The test above checks two things at once. First, whether this browser can open a microphone at all, and second, whether that microphone is sending audio right now. Select Start the mic test, allow access when the browser asks, and speak normally. The meter moves with your voice, the peak marker, the thin white line that trails the bar, briefly holds recent peaks and then eases back down, and the status line reads Listening while audio is flowing.
A browser test is a useful first step because it sits outside the app that is failing. If the meter responds here, the microphone and its driver work and the fault lies in the other app. If it stays flat, the problem is lower down, in permission, device selection, or the hardware.
How the mic test works
Starting the test calls navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia and asks for an audio track. MDN documents that this method prompts for permission and returns a promise resolving to a live media stream. Permission is not optional. Browsers must ask at minimum on first use for a domain, and they show an indicator while the microphone is in use. MDN also notes that getUserMedia requires a secure context, so on a plain HTTP page navigator.mediaDevices is undefined and the call fails before any prompt appears.
The stream is then routed into a Web Audio AnalyserNode, which MDN describes as passing audio through unchanged while exposing real time frequency and time domain data. The meter reads those amplitude samples many times per second, and the peak marker tracks the highest recent value and eases back down over a second or two.
The sample rate below the meter comes from the browser audio context. MDN documents sampleRate as the rate in samples per second used by all nodes in that context, and the property is read-only. The device picker is built from enumerateDevices after permission is granted, and when a browser withholds a device label the picker falls back to a numbered name such as Microphone 2.
None of this audio leaves the page. It is measured and discarded, so nothing is recorded, stored, or uploaded. Stop the test and the stream ends immediately, and it also ends when you leave the page.
How to read your results
A meter that moves in time with your voice is a complete pass. Permission was granted, the browser opened the input you selected, and audio is reaching the page. If a conferencing app still fails, its own input setting is the place to look.
Listening with a flat meter is the more informative failure. The stream is open, so permission and device access both succeeded, but no audio arrives. That usually means the wrong input, a hardware mute, or an input level at zero, and the No signal yet hint appears for the same reason once the level stays flat for a few seconds.
A peak marker that barely lifts when you speak normally points to a low input level, not a dead microphone, while one that pins at the top means the input is near the top of this meter's range, which is worth checking against the input volume in your system sound settings. Check the device name too, since a webcam, a monitor microphone, or a forgotten headset can hold the default slot.
If the test fails
Work from the outside in, starting with permission. If no prompt appeared, or the test stopped with an access error, the site is blocked in the browser or the microphone is off for apps at the system level. How to Allow Microphone Access on Your Device covers granting that access, and the platform notes below give the exact settings screens.
If permission is granted and the meter is still flat, move to input selection and levels, since the wrong default input is the most common cause of a silent microphone and a slider near zero looks identical. Work through How to Change Microphone Settings on Your Device, then rerun the test above.
Hardware is the next layer, because a headset can show as connected while its own mute control silences the capsule. For that class of device, How to Fix a HyperX Cloud 3 Microphone Not Working walks the checks in order, and How to Fix a Dell Computer Microphone Not Working covers a laptop whose built-in array has stopped responding.
If the microphone never appears in the picker, treat it as a driver problem, since the browser can only list what the operating system reports, and How to Download and Update the High Definition Audio Driver covers reinstalling the standard Windows driver. Close other apps holding the microphone first. MDN documents NotReadableError for a hardware level problem preventing access and NotFoundError when no input matches, so those errors point at the device rather than your settings.
Platform notes for Windows, macOS, and Chrome
On Windows 11, Microsoft's path is Start, Settings, Privacy & security, then Microphone under App permissions, where you turn on Microphone access and Let apps access your microphone before enabling individual apps. Older desktop programs also need Let desktop apps access your microphone. On Windows 10 the same controls sit under Start, Settings, Privacy, then Microphone.
To check the microphone outside the browser, Microsoft documents Settings, System, Sound, then Input. Select the microphone, open Properties, choose Start test under Input settings, speak normally, and select Stop test. The Input volume slider there is the control to raise when the browser meter reads low.
On a Mac, Apple documents Apple menu, System Settings, Privacy & Security, then Microphone, where access is turned on or off for each app in the list. Apple also notes that the Recording Indicator light in Control Center shows when the microphone is in use or has been used recently.
In Chrome, the prompt offers Allow while visiting the site, Allow this time, or Never allow, and Google documents the standing controls at Settings, Privacy and security, Site settings, then Microphone. A site you refused appears under Not allowed to use your camera or microphone, where you can change it to Allow or delete the entry.
Common questions
Does this mic test record my voice?
No. The audio stays in the browser, where it is measured for level and then discarded, so nothing is recorded, stored, or uploaded. Selecting Stop the test ends the stream immediately, and leaving the page ends it too.
Why does the picker call my microphone Microphone 2?
The picker appears only while the test is running, after permission is granted. MDN documents that enumerateDevices can return entries with empty labels in some situations, and when that happens this tool shows a numbered fallback name instead of a blank entry. The numbered name still selects the correct device.
Why does the browser ask for permission again?
It depends on the option you chose. MDN notes browsers may offer permission once per domain but must ask at minimum on first use, and Chrome's prompt includes Allow this time, which applies to the current visit only.
Official references
- MDN reference for MediaDevices.getUserMedia
- MDN reference for MediaDevices.enumerateDevices
- MDN reference for AnalyserNode
- MDN reference for BaseAudioContext.sampleRate
- Microsoft guide to microphone app permissions in Windows
- Microsoft guide to setting up and testing microphones in Windows
- Apple guide to controlling microphone access on Mac
- Chrome Help guide to using your camera and microphone
