Mic test
Check that your browser hears your mic. Then record a clip and listen back.
Runs in this tab. Nothing is uploaded, and nothing is saved unless you choose to.
Mic names appear after you allow access. An XLR mic appears as its interface.
Press Start mic test, then allow microphone access when your browser asks.
0 dB is the top of the scale
Still stuck? Windows mic checks · Mac input checks
This checks the mic connected to this device, not one plugged into a console or another computer.
The bar reacts to any sound the selected input picks up: your voice, room noise, or another mic if the wrong one is selected. Listen back to check.
Say a sentence as if you're in chat, then press Stop recording. A clip stops by itself at 30 seconds.
Hear your mic
The mic is off. Play the clip and listen for your voice, missing words or crackling.
Testing two mics? Keep this clip as A, then record the same sentence on the other mic. How it works
Keys as loud as your voice? Fix it in this order
- Distance and angle, free. Bring the mic to about a hand's width from your mouth and point it so the keyboard is behind or beside it. Then turn the gain down until your voice sits where it did.
- A noise gate, free. In Discord, turn off Automatically determine input sensitivity and drag the slider until keyboard noise between words stays below the threshold. OBS calls this a Noise Gate filter.
- Noise suppression, free. Discord's Noise Suppression, NVIDIA Broadcast or your mic's own app remove a lot of clatter; too much can make your voice thin or cut words.
- A different mic, last. Distance and pickup pattern matter more than the mic type: a directional mic, dynamic or condenser, used close and aimed away from the keyboard picks up less of the room. Compare before you buy. Dynamic or condenser for gaming
Starting again or changing the mic clears this clip.
Hear yourself
Headphones only. On speakers your voice loops into the mic and squeals.
Off. Your voice is not sent to your speakers or headphones.
Share your result
The link holds the result itself, so nothing is sent to or stored by GamingMics.
Changing a setting to fix your mic? Keep a before-and-after record.
Nothing is uploaded. A clip you record stays in this tab until you clear it or leave the page, and it's saved only if you download it or keep it with a before-and-after case on this device. If you pick a mic from the list, this browser remembers it for next time. If you tick Start automatically next time, it remembers that too.
What your browser does to your voice
Once the mic is on, this table shows the audio settings your browser reports. Call apps usually switch this processing on. This test first asks the browser for unprocessed audio, but your mic, its driver or the system may still process it.
Compare two mics
Deciding between your headset and a new mic, or two mics on the same desk? Record the same sentence on each and listen back to back.
- Start the test with the first mic, record a sentence, then press Keep as mic A.
- Choose the other mic in the list, record the same sentence at the same distance, then press Keep as mic B.
- Play A then B. Listen for your voice, not the volume: the louder clip usually sounds better at first.
Before and after: keep a record of a fix
Save one test before the change and one after, then see them side by side. Print the report, or download it for a support chat. It stays in this browser.
- Run the test with your mic and say the sentence below, or record a clip, then press Save as before.
- Change one thing, such as the gain, the distance or a setting, and note what you changed.
- Start the test again with the same mic, say the same sentence, then press Save as after.
Say this each timeCan you hear me clearly? Testing one, two, three.
Add details (optional)
They go with the test you save next, so the report can show what changed. Leave out anything you'd rather not keep.
Run the test first: these buttons work once your mic has given a reading.
GamingMics mic test
Your before-and-after report
| Reading | Before | After |
|---|
Loudest level is the highest level the browser sampled, in dB below the top of the digital scale. It isn't loudness in your room or sound quality: speaking louder or closer raises it too.
Before
Download clipAfter
Download clipNext step
Not kept yet: it goes when you leave the page unless you tick the box or download it.
Saved on this device
Works here? Pick the same mic in your app
Every app chooses its own input. Here is where each one keeps it and how it tests your voice.
| App | Where to choose the mic | Its own test |
|---|---|---|
| Discord | User Settings (gear icon) → Voice & Video → Input Device | Press Let's Check under Mic Test and speak. |
| Zoom | Settings → Audio → Microphone | Press Test microphone, speak, then listen to the playback. |
| Microsoft Teams | Settings and more (…) → Settings → Devices → Microphone | Use Make a test call to hear yourself back (Teams desktop app for Windows and Mac). |
| Google Meet | Before you join: Check your audio and video. In a call: More options (⋮) → Settings → Audio → Microphone | Before you join, select Microphone in the preview and speak. |
| OBS Studio | Settings → Audio → Mic/Auxiliary Audio, or add an Audio Input Capture source | Watch the source's meter in Audio Mixer and record a short clip. |
| Steam | Friends & Chat (bottom right of the Steam client) → gear icon → Voice | Press Start Microphone Test and speak. Wear headphones, or you'll hear an echo. |
Menus as the apps' own help describes them: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, OBS Studio, Steam. Apps change their menus, so the wording on your screen may differ.
What this test can tell you
It checks the input this browser can use on this device. The level and waveform show the sound reaching it; they do not rate the mic or measure loudness in your room. Your browser may process the input.
On a phone, you're checking the mic connected to that phone. A result here doesn't confirm PS5 or Xbox party chat. Use the mic connection checker to check your exact mic, platform and the parts you need.
Before replacing your mic
A bar that doesn't move doesn't by itself mean the mic is broken. Check the connection and permissions, then try a known-good cable or another compatible device. If the mic still fails there, check the maker's repair or warranty options. If you need a replacement, our gaming mic picks explain which connections and controls suit your setup.
Mic test questions
How do I know if my mic is working?
Press Start mic test and speak. If the bar moves with your voice and the clip you record plays your words back clearly, the mic and its connection work on this device. If the bar moves but the clip holds other sounds or silence, the browser may be using another input: choose your mic in the list, then check mute and input volume.
Why can I see the bar move but my friends can't hear me?
The browser and your chat app choose their input separately. Select the same mic in the app (the paths are above), check the app's own mute and input volume, and in Discord check Input Sensitivity and Push to Talk.
How do I hear myself on my mic?
Tick I'm wearing headphones and press Hear yourself: the browser plays your voice back with a short delay. To hear yourself with no delay while you play, the monitoring has to happen in the hardware: a headphone jack on the mic, sidetone on a headset or direct monitoring on an interface. Windows' Listen to this device setting also plays your mic back, but it goes through the computer, so it adds delay too.
What level should my mic be at?
When you talk at your normal chat volume, the loudest moments should sit well below the top of the scale and never touch 0. If the red mark at 0 lights, turn the gain down one step and test again; if your voice barely moves the bar, move closer or turn the gain up.
Is this mic test private?
Yes. The sound stays in this browser tab: nothing is uploaded, and nothing is saved unless you download your clip or keep a before-and-after case on this device. The only other things kept are your theme and, if you pick one, the mic you chose, both in your own browser. If you tick Start automatically next time, it remembers that too.
Can I test a PS5 or Xbox mic here?
Only by plugging the mic into a computer or phone. This page tests the device it is open on. For a console, use the console's own mic level check and our console compatibility table.
Why does my mic sound different in Discord or Zoom?
Call apps add their own noise suppression, echo cancellation and automatic gain, then compress your voice. Switch this test to Call processing on to hear what a browser call does to your voice, then compare it with unprocessed audio.
Next
Discord mic check
Work through the six checks in Discord before you join a call.
Check my setup
Find the cables and settings you need, or see why a connection will not work.
Mic picks
Compare microphones by connection, controls and the parts you need.
More sound tests: Headphone test · Tone generator · Delay test · Voice recorder · All tools