Find where the microphone stops working
Start with the Camera and microphone test or the microphone-only test. Allow microphone access, speak normally and watch the activity meter. No recording is made by these tests.
- No device detected? Check whether the microphone appears in your operating system’s input list, then follow the missing-device checks below.
- Permission blocked? Allow access in both the browser’s site settings and your system’s privacy settings.
- Device recognised, but no movement? Check physical mute, input volume and which microphone is selected.
- Meter moves here, but nobody hears you in a call? Choose the same device in your meeting app and check its mute button.
Microphone not detected
Reconnect an external microphone directly to the laptop and try another port. Check that a headset’s plug and adapter support microphone input; a headphone-only socket or cable cannot carry your voice. Reconnect a Bluetooth headset and select its microphone input. If an external microphone works but the built-in one never appears, the problem may be specific to the laptop’s device or driver.
Mic recognised but not picking up voice
Release the headset’s mute switch and any laptop microphone-mute key. Speak close to the intended microphone while comparing the input meter. If tapping your laptop moves the meter while speaking into the headset does not, you may have selected the built-in microphone. Increase input volume gradually. A moving meter confirms activity, not clear speech: fans and background sound can also move it.
Check Windows input and access
Open Settings → System → Sound and inspect Input. Choose your microphone, open its input settings and use the system’s test while speaking. In Windows 11, also check Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone. Enable access for the app you use and desktop-app access for a desktop browser. Restart the affected app after changing permissions.
If the microphone remains absent from the system input list, use Windows troubleshooting and the laptop or microphone manufacturer’s driver guidance. Avoid downloading drivers from unknown sites. For driver recovery steps, see Microsoft’s microphone troubleshooting.
Check macOS input and access
Open System Settings → Sound → Input, select the microphone and watch the input level while speaking. Adjust input volume if available. In Privacy & Security → Microphone, check access for the browser or meeting app, then reopen it if prompted. See Apple’s sound input guidance for device-specific controls.
Browser permission denied or no prompt
Use the site-controls icon beside the address to inspect this site’s microphone permission. A saved block can prevent a fresh prompt. Allow access and reload, or reset the permission and start the test again. Check that you are using HTTPS and that your operating system allows the browser to use the microphone. A work or school policy may prevent changes; ask your administrator if the control is managed.
“Device in use” or an unreadable-device error can mean another application has exclusive access. Stop other tests, close unused recording apps and retry. If a permission prompt is left unanswered, the test may keep waiting; use Stop to cancel the test and then resolve the prompt.
Works in the browser but not Teams or Zoom
Stop this test before joining your call. In the meeting app’s audio settings, select the same microphone and check both the app mute button and the headset mute switch. Use that app’s test-call or recording feature, where available, to judge voice clarity. If the system meter works but just one app fails, focus on that app’s input choice, permissions and audio processing.
Voice cuts out, echoes or sounds too quiet
If the meter responds reliably but calls cut out, run the connection stability test. Network variation can interrupt sound without a microphone fault. Echo can come from two nearby devices in the same call; use headphones or mute the unused device. If you hear nothing but others can hear you, check the output device with the speaker test.
What this diagnosis cannot prove
A browser activity meter cannot certify recording quality, diagnose a damaged cable or measure calibrated loudness. Compare with the operating system’s test and, if possible, a known working microphone. When the same device fails across apps and computers, contact the manufacturer with those results.