Microphone Test: Level Meter and Recording Online

How to use it

If you have more than one microphone, choose it in Microphone.
Press Start microphone and allow access when your browser asks.
Speak or clap and watch Level now, Highest peak and the waveform.
Press Record 5 seconds, then play the recording back. Press Stop test when you are done.

Reading the level and the peak

dBFS measures digital sound against the top of the scale. 0 dBFS is the largest value a digital signal can hold, and every 6 dB below it is roughly half the amplitude. The peak is the loudest sample in the last few milliseconds. If it reaches 0 dBFS, the sound clips and distorts.

dBFS = 20 × log10(peak amplitude), where the peak amplitude runs from 0 to 1.

Allow the microphone on your device

Browsers ask once and remember the answer. If the test says access is blocked, change the permission with the steps for your system and browser below, then press Start microphone again.

Windows 11 and 10: open Settings, then Privacy & security (Privacy on Windows 10) and Microphone. Turn on Microphone access and Let desktop apps access your microphone, because Chrome, Edge and Firefox are desktop apps.
macOS: open System Settings, then Privacy & Security and Microphone, and turn on your browser. Quit and reopen the browser after you change it.
Chrome or Edge on a computer: click the lock or tune icon left of the address bar, open Site settings and set Microphone to Allow.
Android (Chrome): tap the lock icon next to the address, open Permissions and allow Microphone. The browser app also needs the permission under Settings, Apps, Chrome, Permissions.
iPhone and iPad: open Settings, then Privacy & Security and Microphone, and turn on Safari or Chrome. When the website asks to use the microphone, choose Allow.

Noise suppression, echo cancellation and automatic gain

These three settings are applied by the browser before the sound reaches this page. They suit video calls, where the sound from a speaker can reach the microphone again. For a plain recording of your voice, turn them off and compare: the level and the waveform change at once.

Nothing leaves your device

The microphone sound is read by your browser and drawn on this page. The five-second recording is kept in the page's memory, and it is removed when you stop the test or leave the page. The page sends nothing to our server and stores nothing in the browser.

Example: reading a peak

Suppose the loudest sample in a short block is 0.25 of full scale, a quarter of the largest value. The meter reads 20 × log10(0.25) = -12.04 dBFS, shown as -12.0 dBFS. A peak at 0 dBFS would mean the signal reached the top of the scale and may have clipped.

Frequently asked questions

Is my voice recorded or uploaded anywhere?

No. Your browser reads the sound on this device and draws it on the page. The five-second recording stays in the page's memory and is deleted when you stop the test or leave the page.

Why does the test show no microphone in the list?

The browser lists microphones only after you allow access. Check the permission, connect the microphone and press Start microphone again. If the list is still empty, no input device is connected or the browser cannot see one.

Why does the meter move when I am quiet?

Room noise, fans and traffic reach the microphone too. The meter shows everything the microphone hears, so a quiet room reads low but not silent.

What should I do if the peak reaches 0 dBFS?

Move the microphone a little further from your mouth or lower the input level in your system sound settings, then test again. A peak at 0 dBFS usually means the sound was distorted.

Does the test work on a phone?

Yes, in current browsers on Android and iPhone. The page must open over a secure connection, and microphone access must be allowed.

Sources

Figures and text last checked on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.