How to Test Your Microphone on Windows 11

You can also skip the settings and use our microphone test in any browser. It shows a live level meter and lets you play back your voice. If it works there, your hardware and drivers are fine.

Use the built-in mic test in Windows 11

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Go to System, then Sound.
3. Under Input, in Choose a device for speaking or recording, select your microphone.
4. Select the arrow to the right of the device to open its properties.
5. Under Microphone test, press Start test and speak for a few seconds.
6. Press Stop test. On current versions of Windows 11 you can now play the recorded sample. Older versions show the result as a percentage of total input.

On the same page, the Input volume slider sets how loud the mic is. Around 70 to 80 percent is a good starting point for most headsets and built-in mics. Then fine-tune it so your loudest words land in the amber zone of our meter.

Turn on microphone access

Windows 11 has three switches that can silence your mic for apps, and a browser counts as a desktop app.

1. Open Settings, then Privacy and security, then Microphone.
2. Turn on Microphone access.
3. Turn on Let apps access your microphone, and check the app you need in the list below it.
4. Turn on Let desktop apps access your microphone. Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Discord and Zoom need this one.

If your mic is built into your webcam, also check Privacy and security, Camera. Some webcam drivers tie the two together.

Set the right default microphone

Windows remembers one default mic, and most apps follow it. If you have a headset, a webcam and a laptop mic, Windows may pick the wrong one after an update or when you plug something in.

• In Settings, System, Sound, choose your mic under Choose a device for speaking or recording.
• For older settings, open Control Panel, then Sound, then the Recording tab. Right-click your mic and choose Set as Default Device and Set as Default Communication Device.
• The green bars next to each device in the Recording tab move when it hears sound. It is a quick way to find which one is your headset.

Hear yourself through the mic

To hear your mic live through your speakers or headphones:

1. Open Control Panel, Sound, Recording.
2. Double-click your microphone and open the Listen tab.
3. Tick Listen to this device and press Apply.

Use headphones, or you will get loud feedback. Untick the box when you are done. For a cleaner check, record a clip with the mic test with playback instead. It plays back your recording, so you hear yourself without feedback.

When Windows 11 does not detect the mic

• Run the troubleshooter. In Settings, System, Sound, under Troubleshoot common sound problems, choose Input devices.
• Check the device is enabled. In Control Panel, Sound, Recording, right-click empty space and tick Show Disabled Devices. If your mic appears grey, right-click it and choose Enable.
• Reinstall the driver. Right-click Start and open Device Manager. Look under Audio inputs and outputs and Sound, video and game controllers. Right-click the device, choose Uninstall device, and restart. Windows reinstalls it.
• Try another port. USB mics and headsets are picky about hubs and docks. Plug straight into the computer.

Mic works in one app but not in others

An app can take exclusive control of a mic, which locks every other app out. Open Control Panel, Sound, Recording, double-click your mic, open Advanced and untick both exclusive mode boxes. Then restart the apps.

If one app still cannot hear you, check its own input setting. See our guide to the mic test in Discord, Zoom and Teams, or work through the full mic not working checklist.

Sources

• Microsoft Support: Fix microphone problems