Windows 11 Mic Not Working? Fix It Step by Step
Test your mic first: press Start, allow the mic, and talk.
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing uploaded
- No sign-up
Step 1: Start
Press Start, then choose Allow when your browser asks.
Step 2: Talk
Your result shows here
Say a few words after you start. You get a plain answer in seconds.
Step 3: Hear yourself
Record up to 10 seconds and play it back. This is what your call hears. The clip stays in this tab.
Try saying: Peter picked six silver spoons from the sink.
Advanced
Press Start first. The numbers, spectrum, and checks fill in once the mic is on.
- Level
- -- dBFS
- Peak (session)
- -- dBFS
- Noise floor
- -- dBFS
- Clips
- 0
- Sample rate
- -- kHz
- Channels
- --
Talk for a few seconds to get input volume advice.
Plays your mic through your speakers or headphones as you talk.
Use headphones to avoid feedback. Speakers will squeal.
Stay silent for 3 seconds, then talk for 7. You get a grade for background noise, speech level, clipping, and clarity.
Your last two recordings stay here, labeled with the mic and processing used, so you can switch mics or settings and compare.
- Record a clip to start comparing.
dBFS means decibels relative to full scale: 0 dBFS is the loudest level digital audio can hold, so every reading is negative. Noise floor is the level of your quietest moments over the last few seconds. Changing a processing option restarts the mic; the value on the right is what your browser reports it applied.
On Windows 11, a silent mic is usually one of three privacy switches under Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone, or the wrong input under Settings > System > Sound. Run the test above in your browser, then follow the steps in order until the verdict says your mic is working.
If the test reports that your system is blocking the microphone, go straight to step 1. If it shows No sound, check for a mute key or switch, then step 2.
Fix a Windows 11 microphone in six steps
Work through these steps in order and rerun the test after each one. Steps 1 and 2 fix most cases: Windows blocks apps from the mic until the privacy switches are on, and it records from whichever input is selected. Later steps handle quiet levels, disabled devices, and drivers.
1. Turn on the three microphone privacy switches
- Open Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone.
- Turn on "Microphone access". With it off, no app on this device can use the mic.
- Turn on "Let apps access your microphone", then switch on each app in the list that should use it.
- Turn on "Let desktop apps access your microphone". Desktop apps do not appear in the list above, and browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Firefox are desktop apps, as are the Zoom and Discord programs.
If your mic is built into a webcam, Microsoft also says to check Settings > Privacy & security > Camera. Restart the browser after changing any of these, then press Start on the test again.
2. Choose the right input device
- Open Start > Settings > System > Sound.
- Under Input, pick your mic in "Choose a device for speaking or recording".
This sets the Windows default. Apps that let you choose a mic, including this test's Mic list, can still use a different one, so check those too.
3. Run Start test and set the Input volume
- In Settings > System > Sound, select your input device (the arrow beside it) to open its properties.
- Under Input settings, select "Start test", speak, then select "Stop test". You can play the test back to hear it.
- Drag the "Input volume" slider up if you sound too quiet, down if you distort.
If Windows' own test shows your voice but our browser test does not, the browser is blocked: recheck the desktop apps switch in step 1 and the site permission in your browser.
4. Make sure the device is not muted or disabled
Microsoft's advice is to check that your audio devices "aren't muted and haven't been disabled". Hardware mutes come first: a mute switch or button on the headset, tap-to-mute on a USB mic, or your laptop's mic-mute key (see the laptop guide). A disabled device may not appear in the input list at all. A How-To Geek walkthrough shows devices being re-enabled under Settings > System > Sound > Advanced > All sound devices by selecting the device and choosing Allow. It demonstrates this on speakers, so the same option may apply to your mic.
5. Run the troubleshooter
- In Settings > System > Sound, scroll to Advanced.
- Under "Troubleshoot common sound problems", choose "Input devices".
Microsoft also points to the automated audio troubleshooter in the Get Help app. Microsoft has moved its legacy audio troubleshooter into Get Help on Windows 11, and it does not list a separate "Recording Audio" troubleshooter there.
6. Update, reinstall, or roll back the driver
- Right-click Start and choose Device Manager.
- Expand "Sound, video and game controllers". Microphones may also be listed under "Audio inputs and outputs".
