This mic test shows you, in real time, whether your browser can hear your microphone. Press Start, say a few words, and watch the level bar and waveform move. If they do, the microphone, the cable or Bluetooth link, and the browser permission are all working.
It is made for the moments before a video call, an online exam, a recording session or a stream, when you want to be sure people will actually hear you. You can pick which microphone to test, see the loudest level you reached, and record a short clip to play back and judge the sound yourself.
Everything happens inside your browser. The audio is analysed on your device, the recorded clip is kept only in memory on this page, and nothing is sent to a server.
Reviewed by: CalcMojo Editorial Team
How to use the mic test
- Press Start mic test. Your browser will ask whether this site may use the microphone. Choose Allow.
- Speak at a normal volume, about a hand's width from the microphone. The bar and the waveform should move as you talk.
- If you have more than one microphone (a laptop mic, a headset, a USB mic), open the Microphone list and choose the one you want to check. The list shows device names once permission has been given.
- Press Record, speak for the chosen number of seconds (3 to 10), and the clip plays back automatically. Press play to hear it again.
- Press Stop when you are done. The browser releases the microphone straight away.
What the level meter tells you
The bar shows the volume of the sound that reaches the browser, measured in decibels relative to full scale (dBFS). Full scale is 0 dB, the loudest signal a digital system can represent. Quiet signals are negative numbers: -6 dB is about half the maximum amplitude, and -20 dB is one tenth.
- Peak is the loudest moment since you pressed Start (or since you reset it). It is the number to watch for clipping.
- Around -12 dB to -1 dB at your loudest is a healthy level for speech. The sound is strong without being squashed.
- Above -1 dB means the signal is close to the ceiling. Loud peaks can distort, so lower the input volume or move back from the microphone.
- Below -30 dB at your loudest is very quiet. The usual causes are a muted microphone, a low input volume in the system sound settings, or the wrong device selected.
- Nothing at all means the browser is receiving silence. See the troubleshooting list below.
The decibel figures describe the signal inside the browser, after any processing your device applies. They are not sound-pressure readings, so they cannot tell you how loud the room is.
The raw audio option
By default browsers switch on echo cancellation, noise suppression and automatic gain control for calls. These help in meetings but can hide the real behaviour of a microphone: automatic gain can pump the level up and down, and noise suppression can cut the start of words. Tick Raw audio before pressing Start to ask for the microphone without those filters. That is useful when you want to hear the true noise floor, or compare two microphones fairly. Whether the browser honours the request depends on the browser and the device.
The waveform
The green line is the shape of the sound wave over a few hundredths of a second. A flat line means silence. A thick, busy line means sound is arriving. If the wave is clearly cut off flat at the top and bottom when you speak, the signal is clipping and the input volume is too high. A steady hum that never goes flat, even when you are silent, usually points to electrical noise or a fan close to the microphone.
Fixing a microphone that does not work
The browser shows "blocked" or "permission denied". Click the icon at the left of the address bar, set Microphone to Allow, and reload the page. In Firefox, remove the blocked entry from the same panel. In Safari on a Mac, use Safari, Settings for This Website, Microphone.
Windows. Open Settings, Privacy and security, Microphone. Turn on microphone access and the option that lets desktop apps use it. Then open Settings, System, Sound, and under Input check that the right device is chosen and its volume is not at zero.
macOS. Open System Settings, Privacy and Security, Microphone and make sure your browser is ticked. Then check System Settings, Sound, Input and watch the level bar there while you speak.
Phones and tablets. Allow the microphone for your browser app in the phone settings, and allow it for this site when asked. On iPhone, look under Settings and then the name of your browser.
No microphone found. Check that the plug is fully in, that a headset mute switch is off, and that a USB microphone is on a working port. Bluetooth headsets should be connected before you press Start.
Microphone busy. Another program or tab may be holding the device. Close video-call apps, recorders and other tabs that use the microphone, then press Start again.
Page not secure. Browsers only allow microphone access on pages served over https. CalcMojo pages are, so if you see this problem on a copy of the tool elsewhere, that is the likely cause.
Why the recording sounds different from a call
The recording uses the same audio your browser receives, compressed to a small file for playback. Calls add more processing and compress harder, so a call can sound thinner or more robotic than this test. If the test sounds clear and calls do not, the cause is probably the call app's own settings or the network.
Before a recording or an exam
Test in the place you will actually use the microphone, with the door shut and the fan or air conditioner running as it will be. Speak at the volume you will use and check the peak. Play back the recording with headphones on, because speakers can mask hiss or echo. If you will use a headset, test that exact headset, since the laptop microphone can sound very different.
Privacy
The page asks for the microphone only after you press Start and releases it when you press Stop or leave the page. The level and waveform are calculated on your device. The recorded clip is stored as a temporary object in your browser and is discarded when you close the tab. CalcMojo does not receive, store or analyse your audio.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test my microphone online?
Press Start mic test, allow microphone access in the browser prompt, and speak. If the level bar and waveform move, the microphone works. You can then record a short clip and play it back to check the sound quality.
Why does the page say my microphone is blocked?
The browser or the operating system is refusing access. Allow the microphone for this site from the icon at the left of the address bar, then check the privacy settings of Windows, macOS or your phone and reload the page.
Is my voice recorded or uploaded?
No. The audio is analysed on your device. If you press Record, the clip stays in your browser's memory so you can play it back, and it disappears when you close the page. Nothing is sent to CalcMojo.
What level should my microphone peak at?
For speech, peaks between about -12 dB and -1 dB are comfortable. Above -1 dB risks distortion, and below about -30 dB is very quiet and usually means a low input volume or the wrong device.
Why is there no sound on the meter even though my microphone is plugged in?
Check that the correct microphone is selected in the list, that it is not muted by a switch or button, that the system input volume is above zero, and that no other app is using it.
What does the Raw audio option do?
It asks the browser to turn off echo cancellation, noise suppression and automatic gain control. That shows how the microphone behaves without call-style processing. Press Start again after changing it.
Can I test a Bluetooth headset microphone?
Yes. Connect the headset first, press Start, and choose it from the list. Some Bluetooth headsets switch to a lower-quality mode when their microphone is active, which is normal.
Sources & Methodology
- MDN: MediaDevices.getUserMedia() — how browsers request microphone access and the error names handled here
- MDN: AnalyserNode — reading time-domain samples for the meter and waveform
- MDN: MediaRecorder — the local record-and-play-back clip
- Level is the root-mean-square of each block of samples, converted with dB = 20 x log10(amplitude), where 1.0 is full scale. The peak is the largest single sample seen. The guidance bands for speech are CalcMojo's own rules of thumb, not a published standard.
Data accurate as of: November 2026