Microphone not working? How to fix it on Windows, Mac and in your browser

1. See whether any sound reaches the browser

Open the CamMicGo microphone test, allow access and speak normally. Watch the live level in dBFS:

• The level moves when you speak: your microphone works. The problem is in the app you use for calls (wrong input or muted there).
• The level stays completely flat: continue with the steps below.
• The level only moves when you speak very loudly: the input gain is too low (step 5).

2. Allow the microphone in the browser

• Chrome and Edge: click the site controls icon left of the address bar, set Microphone to Allow and reload. Blocked sites are listed under Settings › Privacy and security › Site settings › Microphone.
• Firefox: remove the blocked microphone permission from the address bar icon and reload.
• Safari: Safari › Settings for this website › Microphone › Allow.

3. Allow the microphone in the operating system

• Windows 11: Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone. Turn on microphone access, “Let apps access your microphone” and “Let desktop apps access your microphone”.
• macOS: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, then enable your browser and restart it.

4. Pick the right input device

Laptops, webcams, headsets and monitors can all provide a microphone. If sound goes to the wrong one, you will seem silent or distant.

• In the CamMicGo test, select your microphone in the device list and compare the levels.
• Windows: Settings › System › Sound › Input, choose the device and use “Test your microphone”.
• macOS: System Settings › Sound › Input, select the device and watch the input level.
• In Zoom, Teams or Meet, check the audio settings: they can use a different input than the system default.

5. Look for mute switches and low gain

• Many headsets have a mute button or a flip-to-mute boom arm, sometimes with a small red light.
• USB microphones often have a gain knob: turn it up gradually.
• On Windows, open the device properties and check that the input volume is not near zero.
• For a headset with a single 3.5 mm plug (TRRS), a computer with separate headphone and mic jacks needs a splitter adapter.

6. Bluetooth headsets

Bluetooth headsets switch to a different “hands-free” profile when the microphone is used, which lowers audio quality. If the mic does not appear, disconnect and re-pair the headset, then select its hands-free input. For important calls, a wired headset remains the most reliable option.

Once it works: check how you sound

Record a few sentences with the CamMicGo A/B test and listen back. Compare the raw signal with call-style processing, and try a background noise scenario to hear how intelligible you remain. If you sound distant or echoey, move the microphone closer to your mouth rather than raising the gain.