🎙️ Mic Test
Test your microphone in the browser: a live level meter in dBFS, clipping and background-noise checks, and a 5-second recording to hear yourself.
What Mic Test Does
This mic test checks more than whether your microphone is on. Once you allow access it shows a live level meter with peak hold, a waveform, the quiet level between your words, and a count of clipped frames — then gives a plain verdict: silent, too quiet, clipping, noisy, or healthy. You can record a five-second clip and play it back to hear exactly what other people hear on a call.
Levels are shown in dBFS, decibels relative to digital full scale. 0 dBFS is the loudest value your computer can store; everything real reads below it, so −12 dBFS is a healthy speaking level and −40 dBFS is quiet. This is a measure of the signal your microphone delivers, not of how loud the room is.
All analysis runs in this browser tab with the Web Audio API. Nothing is uploaded, the playback clip stays in the page’s memory, and pressing Stop releases the microphone immediately.
How to Use Mic Test
- Press Start microphone test and allow microphone access
- Speak at your normal volume and watch the level meter and waveform
- Read the verdict — it flags silence, low level, clipping and background noise
- Record a 5-second clip and play it back to hear yourself
- Switch input device or voice processing and compare
Reading the Level Meter
Rules of thumb for spoken voice on calls and simple recordings. Music and broadcast work use their own targets.
| Speech peaks | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Below −60 dBFS | No usable signal | Check mute switch, device choice and OS permissions |
| −60 to −30 dBFS | Working but quiet | Raise input gain or move closer to the mic |
| −18 to −6 dBFS | Healthy level | Leave it |
| −6 to −1 dBFS | Hot | Fine for speech, but loud laughs may clip |
| 0 dBFS (clipped frames rising) | Distorting | Lower gain or move back |
Fixing “No Sound” by System
| Where | Setting to check |
|---|---|
| Browser | Lock icon in the address bar › Microphone › Allow, then reload |
| Windows 10/11 | Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone — allow desktop apps and your browser |
| macOS | System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone — enable your browser |
| iPhone / iPad | Settings › (your browser) › Microphone |
| Android | Settings › Apps › (your browser) › Permissions › Microphone |
How to Read Your Result
Quiet level (noise floor)
The tool estimates background noise from the quietest tenth of recent readings — the gaps between your words. Below about −50 dBFS is a quiet room. Above −45 dBFS, fans, traffic or a noisy laptop are loud enough that listeners will notice; turning on noise suppression or moving the mic closer to your mouth helps more than turning it up.
Voice processing on vs off
Browsers apply echo cancellation, noise suppression and automatic gain for calls. Automatic gain can make a quiet mic look fine here and then pump up background noise between sentences. Testing with processing off shows the raw microphone, which is the fair way to compare two mics.
Limitations & Accuracy Notes
- Readings are relative (dBFS). Without a calibrated reference, no web page can report true sound pressure in dB SPL.
- Some devices apply their own processing in hardware or drivers that the browser cannot switch off.
- Device names appear only after you grant permission, which is a browser privacy rule.
- The playback clip uses your browser’s default recording format and cannot be saved from this tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my voice recorded or uploaded?
Why does the mic test show no sound?
What microphone level is good?
What is dBFS, and why are the numbers negative?
Should I turn browser voice processing on or off?
Why does my Bluetooth headset mic sound muffled?
References & Further Reading
- MDN Web Docs — MediaDevices.getUserMedia() — Microphone access and constraints such as echoCancellation
- MDN Web Docs — MediaStream Recording API — Used for the 5-second playback clip