- Right-click the device, choose "Update driver", then "Search automatically for drivers".
- To reinstall: choose "Uninstall device", tick "Attempt to remove the driver for this device", select Uninstall, and restart. Windows reinstalls the driver on restart. If it does not, right-click the category and choose "Scan for hardware changes".
- If the mic broke right after a driver update: open the device's Properties, go to the Driver tab, and choose "Roll Back Driver".
Sources: Microsoft Support: Fix microphone problems, Fix sound or audio problems in Windows, and Windows camera, microphone, and privacy.
Windows hears you but your app does not
When Start test in Settings shows your voice but Teams, Zoom, or Discord stays silent, Windows is fine and the app is the problem. Either the app is blocked by the desktop apps switch, or its own audio settings point at a different microphone or have the app's mute turned on.
- Check the app's own input. Open its audio or voice settings and select the mic by name, not just "Default".
- Close other apps using the mic. If our test says the mic is busy, another program likely has it open. Quit it fully, including from the system tray.
- Bluetooth headsets appear as two devices on Windows: a stereo one for listening and a hands-free one that carries the mic. Pick the hands-free entry as your input. AirPods owners can find more in the AirPods guide.
Discord has extra causes such as Push to Talk and input sensitivity; see Discord mic not working. For problems that are not specific to Windows, use the full microphone not working checklist.
Windows 10 mic not working: what is different
The fixes on Windows 10 are the same ideas with different labels and locations. Privacy lives under Settings > Privacy rather than Privacy & security, the test button is called "Test your microphone", and Windows 10 still has a "Recording Audio" troubleshooter under Update & Security.
| Task | Windows 11 | Windows 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy switches | Privacy & security > Microphone | Privacy > Microphone: "Microphone access for this device", "Allow apps to access your microphone", and "Allow desktop apps to access your microphone" |
| Choose the mic | "Choose a device for speaking or recording" | "Choose your input device" |
| Test the mic | "Start test" | "Test your microphone" |
| Raise the level | "Input volume" slider | Device Properties > "Levels" tab: "Microphone" and "Microphone Boost" |
| Troubleshooter | Sound > Advanced > "Input devices", or Get Help | Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Recording Audio |
| Driver reinstall checkbox | "Attempt to remove the driver for this device" | "Delete the driver software for this device" |
Windows 11 microphone questions
Where is the microphone test in Windows 11?
Open Settings, then System, then Sound, and select your input device. Under Input settings, select Start test, speak, and select Stop test. Windows 10 calls the same feature Test your microphone.
Why is my browser missing from the microphone app list?
Browsers are desktop apps, and Windows does not list desktop apps individually. They are covered by the separate switch Let desktop apps access your microphone, which must be on.
How do I change the default microphone in Windows 11?
Go to Settings, System, Sound, and under Input pick the mic in Choose a device for speaking or recording. Apps with their own mic setting can still override it.
How do I make my mic louder on Windows 11?
Open your input device under Settings, System, Sound, and raise the Input volume slider. Use Start test to check the result, and lower it again if your voice distorts.
What happens if I turn off Microphone access?
No app on that device can use the microphone, including browsers and call apps, until you turn it back on. It is a quick way to block the mic completely.
Is there still a Recording Audio troubleshooter in Windows 11?
Microsoft does not list one for Windows 11. Use Settings, System, Sound, Advanced, and choose Input devices under Troubleshoot common sound problems, or run the audio troubleshooter in the Get Help app.
Is it safe to uninstall my audio driver?
Yes, if you restart afterward. Windows reinstalls the driver on restart, and if it does not, Scan for hardware changes in Device Manager brings it back.
How do I roll back a microphone driver after an update?
In Device Manager, open the audio device's Properties, go to the Driver tab, and choose Roll Back Driver. This returns to the previous driver if Windows kept it.
Why does my webcam's microphone not work in Windows 11?
Check both privacy pages. Microsoft says a camera with a built-in mic may also need access turned on under Settings, Privacy and security, Camera, in addition to the Microphone page.
Do the Windows 10 microphone steps work on Windows 11?
The ideas carry over, but the labels moved. Privacy is under Privacy and security, the test button is Start test, and where Windows 10 had a Recording Audio troubleshooter, Windows 11 points you to Input devices in Sound settings and the Get Help app.