calls, use a cardioid mic (picks up front, rejects sides/back), enable software noise suppression in your call app (Zoom's High setting is good), invest in acoustic treatment — a rug and curtains kill 80% of room echo. Noise gates cut audio below a threshold but can also clip soft speech.
What's a good dB level for voice?
Peaking between −18 dB and −6 dB is ideal. Under −20 dB is too quiet. Over 0 dB (clipping) causes distortion. A consistent −12 dB peak is the sweet spot for voice calls and recordings. Watch the live meter — speak at normal volume and aim to peak in the green zone.
Why can people hear me on some calls but not others?
Apps choose different default mics. Zoom might default to your USB mic while Teams picks your built-in laptop mic. Check each app's audio settings and manually select your preferred device. Browsers also gate mic permission per site — if you blocked it once, that site can't access your mic until you re-allow.
What is a mic's noise floor and why does it matter?
Noise floor is the ambient sound your mic picks up when no one is speaking — fan hum, typing, AC. Below −50 dB means clean recordings; above −30 dB means listeners hear your environment. Stay silent for a few seconds while the noise floor meter runs to measure yours.
Can I test my mic without granting permission?
No. Browser security requires explicit user permission before any site can access the microphone, gated per site per session. You can revoke it any time via the lock icon in your address bar. We process audio client-side only — no recording, no upload — but we still need the permission to read the audio stream.
Does this work on phones?
Yes, in modern mobile browsers (Safari iOS 14.3+, Android Chrome). Some features are slower because of audio processing overhead. For best results, use headphones with a built-in mic rather than the phone's speaker mic, and test in a quiet room.
Why does my voice sound weird in the playback?
That's your actual voice — what everyone else hears. The voice you hear inside your head includes bone conduction that a mic can't pick up, which is why recordings always sound higher and thinner than your internal impression. This isn't a mic defect. Listening to recordings helps you speak more naturally on calls.
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