The short answer
Open the site, click the icon to the left of the address (a lock or a settings symbol) and set Microphone to Allow. Then make sure your operating system lets the browser use the microphone: on Windows in Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone, on a Mac in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone. Finally, check that the right microphone is selected in the site or call app and that no other program, such as Teams, Zoom or Discord, is using it.
Use the test below after each step. Press Start microphone test, speak, and watch the meter. If it moves, the browser hears you and any remaining problem is inside the call app.
Try it here: Microphone Test
Open the full tool pageWhy the browser cannot hear you
A browser needs two separate permissions before a page can use your microphone. The first is per site: each website must be allowed in the browser. The second is system wide: Windows, macOS, iOS and Android decide whether the browser app itself may touch the microphone at all. If either one says no, the page gets silence or an error, even though the same microphone works fine in other apps.
Two more causes are common. Laptops and USB headsets often have several inputs, and the browser may pick the built in microphone while you talk into the headset. And on Windows, an app that takes exclusive control of a device can lock other programs out until it is closed. A muted headset cable switch or a mute key on the keyboard looks exactly like a broken microphone, so check those too.
Allow the microphone in each browser
If you clicked Block once, the browser remembers it and will not ask again. You have to change it by hand.
- Chrome: click the icon left of the address, then Site settings, and set Microphone to Allow. All sites are listed under Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone, where you can also pick the default device.
- Edge: click the lock icon next to the address and set Microphone to Allow, or go to Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Microphone.
- Firefox: click the permissions icon in the address bar and remove the blocked microphone entry, then reload. The full list is in Settings > Privacy & Security > Permissions > Microphone > Settings.
- Safari on Mac: choose Safari > Settings > Websites > Microphone and set the site to Allow or Ask.
- Safari on iPhone or iPad: tap the page settings button in the address bar, then Website Settings, and set Microphone to Allow. The default for all sites is in Settings > Apps > Safari > Microphone (on older iOS versions, Settings > Safari).
- Chrome on Android: tap the icon left of the address, then Permissions, and turn on Microphone. Android must also allow it in Settings > Apps > Chrome > Permissions.
Check Windows and macOS privacy settings
On Windows 11, open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone. Turn on Microphone access, Let apps access your microphone, and Let desktop apps access your microphone. Chrome, Firefox and Edge count as desktop apps, so the last switch is the one that matters most. On Windows 10 the same switches are in Settings > Privacy > Microphone.
On macOS Ventura and later, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and switch on your browser. On older versions it is System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Microphone. After changing it, quit the browser completely and open it again, because macOS applies the permission only on restart.
Some antivirus suites and company laptops add their own microphone protection. If everything above is on and the page still gets nothing, look for a webcam or microphone protection option in the security software.
Pick the right input and set the level
On Windows, open Settings > System > Sound and choose the device under Input. The Volume slider there should normally sit between 70 and 100. For older dialogs, open Sound settings > More sound settings, go to the Recording tab, select the microphone, and use Properties > Levels. On a Mac, use System Settings > Sound > Input and watch the Input level bar while you talk.
The browser follows the system default unless the site asks for another device. In the test on this page, the Device list lets you switch microphones after starting. In Meet, Zoom or Teams on the web, the microphone choice is in the settings or in the small arrow next to the mute button.
The test also shows Sample rate, Channels, Echo cancellation, Noise suppression and Automatic gain. They are switched off in the test so you hear the raw microphone, which is why a call app may sound slightly different.
| Meter reading while you speak | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Stays below about -50 dB | Almost no signal | Wrong input, mute switch on, or level far too low |
| About -30 to -12 dB | Normal speech level | Nothing, this is the target range |
| Near 0 dB, red border | Clipping, sound will distort | Lower the input level or move back |
| Moves with no one talking | Background noise or hum | Check fans, cables and USB hubs |
Common problems and fixes
- The meter moves in the test but people in the call cannot hear you: the call app has its own input setting or you are muted inside the app. Select the same device there.
- Error that the device is in use: close Zoom, Teams, Discord, OBS or a second browser tab that may be using the microphone, then try again.
- No device found: reconnect the USB cable, try another port without a hub, and check that the headset is switched on and paired.
- Bluetooth headset sounds muffled when the microphone is on: Bluetooth switches to a hands free mode with lower audio quality while the microphone is active. A wired or USB microphone avoids this.
- It worked yesterday: a browser or system update may have reset the permission, or a new device (a webcam with a microphone, a dock) became the default input.
- Sites on plain http cannot use the microphone at all. Browsers only allow it on secure https pages and on local development addresses.
When nothing helps
Restart the computer: a stuck audio service is cleared this way more often than people expect. On Windows, Device Manager > Audio inputs and outputs lets you uninstall the microphone and then scan for hardware changes to reinstall the driver. Try a different browser; if the microphone works in Firefox but not in Chrome, the problem is a permission or a setting in Chrome, not the hardware. If no app on the computer gets any sound, test the microphone on another device to rule out a broken cable or headset.