- Anthony
The MacBook is one of the electronic devices favored by many users today because of its thin and light design and outstanding features.
The microphone is built into the MacBook’s side. It can also connect to an external mic and is easy to connect.
However, you must still check that the mic is functioning properly and what the sound is like. These are the fastest how to test microphone on Mac to verify that your mic is working correctly.
Contents
How can I conduct a Sound test?
The Mac does not have a sound recorder, but it can allow you to see the input volume level of your internal microphone.
- Click on the Apple logo at the upper left corner and then click System Preferences.
- Click Sound.
- Click on the Input.
- Click here to activate your Plantronics headset.
- Talk into the microphone. As you speak, the input volume level should change.
Check mic on Mac
There are two main ways to check if your connected mic is receiving input. These are the system’s mic volume settings and third-party apps/services.
System Preferences For Mic
- Connect an external microphone to your Mac first if you wish to check it.
- Open the System Preferences app.
- Click on the Sound preference.
- Go to the Input tab and select the Sound preference.
- Choose the input device, i.e., the internal microphone that you wish to check.
- Adjust the volume to allow the microphone to pick up the sound you wish it to and speak into it.
- If an input is detected, the bars will glow to show that it has been detected. If the bars do not light up, it means that your mic is not receiving any input.
Browse and Web Service
Mice are input devices, and users have the right to access them at their discretion. If the System Preferences app detects mic input on your Mac, but the app doesn’t, this could be an issue with permissions or the app. Run a mic test using your web browser to determine what is wrong.
- This Microphone test app can be accessed via your web browser.
- To play the video, click the Play button to the right.
- Your browser will ask you for permission to access your mic.
- Allow the browser to access the mic.
- Once you have access to the default microphone, speak into it.
- The small window located under the test area will indicate sound input. The line will change to reflect volume.
MAC Microphone Not Working- How to Fix
Adjusting Microphone Settings
Sometimes, the easiest way to fix problems is to change the sound settings within Preferences. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen. As shown in the image to the right, a menu will appear.
Step 2: Click System Preferences.
Step 3: Click Sound in system preferences or search for it using the search text box.
Step 4: Select the Input tab under Sound.
Step 5: A list of audio recording devices will be displayed. Select the device that you want to use. Select “Internal microphone” if it is the built-in microphone. It should be identified as a USB microphone or headset. Select “Line In” if you have a headset or mic plugged into the line in port.
Step 6: Speak into your microphone and watch for Input Level bars as you speak (see screenshot).
If you can see the bars rising as you speak, it means that your microphone is correctly configured. What should I do if my mic is still not working, even though I have said it is?
Keep speaking, and if the bars don’t rise, you can continue to follow the instructions.
Step 7: Move the slider to the right to adjust the maximum volume. Check again to see if the mic responds well to your speech. Continue to follow the instructions if the microphone does not work.
Step 8: Open Menu, shut down your Macbook, and then turn it on again. This can solve temporary mic problems.
If this does not work, there are other solutions, such as resetting your PRAM or opening a new account.
Resetting the NVRAM/PRAM
Apple macOS devices are equipped with what is known as PRAM or NVRAM, which stores certain settings. These settings can be reset to fix any problems. Volume settings for the microphone are affected in this instance.
Step 1: Turn off the computer using the Apple icon menu.
Step 2: Hold the Option, Command, and P buttons together immediately after turning on your Mac.
Continue holding down the buttons until you hear the computer restart or the Apple logo disappears. This should take around 20 seconds.
Step 3: After resetting the PRAM/NVRAM, you will need to reconfigure your microphone settings. To check the microphone, go back to the beginning and repeat steps 1-8 in Adjusting Microphone Settings.
Create a new account
Sometimes, microphone issues on macOS could be due to settings that are specific to your account. You can check if this is true by creating a new account. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Click the Apple icon at the top left corner and then click System Preferences.
Step 2: Click the User & Groups tab as shown in the image below.
Step 3: You will see the Users & Groups pane. To make changes, click on the lock icon.
Step 4: You will be prompted to enter your password.
Step 5: To make changes, click the + button at the bottom left.
Step 6: Fill out the form to create a new account. Click on Create User to enter your name and password.
Step 7: You have created a new account. Log out, then log back in with your new account. Instead of Fast User Switching, you will need to log off from your current account.
Step 8: After creating a new account, log in and test your microphone. Follow steps 1-8 for Adjusting Microphone Settings.
If it works, then your account is the problem. If you still have trouble with your microphone, try the next solution.
Turning to Dictation
Even if you aren’t planning to use the dictation function, turning it on can activate your microphone and make it work again. You can download files necessary for the use of your microphone, such as those you might not have on your Mac.
Step 1: Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen, then click System Preferences.
Step 2: Now select Keyboard by clicking on it or searching in the search box.
Step 3: Click on the Dictation tab in the Keyboard window.
Step 4: An prompt will appear explaining that activating dictation will send data to Apple. Click Enable Dictation if you agree with this.
Step 5: Now you can enable dictation. Dictation is now enabled. As you speak into the microphone, the level should change.
Continue reading if you are still having trouble using your microphone in the program that you prefer or if the microphone level is not changing.
Fixing app permissions
An app’s permissions may be the reason you are having problems using your microphones with that program. These can be checked and changed in System Preferences.
Step 1: Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner of screen, and then click System Preferences.
Step 2: Click on Security & Privacy. Or enter it into the search bar.
Step 3: Next, click on the Privacy tab.
Step 4: Once you have selected privacy settings, click the microphone to the left. Now you should see a list of apps that have access to your mic.
Step 5: Click on the checkmark next to the one that you wish to use. You can deselect it and reselect it if it isn’t already selected.
Step 6: After selecting the app that you want to use (I am using Audio Recorder), you can exit and then try your microphone with that app.
If your microphone is still mute or not working with the app, you are trying to use, uninstall it and reinstall it. You can contact the app’s support if you don’t know how to do it or it doesn’t seem to work.
Enter Safe Mode
Safe mode or safe boot can be used to fix some issues, such as mic problems. Here is how to do so:
Step 1: Turn off your Mac
Step 2: Turn on your Mac again and hold down the Shift key until you see the login screen.
Step 3: Once it opens, you will see Safe Boot at the top-right corner. Sign in to your account. macOS should be in Safe Mode (Safe Boot).
Step 4: Check your microphone by opening the app you prefer (e.g., Audio Recorder) or checking the Audio and Dictation settings from System Preferences.
Step 5: Restart your Mac to restore normal operation. Also, check the mic setting as described in Adjusting Microphone Settings.
After you have logged back into your account, turn off safe mode and check your microphone to make sure that microphone issues don’t have.
If your mic doesn’t work, it could be a hardware problem or an OS issue that we didn’t cover. For further assistance, you can visit the Apple Support Communities.
Restart your Mac
Sometimes you can just turn it off and on again to fix any issues. You can also install any macOS updates that are pending under System Preferences > Software Update. If you haven’t done so, you can upgrade to the most recent macOS version.
Conclusion
We hope this article will be useful for you. If it was, please share and like the post to reach other readers who may require further information on testing their Mac sound equipment before shooting social media or YouTube videos.
We also want your feedback! What do you think? Leave a comment below to tell us what you thought of our help and what else we could have included to make it even better.
Have any questions about how to test your microphone while using a Mac computer? Let Hooke Audio know in the comment section below and I’ll answer them as soon as possible. Thanks so much for reading today’s blog post!
Related Posts
