Signal & status
Waveform
Frequency spectrum
Your browser will ask for permission. The audio is analysed inside this tab — nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored.
Press Allow microphone, then speak normally — peaks should land in the green band between -18 and -6 dBFS.
Event log
| t | event | detail |
|---|---|---|
| No events yet. | ||
Record & play back
Record a few seconds and listen to it. The clip stays in this tab and disappears when you reload.
Checks
Microphone not working? Try these fixes
If the meter above stays flat, or you sound quiet, distorted or noisy, work through these steps in order:
- Check permission and the device list. A blocked prompt is the most common cause of silence. Click the padlock or microphone icon in the address bar, allow access, and press Start again — then confirm the Microphone dropdown is set to the device you're actually speaking into, not a webcam or a monitor's built-in mic.
- Look for a hardware mute. Headsets, USB mics and many laptops have a physical mute switch, a mute key with an indicator light, or mute-on-boom-up. The page will show a signal of exactly nothing if one is engaged.
- Close whatever else is using the mic. Video call and recording apps can hold a device open. Quit Zoom, Teams, Discord or OBS, then reload this page — on Windows a busy device usually fails with a "could not start" error rather than silence.
- Fix the level, not the distance. Peaks should reach -18 to -6 dBFS. If they don't, raise the input level in your system sound settings; if they slam into 0 dBFS, lower it and turn off any "microphone boost". Sitting about a hand's width from the mic and lowering the gain also drops the noise floor.
- Test the hardware itself. Try another cable, another USB port, or another computer, and switch the processing toggles off to hear the raw signal. If a headset mic fails everywhere but the laptop's built-in mic works, the headset is the problem; if every input is dead on one machine, suspect drivers or the OS privacy settings that block microphone access app by app.
Frequently asked questions
What does Mic Test Online do?
Test your microphone instantly in your browser — no download or install required. Allow microphone access and the page shows your live input level in decibels, the waveform of what the mic is hearing, and the frequency spectrum. Speak normally and you can confirm in seconds that the right microphone is selected, that it's picking you up at a usable level, and that it isn't clipping or drowning in background noise.
How do I test my microphone?
Press Allow microphone, pick your device from the list, then talk at your normal speaking volume for a few seconds. Watch the level meter: it should move clearly with your voice and settle in the green band around -18 to -6 dBFS on peaks. Then record a short sample and play it back — hearing yourself is the only way to catch problems a meter can't show, like muffling, hum or a mic that's picking up the wrong side.
Why can't the page hear my microphone?
The usual causes are permission, device selection, and hardware mute. If the browser blocked access, click the padlock or microphone icon in the address bar and allow it, then press Start again. If the meter is flat but permission was granted, the browser may be listening to a different input — pick another device from the Microphone list. Also check for a physical mute switch on the mic, headset or laptop, and make sure no other app has exclusive control of the device.
What is a good microphone level?
Aim for peaks between -18 and -6 dBFS while speaking normally, with the meter dropping well down between words. That leaves headroom for a sudden laugh or a raised voice without distortion. If your peaks sit below -30 dBFS the recording will be noisy once it's turned up; if they touch 0 dBFS the signal is clipping. Adjust the input level in your operating system's sound settings rather than by shouting or moving closer than about a hand's width from the mic.
What does clipping mean and how do I fix it?
Clipping is what happens when the signal is louder than the maximum the converter can represent, so the tops of the waveform are cut flat and the sound turns harsh and crackly. This page counts a clipping event whenever samples hit full scale. Fix it by lowering the microphone input level or boost in your sound settings, backing off a few centimetres, or turning off any "microphone boost" option — clipping cannot be repaired after the fact.
Why is there constant hiss or background noise?
The noise floor reading shows how loud your room and microphone are when nobody is speaking. Below about -60 dBFS is quiet, and above roughly -45 dBFS you'll hear it in recordings. Common causes are a high input gain compensating for a distant mic, a fan or air conditioner, USB or ground hum from a nearby power supply, and cheap laptop preamps. Moving the mic closer so you can lower the gain usually helps more than any software filter.
What do the echo cancellation, noise suppression and auto gain switches do?
They are the browser's own audio processing, the same filters that video calls apply. Echo cancellation removes sound coming back in from your speakers, noise suppression attenuates steady background noise, and auto gain control raises or lowers the level for you. They're on by default because that matches how a call will sound. Turn them off to hear and measure what your microphone actually captures — useful when you're testing hardware or recording music, where auto gain in particular will make level readings drift.
Does this work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. It uses the standard browser microphone APIs, so it works in current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on desktop, Android and iOS. On iPhone and iPad the device list is shorter because the system chooses the input for you, and playback of your recording may need a tap to start. The page must be served over https or opened on localhost — browsers refuse microphone access on plain HTTP.
Is my audio uploaded or recorded anywhere?
No. Everything happens inside your browser tab: the meter, waveform and spectrum are computed locally, and a sample you record is held in memory only so you can play it back. Nothing is sent to a server and nothing is stored after you close or reload the page. Pressing Stop, or closing the tab, releases the microphone and turns off the recording indicator your operating system shows.
Can I test a Bluetooth or USB headset microphone?
Yes, as long as the OS has selected it as an input device it will show up in the Microphone dropdown here. Bluetooth headsets often switch to a lower-quality call profile as soon as the mic is active, which drops the sample rate and can make voice sound thin — the sample rate and channels readouts above will show it. A wired USB or 3.5 mm mic avoids that switch entirely.
Why does my voice sound different in this test than on a call?
Video call apps apply their own noise suppression, echo cancellation and gain on top of what the browser does, and this page's processing toggles default to on to match that. Turn all three off to hear the closest thing to your microphone's raw signal, or leave them on to hear roughly what people on a call with you hear.