Microphone Test
A microphone test checks whether your mic is detected and capturing sound. Click Start microphone, allow access, then speak: if the live level meter moves and the waveform reacts, your mic works. Everything runs in your browser -- nothing is recorded or uploaded.
How to Test Your Microphone
- Start the test. Click "Start microphone." Your browser shows a permission prompt -- choose Allow. Microphone access only works on a secure (HTTPS) page.
- Make some sound. Speak normally, tap the mic, or play audio near it. The input level meter should jump and the waveform should ripple in real time.
- Read the meter. For normal speech, peaks landing in the green-to-yellow range (about 40-80%) are healthy. If the bar pins at 100% and the waveform looks flat-topped, the input is clipping -- lower the gain in your OS sound settings.
- Switch devices. If you have more than one mic (built-in, headset, USB), pick another from the dropdown to compare them without restarting.
- Stop when done. Click "Stop" to release the microphone. The status dot turns grey, confirming the stream is closed.
Why Your Microphone Might Not Work
If the meter stays at zero while you talk, the microphone is being captured but no sound is reaching it, or the wrong device is active. Work through these common causes:
- Permission denied. If you dismissed or blocked the prompt, click the camera/microphone icon in your browser's address bar, set it to Allow, and reload the page.
- Wrong input selected. Laptops often expose several inputs. Use the device picker to choose the mic you actually want -- a headset boom mic versus the built-in array, for example.
- Another app is using it. Conferencing apps and games can hold exclusive access. Close Zoom, Teams, Discord, OBS, or similar, then retry.
- Muted or zero gain. Check the operating system's sound settings. A hardware mute switch on a headset, or an input level set to 0, will produce a flat line here.
- Insecure connection. Browsers block microphone access on plain HTTP. Make sure the address bar shows https://.
- Hardware fault. If no device appears in the picker at all, the mic may be unplugged, disabled in device settings, or failing.
Because this tool deliberately does not play your voice back through the speakers, you confirm the mic is alive by watching the meter and waveform rather than by listening -- which also avoids painful audio feedback loops.
How This Microphone Test Works
When you start the test, the browser's getUserMedia({ audio: true }) API requests a live audio stream from the selected device. That stream is wired into a Web Audio AudioContext and connected to an AnalyserNode. On every animation frame the analyser hands us a snapshot of the raw audio samples.
From those samples the tool computes a root-mean-square (RMS) value -- a measure of the signal's energy -- and maps it to the 0-100% input level bar, while a slowly decaying marker tracks recent peaks. The same time-domain samples are drawn directly onto the canvas as a scrolling waveform, so you see the actual shape of your voice. Crucially, the analyser is a dead end in the audio graph: it is never connected to the speakers, so there is no risk of feedback.
All of this happens on your machine. There is no upload, no recording buffer kept around, and no third-party library -- just native browser APIs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I test my microphone online?
Click "Start microphone" and allow access when prompted. Speak or tap the mic. If the level meter moves and the waveform reacts, your microphone is working. Switch inputs with the device picker if you have more than one.
Why is my microphone not working in this test?
Usually it is a denied permission, the wrong input device, another app holding the mic, an OS-level mute, or zero input gain. Check the device picker, close other apps using the mic, unmute it in your sound settings, and reload to see the permission prompt again.
Is this microphone test private?
Yes. The audio is analyzed locally with the Web Audio API. Nothing is recorded, saved, or uploaded. When you press Stop or leave the page, the microphone stream is released immediately.
Why can I not hear myself?
On purpose. Playing your mic back through the speakers would create loud feedback. You confirm the mic works visually with the moving meter and waveform instead.
What is a good input level?
For normal speech, aim for peaks in the green-to-yellow zone (roughly 40-80%) without constantly hitting 100%. If it barely moves, raise the mic gain; if it pins at 100% and clips, lower it.
Why does the device picker show blank names or "Default"?
Browsers hide device labels until you have granted microphone permission once. After you allow access, the real device names appear. "Default" follows whatever your operating system has set as the system input.
