Microphone test online. Hear yourself, and the room.
Check that your microphone picks you up, and how much of the room it picks up with you, before a call or an exam. The recording stays on this page.
One check
- Microphone
Runs like the stress test: one check after another, with the progress along the top. Nothing you show the camera or say into the microphone leaves this page.
What it measures
Measured here, not assumed.
Live level
A meter shows how loud you are as you speak, so you can see at once whether the microphone hears you.
A clip to play back
Four seconds are recorded so you can hear what the other side hears. It is played from memory and discarded when you leave.
Background noise
The quietest half-second between your words is the room's noise floor. Proctors listen for it; so do the people on your calls.
Which microphone
The name of the device in use. Laptops with a headset plugged in often keep using the built-in microphone.
If it fails
The usual failures, and what fixes each.
- Access was refused
- Click the microphone icon in the address bar and choose Allow. On Windows, check Settings, Privacy, Microphone. On a Mac, System Settings, Privacy and Security, Microphone.
- It works but nothing is heard
- Check the mute key and any switch on a headset, then the input level in the system's sound settings. In the browser's site settings, choose the right microphone if several are listed.
- The room is loud
- Close doors and windows, and turn off fans, music and TVs. Move the microphone closer to you and further from the noise. A headset microphone picks up less of the room.
- The level is very low
- Raise the input level in the system's sound settings and turn off any boost that was turned down. Speak from about 30 cm away.
Where a browser stops
What it cannot tell you.
- How you sound in a specific app. Each app applies its own noise suppression and can pick a different microphone.
- Whether a headset is allowed. Many exam vendors forbid headphones during the exam; check their rules.
- Echo on the other side, which comes from speakers feeding the microphone and can only be heard by the other person.
Privacy
Nothing leaves this page.
The camera and microphone are read on this page and stopped as soon as they have been measured. The clip you can play back lives in the browser's memory and is discarded when you leave. The location check discards the position. The internet test sends random bytes to this site and nothing else. The result is stored nowhere unless you ask for it by email, and then only the fact that an email was sent is kept.
Questions
Microphone test, answered
- How do I test my microphone online?
- Run the test above, allow the microphone when asked, and speak. The meter moves as you talk and a short clip plays back afterwards. If the meter stays still, the fixes above cover mute, the wrong device and a low input level.
- Is the recording stored?
- No. The clip is kept in the browser's memory only so you can play it back, and it is discarded when you leave the page.
- Why does my microphone work here but not on Zoom or Teams?
- Those apps choose their own microphone and have their own permission. Open the app's audio settings and pick the same device that worked here, and check the app is allowed to use the microphone in the system's privacy settings.
- Can I use a headset for an online exam?
- Often not. Many vendors forbid headphones and earphones during the exam because they cannot see what is being played. Check the vendor's rules and test with the laptop's own microphone if headsets are not allowed.
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