Step 1: Test the mic
Click Test my microphone and speak. If the bar moves, macOS is fine and an app has the wrong device — see Zoom, Teams or Discord. If not, follow the macOS fixes.
Step 2: macOS microphone permission
- System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
- Enable the app (Zoom, Teams, Discord) or your browser.
- Quit the app fully (Cmd+Q) and reopen it — macOS only applies a new mic permission after a restart.
Step 3: Select the input device
- System Settings → Sound → Input: select the right device.
- Speak and check the Input level bars move; raise Input volume if low.
- For an external interface, confirm it is the selected input and not muted in its own software.
Step 4: Reset & last resorts
- Restart the Mac to clear a mic stuck by another app.
- Update macOS and the app to the latest version.
- For older Intel Macs, reset the SMC if the built-in mic is dead system-wide.
FAQ
My mic works in this test but not in a Mac app — why?
macOS is fine. The app either has the wrong input device selected or was not granted the Microphone permission (and not restarted after granting it). Fix both in System Settings and the app.
I enabled the mic permission but it still doesn't work.
macOS applies microphone permission only after the app restarts. Quit the app with Cmd+Q and reopen it.
Does this Mac mic test record audio?
No. Everything is processed locally in your browser. Nothing is recorded, stored or uploaded.