Microphone test

Is my microphone working?

Press Start and speak: the level meter shows what your microphone picks up.

Microphone

The browser asks for permission when you press Start. Nothing is recorded or sent.

Not listening. Press Start to let the browser ask for your microphone.

Sound processing

Details

Microphone in use: None yet
Sample rate: –
Level now: –
Peak (held): –
Loudest peak: –
Times clipped: –

Your microphone

Press Start

Microphone level, not listening

How to use

Press Start microphone and allow the microphone when the browser asks.
Speak at your normal volume, a short distance from the microphone.
Watch the bar move with your voice. The line marks the recent peak, and the card says whether the microphone works, is too quiet or is too loud.
If you have more than one microphone, choose another one in the Choose microphone list.

How it works

A microphone turns sound into numbers many thousands of times a second. This tool measures those numbers on your device, shows how large they are and throws them away. Nothing is recorded, saved or sent anywhere, and the microphone stops when you press Stop or leave the page.

Levels are shown in decibels relative to full scale (dBFS): level = 20 × log₁₀(a), where a is the signal size as a share of the largest value the microphone signal can hold. Full scale is 0 dB and half of it is about −6 dB, so every reading is negative. For example, a signal at one tenth of full scale reads −20 dB. Speech that peaks between about −24 and −3 dB is healthy.

Clipping means the sound reached the limit and its tops were cut flat, which makes it sound harsh. If you see it, move back or lower the input volume. If no sound arrives at all, the microphone is probably muted, switched off or not the one the browser uses. Sound processing Raw shows what the microphone really hears; Voice adds the echo cancellation and automatic volume that calls use, which can hide a weak or noisy microphone.

Frequently asked questions

Is my voice recorded or uploaded?

No. The sound is measured live in your browser and discarded straight away. There is no recording and no playback.

Why does the browser ask for permission?

Browsers never let a page hear your microphone without your say-so. You can take the permission back at any time in the site settings.

The bar does not move. What now?

Check that the microphone is not muted, that the right one is chosen (try the Microphone list) and that no other app has taken it over. On a laptop, look for a privacy switch or a keyboard mute key.

What level is good?

For speech, the loudest peaks between about −24 and −3 dB are comfortable: clearly audible with room to spare. Peaks at 0 dB are clipping.

Can this measure how loud my room is in decibels?

No. The meter shows dBFS, a digital signal level, not calibrated sound pressure. The microphone and its gain affect the reading.

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