Privacy Policy

Who we are

MicChecker (micchecker.com) provides free browser-based microphone, webcam, speaker, and headset tests, plus troubleshooting guides. In this policy, "we," "us," and "our" mean MicChecker. You can reach us about privacy at [email protected].

Your microphone, camera, and recordings

The mic, webcam, headset, and sound tests run entirely in your browser. Audio and video are analyzed on your device, in memory, and are never uploaded to us or anyone else. We do not see, hear, or store them.

• Permission comes first. Your browser asks before any page can use your microphone or camera. You can withdraw that permission at any time in your browser's site settings. Pressing Stop releases the device.
• Recordings stay in the tab. If you press Record clip, the clip (up to 10 seconds) is kept in your browser tab's memory so you can play it back. It is discarded when you close or leave the page. It is saved to your device only if you press Download, and it is never sent to us.
• The webcam test does not record. The preview is shown on your screen only.
• Device names stay local. The Mic list shows names your browser provides after you allow access. We do not send them anywhere.

Our cookieless visitor counter

We use our own privacy-friendly counter to see how many people visit and which pages they use. It sets no cookies and does not try to identify you. It runs for every visitor, because it collects no personal profile, and it never sends search terms or full referring URLs.

Here is everything it does:

• A daily random ID. Your browser stores a short random ID in its local storage. It is created fresh each day (the day turns over at midnight US Central time), and older IDs are deleted. It lets us count one visitor once per day without a cookie and is not linked to who you are. If your browser blocks local storage, a random ID kept only for that tab (in session storage) is used instead.
• Page views. Each time a page loads, the counter sends that daily ID, the page path (for example /webcam-test), the hostname of the site that linked you here if you came from another site (for example google.com, never the full address), and your browser's language setting.
• Live presence. While a MicChecker tab is visible on your screen, the page sends a small ping to our own site every few seconds with the daily ID, whether your device looks like a phone or a computer (worked out from your browser's user agent), and the page path. This shows us how many people are on the site right now. It stops when the tab is hidden.
• Tool and click events. When you first use a tool on a given day, we record a "tool used" event naming the tool (for example mic or sound). A small local-storage entry makes sure this is counted only once per tool per day. We also count clicks on the share button (whether it used your device's share sheet or copied the link) and clicks on product links (which product). Each event carries the daily ID and page path.
• Usage events. To learn which parts of the tests people use, we count a few actions, each at most once per page view: starting the mic test, recording and playing a clip, comparing two clips, opening Advanced, running the 10-second check, turning on Hear yourself, switching to another mic or camera, and which sound test you played (left, right, both, or alternate). We also record the result the test settled on (for example "working" or "too quiet").
• Problems. When the mic or camera cannot start, we record the kind of problem from a short fixed list (for example "blocked", "prompt closed", or "no mic") and your browser family (for example Chrome, Firefox, or iPhone). If one of our own scripts hits an error, we record a short error message and the script file and line number, with any web-address details after a question mark removed, at most three per page view.
• Reading and links. To learn which parts of a page are useful, we note which main parts of the page came into view (named by their heading, for example "faq"), how far down the page you scrolled (25, 50, 75, or 100 percent), roughly how long the page was open (in bands such as "30-60s"), and which links you clicked: the page on our site it leads to, or for a link to another site, that site's name only (for example support.apple.com). Each is counted at most once per page view.
• Bookmarking the test. If you press the Bookmark button at the top of the page, or the Bookmark button that appears after a working test, we record that it was pressed, which of the two it was, and the kind of device the instructions were shown for (Windows, Mac, iPhone or iPad, Android, or other), and whether you used the Install button or installed MicChecker as an app.
• "Did this fix your problem?" On our fix guides, tapping Yes or No records that answer for the page. It is the only thing sent; there is no text box.
• What these events never include. No audio, video, or recordings, no device or microphone names, and nothing you type. Each event is a fixed short label plus the daily ID and page path.

These requests go to our own site and to our analytics service, which runs on Cloudflare. As with any request on the web, the receiving server sees standard connection details such as your IP address and browser type. We use the counter only for totals and trends, not to profile individual people.

Google Analytics

We also use Google Analytics 4, configured with IP anonymization turned on. It loads only after you interact with the page (scroll, touch, move the mouse, press a key, or click). Visitors in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland are asked first, and Google Analytics loads only if they choose Accept.

