Multiple ways to test your microphone on Windows 10 and 11. Use Settings, Sound Recorder, or online tools to verify your mic works.
Windows provides several ways to test your microphone. Here are the most reliable methods, from quickest to most thorough.
Testing methods
The quickest way to test your microphone is using our online microphone test. No software installation needed.
- Open the microphone test page in your browser
- Click Check microphone
- Allow microphone access when prompted
- Speak into your microphone and see the sound visualization
Bonus: The online test lets you record and playback your voice, so you can hear exactly how you sound.
Windows shows a real-time volume meter for your microphone:
Windows 11:
- Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar → Sound settings
- Scroll to Input section
- Select your microphone from the dropdown
- Speak and watch the volume bar respond
Windows 10:
- Right-click the speaker icon → Open Sound settings
- Under Input, select your microphone
- Click Device properties to see the input level
Note: This only shows that the microphone is detecting sound, not how you actually sound.
Windows includes a voice recording app:
- Press Win key and type Sound Recorder (Windows 11) or Voice Recorder (Windows 10)
- Click the record button (or press Ctrl+R)
- Speak into your microphone
- Stop recording and play it back
This is a great way to test not just whether your mic works, but how it actually sounds.
Check if Windows recognizes your microphone at the hardware level:
- Press Win + X and select Device Manager
- Expand Audio inputs and outputs
- Your microphone should be listed here
What to look for:
- Device listed normally: Hardware is recognized correctly
- Yellow warning icon: Driver issue - try updating the driver
- Device not listed: Hardware not detected - check connection
- Gray arrow icon: Microphone is disabled - right-click and enable
Most video calling apps have built-in microphone tests:
Zoom:
- Settings (gear icon) → Audio
- Click Test Mic to record and playback
Microsoft Teams:
- Profile → Settings → Devices
- Click Make a test call
Google Meet:
- Go to meet.google.com
- Click the gear icon before joining
- Audio tab shows real-time mic activity
Discord:
- User Settings (gear icon) → Voice & Video
- Click Let's Check under Mic Test
Troubleshooting
If your microphone doesn't work in any of these tests:
- Check that the correct microphone is selected (you may have multiple: laptop, webcam, headset)
- Verify microphone privacy settings are enabled in Windows
- Make sure no other app is exclusively using the microphone
- Try a different USB port for USB microphones
For detailed troubleshooting steps, see our microphone troubleshooting guide.
Next steps
If your microphone isn't working in any of these tests, see our microphone troubleshooting guide for detailed solutions.
Want to understand how your microphone picks up sound? Learn about microphone polar patterns to get the best positioning for your setup.