Microphone test
Check your microphone is working before a meeting.
Click Start to request microphone access. Speak normally — the bar should move with your voice. If it stays flat, check the OS mute / input source.
About this tool
Nothing kills a meeting faster than a microphone you didn't realise was muted. This test asks your browser for microphone access and shows a live input-level bar — if the bar moves when you speak, your mic is working. No audio is recorded, nothing is uploaded, and the stream closes the instant you click Stop or leave the page. If you see no signal at all, the error messages distinguish between "permission denied" and "no device found" so you know where to look next.
How to use this tool
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Click Start
The browser prompts for microphone permission. Click Allow. If you've previously denied access for this site, you'll need to grant it again via the padlock icon in the address bar before the prompt reappears.
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Speak normally
The level meter should move with your voice. A short tap on the desk or clearing your throat is plenty — you don't have to actually talk if the person at the next desk is on a call.
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Click Stop when done
The page releases your microphone. The OS indicator (orange dot on macOS, mic icon in the system tray on Windows 11) should disappear within a second or two — if it doesn't, refresh the page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my voice being recorded?
No. The microphone stream stays on your device and is used only to compute the real-time level shown on the bar. It's released the instant you click Stop or leave the page. No audio is uploaded anywhere.
Why does the browser ask for permission every time?
Some browsers (and some privacy settings) treat microphone access as one-session-only, so permission resets each visit. You can usually grant it permanently via the lock icon in the address bar.
The bar doesn't move even though I'm speaking. What's wrong?
Usually one of three things: the OS-level microphone is muted, a different input device (e.g. HDMI) is selected as default, or another app is holding the mic exclusively. Check your operating system's sound settings.
Does this record me?
No. The audio level meter is a live waveform — the audio data stays in your browser and is discarded the moment you click Stop. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is logged.
Why does my OS show a mic-in-use indicator?
Because the page is genuinely using your microphone (to show the level meter). The indicator is the OS telling you that fact — same as if Zoom were running. It disappears when you click Stop.
Troubleshooting
- Browser asked, I clicked Allow, still nothing
Your browser has permission, but the OS doesn't. Check Windows: Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone, make sure your browser is in the allowed list. Check macOS: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, same drill.
- Mic works in Zoom but not here
Zoom may have exclusive access, or your OS routed audio through Zoom's virtual device. Quit Zoom (don't just close the window — fully quit it) and reload this page. Apps that claim exclusive audio access do release on quit.
- Two microphones — wrong one selected
Browsers default to the OS default input. Change the OS default (Windows: Sound settings → Input; macOS: Sound → Input) and refresh the page. Some browsers also expose a device picker once permission is granted.
- macOS / Windows mic privacy settings
Both OSes layer mic permission on top of browser permission. Even if Chrome has access, the OS can still block. macOS shows a system prompt the first time any app asks; Windows 11 has a global mic toggle in Settings → Privacy & security.