Is my microphone working?
Before an interview, online class or video call, it is worth checking that the right microphone is selected and that it actually picks up your voice. When you press Start, the browser asks for permission and then gives this page a live audio stream. The page feeds it into the Web Audio API's analyser and shows two things: a level meter in decibels relative to full scale (dBFS), where 0 is the loudest possible signal and normal speech sits roughly between −30 and −10, and a waveform drawing of the sound itself. If both stay flat while you talk, the browser is receiving silence.
Common problems and fixes
- Permission blocked: click the camera or microphone icon in the address bar and allow access, then press Start again. On phones, also check the app permission in system settings.
- Wrong device: headsets, webcams and laptops each have their own microphone. Pick the one you want from the list; names appear after permission is granted.
- Very quiet: raise the input volume in your operating system's sound settings and check for a hardware mute switch on headsets.
- Busy device: another app, such as a call program, may be holding the microphone exclusively.
- Distorted or clipping: if the meter hits the right end constantly, lower the input gain or move further away.
Record and play back
The level meter tells you the microphone hears something, but not how it sounds. The record button captures five seconds with the browser's MediaRecorder and plays it straight back, so you can hear background noise, echo or muffled audio. Turn the echo cancellation and noise suppression box off to hear the raw microphone, or on to hear roughly what video-call apps send.
Privacy
Audio is processed only inside this page. It is not uploaded, saved on a server or shared; the short recording exists only in memory and disappears when you leave. Press Stop to release the microphone; the browser's recording indicator should turn off.