Why does it say insecure context or refuse to start?
Microphone access is only allowed on secure origins -- HTTPS pages or localhost. On plain HTTP the browser blocks it. Use the https:// version of the site.
Does it work on phones?
Yes, on modern mobile browsers that support getUserMedia and the Web Audio API. You will be prompted to allow access. On iOS, use Safari (or a Safari-engine browser) over HTTPS.
Related Tools
- Sound Level Meter -- measure relative loudness in decibels from your microphone
- Oscilloscope -- a full real-time audio waveform visualizer
- Audio Frequency Spectrum Analyzer -- see the frequency content of your mic input
- Tone Generator -- play test tones to check speakers and headphones
- Keyboard Tester -- check that every key on your keyboard registers
Related Tools
View all toolsSquare Footage Calculator
Calculate area in square feet from room dimensions for flooring, painting, and more
Tip Calculator
Calculate tip amount, total, and per-person split
Online Compass
Digital compass using your device's magnetometer sensor
Split Bill Calculator
Split a total evenly across a group
Receipt Total Calculator
Add line items, tax, discounts, tip, and split totals instantly
Shopping List Builder
Build a smart shopping list with quantities, categories, and budget tracking
Microphone Test FAQ
How do I test my microphone online?
Click 'Start microphone' and allow microphone access when your browser asks. Then speak, tap the mic, or play sound near it. If the level meter moves and the waveform reacts, your microphone is working. Use the device picker to switch between multiple microphones.
Why is my microphone not working in this test?
Common causes: you denied the permission prompt, another app (Zoom, Teams, a game) is holding the mic, the wrong input device is selected, the mic is muted in your operating system, or the device volume is at zero. Check the selected device in the picker, close other apps using the mic, unmute it in your OS sound settings, and reload the page to see the permission prompt again.
Is this microphone test private?
Yes. Everything runs locally in your browser using the Web Audio API. The microphone signal is analyzed on your device only -- nothing is recorded, saved, or uploaded to any server. When you press Stop or leave the page, the microphone stream is released.
Why does the browser ask for microphone permission?
Browsers require your explicit consent before any site can access the microphone. The prompt is a security feature. This tool needs the permission only to read the live audio level and draw the waveform. If you blocked it by accident, click the camera/mic icon in your address bar and allow access, then reload.
Why can I not hear myself in this test?
By design, this tool does not play your microphone back through your speakers. Routing the mic to the speakers would cause loud feedback (echo and squealing). Instead, you confirm the mic works visually through the moving level meter and waveform.
What is a good microphone input level?
When speaking normally, aim for the level meter to peak in the green-to-yellow range (roughly 40-80 percent) without constantly hitting 100 percent. If it barely moves, the mic gain is too low; if it pins at 100 percent and clips, lower the input gain in your operating system sound settings.
Does this work on my phone?
Yes. It works in modern mobile browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox) that support getUserMedia and the Web Audio API. You will be prompted to allow microphone access. On iOS, microphone access requires Safari or a browser using the Safari engine and a secure (HTTPS) connection.
Why does the device picker say 'Default' or show blank names?
Browsers hide microphone device labels until you have granted microphone permission at least once. After you click 'Start microphone' and allow access, reload or reopen the picker and the real device names will appear. 'Default' follows whatever your operating system has set as the system default input.
Why does it say 'insecure context' or refuse to start?
Microphone access is only allowed on secure origins -- pages served over HTTPS, or localhost during development. If you open the page over plain HTTP, the browser blocks getUserMedia for safety. Use the https:// version of the site.
How do I switch microphones?
Pick a different input from the 'Microphone' dropdown. The tool seamlessly switches the active stream to the selected device while keeping the level meter and waveform running, so you can compare your built-in mic, a headset, and a USB microphone quickly.
What does the peak-hold indicator show?
The thin marker on the level meter shows the loudest level reached recently and slowly decays. It makes brief peaks easy to see -- useful for catching short clipping spikes that the moving average bar would otherwise smooth over.