Microphone test: check your mic in the browser.
See whether your browser can hear your microphone, watch the live input level, switch devices and play back a short test clip. It takes less than a minute, with nothing to sign up for or install.
Run the test
This test needs JavaScript and has not loaded. Turn JavaScript on if it is off, then reload the page.
Your browser will ask for permission first. Choose Allow to continue. Nothing is captured before you press the button.
Step 1: Speak at your normal volume
- Peak in the last 3 seconds
- Device
- Sample rate
- Channels
Step 2: Listen to yourself
This browser cannot record a test clip, but the level meter above still works.
Listen for hum, echo, muffled speech or clipped peaks. The clip stays in this page's memory until you delete it, record again or leave the page.
What a good result looks like
The meter moves with your voice
It should rise when you speak and fall back when you stop. A flat meter means no sound is reaching the page, even if the browser has permission.
The peak stays out of the red
A red meter means the signal is reaching its limit, which can distort your speech. The labels are rough guidance for speech, not a calibrated measurement.
The clip sounds like you
Playback is the most useful check. Listen for hum, echo, muffled speech or clipped peaks, and test again from where you usually sit.
If the test does not work
| What you see | What to check |
|---|---|
| The browser blocked the microphone | Open the site settings next to the address bar and allow the microphone for this site. In Chrome, the same control is under Settings, Privacy and security, Site settings, Microphone. Then reload the page. |
| Blocked on a Mac | Open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Microphone, and turn on the browser you are using. In Safari, also check Safari, Settings, Websites, Microphone. If your Mac asks to quit the browser, let it, then open this page again. |
| Blocked on Windows | On Windows 11, open Settings, Privacy & security, Microphone. Turn on Microphone access and Let apps access your microphone. Browsers installed as desktop apps follow Let desktop apps access your microphone. On Windows 10 the path is Settings, Privacy, Microphone, and the labels differ slightly. Restart the browser if the change does not apply. |
| No microphone found | Reconnect the microphone or headset, then check that your computer lists it under its sound input settings. |
| The meter stays flat | Choose another device in the Microphone menu, check any mute switch on the headset, and raise the input volume in your computer's sound settings. |
| The microphone cannot be opened | Another app may be holding it. Close calling or recording apps, then try again. |
A passing browser test does not prove a desktop app can hear you
Microphone permission is granted app by app. A pass here shows that your microphone works and that this browser may use it. A desktop app still needs its own permission.
- Dictation in Cue. Allow the microphone permission Cue asks for, focus the field, confirm the recording state and check the inserted text. See voice typing on Mac or Windows.
- Meetings. A working microphone does not prove that a meeting's system audio was captured. Meeting notes without a bot covers the separate screen and system audio permission, and consent comes first.
How this test handles your audio
- It starts when you press the button. Stop microphone releases the device, and so does leaving the page.
- The meter reads the signal inside your browser. It keeps no recording, only the recent peak shown on screen.
- A clip exists only if you record one. It stays in this page's memory for playback, and it is removed when you delete it, record again or leave the page.
- The test does not send audio to Cue. This covers this page only. When you use the Cue app, voice audio is sent to the speech provider at request time, as the Privacy Policy describes.
- No analytics on this page. Unlike most pages on this site, this page loads no analytics or interaction recording scripts. Your browser still fetches the page and its files from our servers, and the font it uses from Google Fonts.
Microphone test FAQ
Does this microphone test record me?
Only when you press Record a 5-second clip. The clip stays in this page's memory so you can play it back, and it is removed when you delete it, record again or leave the page. The level meter reads the signal inside your browser without saving it, and the test does not send audio to Cue.
Why does my browser ask for permission?
Browsers require your permission before a site can use a microphone. If you choose Block, the test cannot run until you allow the microphone for this site in your browser settings.
Does this test system audio or my speakers?
No. It tests microphone input only. Playing the clip back uses your current output device, but the test does not show whether an app can capture the sound coming from your computer.
What input level should I aim for?
Speak normally and look for the message Good level for speech. The labels on this page are rough guidance for speech, not a calibrated measurement, so trust the playback if the two disagree.
Will Cue work if this test passes?
A passing test shows that your microphone and browser work. Cue is a separate desktop app and needs its own microphone permission on your computer, and text insertion depends on the app, the field and your installed version.
Sources
Checked on November 9, 2026, and the Safari guide on November 10, 2026. System menus change between versions, so follow the labels on your own computer.