# Microphone test

> Test your microphone in the browser: live level meter in dBFS, waveform, device picker, and a 5-second record and playback. Nothing is uploaded.

URL: https://tools.cuelark.com/mic-test
Publisher: Cuelark Team (https://cuelark.com)
Updated: 2026-11-10
Price: free, no sign-up
Privacy: runs in the browser; files are not uploaded

Press Start, allow the microphone and speak. The meter shows whether sound is coming through, how loud it is and whether it is clipping; then record five seconds and listen back. Useful before a Zoom, Meet, Teams or Discord call.

## How to use it

1. Press Start microphone test and allow access when the browser asks.
2. Speak normally. The bar should move into green and yellow; red means it is too loud.
3. Pick another microphone from the list if nothing moves, and use Record to hear how you sound.

## Details

- **Level:** RMS level in dBFS (0 = maximum), with peak hold. Normal speech is roughly −30 to −12 dBFS
- **Waveform:** Live time-domain view from the Web Audio API
- **Processing:** Echo cancellation, noise suppression and auto gain on (like video-call apps) or off for the raw signal
- **Playback:** 5-second clip recorded with MediaRecorder and kept in memory on this page only

## Questions

### Is anything recorded or sent?

No. The page reads the device inside this tab and shows the result. Nothing is stored or uploaded; close the tab or press Stop and access ends.

### The bar does not move. What should I check?

Choose the right device in the Microphone list, check the hardware mute switch or key, and make sure the system input volume is up (Windows: Settings → System → Sound → Input; macOS: System Settings → Sound → Input). If another app such as Zoom holds the mic, close it.

### The browser never asked for permission.

Permission may have been blocked earlier. Click the lock or camera icon in the address bar, set Microphone to Allow, and reload the page.

### Why does my voice sound different in playback?

With processing on, the browser applies echo cancellation, noise suppression and automatic gain, as calls do. Turn processing off to hear the raw microphone.

### What do dBFS numbers mean?

Decibels relative to full scale: 0 dBFS is the loudest possible sample, so readings are negative. Peaks above about −3 dBFS risk distortion; below about −50 dBFS is close to silence.

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