• What it collects. Google Analytics records how pages are used, such as pages viewed, time on page, approximate location, device, and browser. According to Google's documentation, it uses first-party cookies such as _ga to tell visitors and sessions apart.
• The same events. The events our visitor counter records (described above) are also sent to Google Analytics, with the same fixed labels, the daily random ID, and the kind of page (for example a guide or a test). This adds no new personal data: no audio, video, device names, or typed text, and nothing that names you. Like the rest of Google Analytics, these are sent only where Google Analytics is allowed to load.
• Page speed. The page measures how fast it loads and responds (Core Web Vitals) using a script served from our own site. Those numbers are sent to Google Analytics only if Google Analytics loads; otherwise they are never sent.
• How we decide whether to ask. To know whether to show the consent banner, the page asks our own host (Cloudflare) for your country code. If the country cannot be determined, we show the banner to be safe.
• Your choice is remembered. When you choose Accept or Decline, we store that choice in your browser's local storage so we do not ask on every page. Clearing your site data resets it.

Google processes this data under its own terms. See How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services.

Hosting and security

MicChecker is hosted on Cloudflare. Like any web host, Cloudflare processes the technical details of each request, such as IP address, browser type, and the page requested, to deliver the site, protect it from abuse, and produce aggregate traffic statistics.

Our fonts and scripts are served from our own domain, so loading a page does not contact a font or script provider. See the Cloudflare Privacy Policy for how Cloudflare handles this data.

Amazon affiliate links

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Some pages link to products on Amazon. When you click one of those links and visit Amazon, Amazon may set its own cookies to credit the referral to us. We never see your Amazon account or what you buy.

On our side, we count the click itself (which product link was clicked), as described in the visitor counter section above. Amazon's handling of your data is covered by the Amazon.com Privacy Notice.

Links to other services, such as the Krisp noise-suppression app, are plain links with no tracking code added by us; we only count that the link was clicked, by the other site's name. Other websites have their own privacy policies.

Advertising (future)

MicChecker does not show ads today. If we add Google AdSense in the future, Google and its partners may use cookies to show ads and to measure them, including ads based on your visits to this and other sites. We will update this policy before ads go live.

If ads run, visitors in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland will see Google's certified consent tool, with options to consent, not consent, or manage choices, before personalized ads are used. You can control personalized ads from Google at any time in Google Ads Settings.

Cookies and local storage, in short

MicChecker itself sets no cookies. Our own code uses your browser's local storage for four things only: the daily random visitor ID, the once-per-day tool-use marker, your consent choice if you were asked, and a note that you closed the "Bookmark this test" tip, so it is not offered again. It also uses session storage, which your browser clears when you close the tab, to remember that you already answered "Did this fix your problem?" on a guide, so you are not asked again. Google Analytics sets its own cookies when it loads, and Amazon sets its own cookies if you visit Amazon.

How to opt out

You can block Google Analytics with Google's official browser add-on, decline it in our banner if you are in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, or clear your site data to remove the local-storage items described above. Blocking scripts or using private browsing also limits what is collected.

• Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
• Google Ads Settings for personalized ads from Google
• Your browser's site settings, to clear local storage and cookies for micchecker.com or to withdraw microphone and camera permission

Your rights (GDPR and UK GDPR)

If you are in the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, you have the right to access the personal data we hold about you, to have it corrected or deleted, to object to or restrict its use, and to withdraw consent at any time. Email [email protected] and we will respond.

We rely on your consent for Google Analytics in those regions, and on our legitimate interest in running and improving a free site for the cookieless counter and hosting logs. Because our counter uses a random daily ID and no account, we usually cannot link records to a specific person, which may limit what we can find for an access request. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.

California privacy rights (CCPA): Do Not Sell

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. California residents may ask what personal information we have collected and ask us to delete it by emailing [email protected]. We will not treat you differently for making a request.

Children's privacy (COPPA)

MicChecker is a general-audience site and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, email [email protected] and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

If we change how MicChecker collects or uses data, for example by adding ads, we will update this page and the date at the top before the change takes effect. Continued use of the site after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Questions about privacy? Email [email protected]. You can also read our Terms of Use and Disclaimer and how MicChecker works.