Microphone not working on Mac: how to test and fix it

How to test the mic on a Mac or MacBook

Start with a test so you know where the sound stops. Open our mic test in Safari, Chrome or Firefox, press Start microphone test and allow the microphone. Speak normally.

• The meter moves (normal speech lands around −30 to −12 dBFS): macOS and the browser hear you. If a call app still fails, the problem is inside that app; see mic and camera in meeting apps.
• The meter stays at −∞: something is blocked or the wrong input is selected. Work through the steps below and press Retry after each one.

macOS also has a built-in check: in System Settings › Sound › Input, the Input level bar lights up as you talk.

Allow the microphone in Privacy & Security

Since macOS Mojave, every app must be allowed to use the mic. Browsers are no exception: if Chrome or Firefox is switched off here, no website can hear you, whatever the site settings say.

1. Choose Apple menu › System Settings.
2. Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down).
3. Click Microphone.
4. Turn on the switch for your browser and for the apps you call with (FaceTime, Zoom, Discord, Teams…).
5. Quit the app completely (Cmd + Q) and open it again. Many apps only notice the change after a restart.

If your app is not in the list, it has never asked for the mic. Open it and start a call or our test: macOS shows the request then.

On older macOS versions (Monterey and earlier), the same switch is in System Preferences › Security & Privacy › Privacy › Microphone.

Pick the right input in Sound settings

A Mac uses one input at a time. When you connect AirPods, a USB headset or a display with a built-in mic, macOS may switch to it, or not.

1. Choose Apple menu › System Settings, then click Sound in the sidebar.
2. Click Input.
3. Select the device you want. The built-in mic is called "MacBook Pro Microphone" (or your model name); a display's mic carries the display name.
4. Speak and watch Input level.

Apps can pick their own input too. In our mic test use the Microphone list above the meter; in call apps look in their audio settings. Apple notes that the recording indicator in Control Center turns on while the Input page is open: that is the Sound settings listening, not a stranger.

Raise the input volume

If the meter moves only a little, the mic works but is set low.

1. In System Settings › Sound › Input, select your mic.
2. Drag the Input volume slider to the right.
3. Test again. Aim for speech peaks around −12 dBFS; if the meter shows Clip, move the slider back.

Apple's advice: raise input volume for quiet voices, lower it for loud sources such as music, to avoid distortion. Some USB mics have their own gain knob; turn that one first. If the level is fine but the voice sounds muffled, look at what covers the mic: on a MacBook the mics sit near the keyboard or along the edge, and a case or sticker can block them.

Allow the mic in your browser

With macOS permission on, each website still needs the browser's OK.

Safari

1. Choose Safari › Settings, then click Websites.
2. Click Microphone in the list on the left.
3. Next to the website, choose Allow or Ask (not Deny).
4. Reload the page.

Chrome

1. Click the site icon to the left of the address.
2. Open Site settings and set Microphone to Allow.
3. Reload the page. If Chrome itself is blocked by macOS, it shows Open settings; switch Chrome on there and restart it.

Firefox and Edge work the same way; our browser permissions guide has every browser step by step.

Still nothing? Last checks

1. Restart the Mac. It clears an audio process that has hung.
2. Screen Time. If Screen Time is set up, open System Settings › Screen Time › Content & Privacy and make sure apps are not restricted.
3. Another app holding the mic. Close recording apps, virtual audio tools and old call windows. An orange dot in the menu bar means some app is using the mic right now; open Control Center to see which.
4. Bluetooth headsets. AirPods and other headsets switch to a call mode when their mic is used, so music sounds thinner during calls. That is normal. If the mic stays silent, disconnect and reconnect them in System Settings › Bluetooth.
5. Update macOS in System Settings › General › Software Update.

When the mic works, check the other half of a call with our speaker test and the camera with webcam + mic. Using Windows on another machine? See mic not working on Windows. For your iPhone, see the iPhone mic guide.