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Microphone not working on a Mac

MacBook internal mic, USB or Bluetooth headset, external interface.

First, test it.
The mic test shows in seconds whether the device works at all — that decides which steps below apply.
Open the mic test

Three places can block a microphone or camera, and all three must say yes: the operating system (privacy settings), the browser or app (site permission or device picker) and the hardware (mute switch, shutter, cable). Work through them in that order.

  1. Does macOS hear it? System Settings › Sound › Input: choose the device and watch the Input level dots as you speak. Raise Input volume. If the dots move, the Mac is fine — the app is the problem (see Zoom, Teams, Discord, Meet guides).
  2. Privacy & Security › Microphone. System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone: the app or browser must be switched on. After a macOS update these switches sometimes reset or stop working until toggled off and on again — do that, then quit and reopen the app.
  3. Browser apps. For Meet, Teams web, Discord web, Zoom web and this test page the entry that must be on is your browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge), not the website. Then the site itself must be allowed: browser permission guide.
  4. Screen Time restrictions. System Settings › Screen Time › Content & Privacy › App restrictions (or Allowed Apps): make sure the microphone is not switched off there. Managed or family Macs often have this.
  5. Bluetooth headsets. AirPods and other headsets have a mic that only becomes active when the headset is the input device; select it under Sound › Input. If sound quality drops when the mic is active that is normal for Bluetooth.
  6. Another app holds the mic. Quit Zoom, Teams, Discord, FaceTime, QuickTime, Voice Memos, OBS. The orange dot in the menu bar means some app is recording — click Control Center to see which.
  7. Reset Core Audio. Open Terminal and run sudo killall coreaudiod (enter your password; it restarts automatically), or simply restart the Mac. This clears “no input level at all” cases.
  8. Dictation test. Press the dictation key (🎤 or F5 on new keyboards) in any text field: if dictation hears you, the hardware is fine.

Confirm it

Open the microphone test, speak, and record a few seconds. If the meter moves here, every app that is allowed in Privacy & Security will hear you too.

Did it work?

Run the mic test again. If the device now registers here, every app that has permission will see it too.

Related guides

Mic not working in ZoomNobody can hear you, or Zoom says “Unable to detect your microphone”Mic not working in TeamsFor the new Teams app and Teams in a browser, on Windows and Mac.Mic not working in DiscordDesktop app, browser and mobileMic not working in Google MeetMeet is a web app: the browser’s permission and the OS privacy switch for the browser are what matter.Mic not working on Windows 11Laptop array, USB mic, headset or Bluetooth — the same order of checks finds the fault.

Questions, answered

The mic worked before a macOS update and now nothing hears me.

Toggle the app off and on in Privacy & Security › Microphone, reopen the app. If the toggle is missing, launch the app and start a call so macOS asks again.

Which Mac microphone should I choose?

“MacBook Pro Microphone” (the built-in array) is good for calls at a desk. A headset or USB mic 2–3 cm from your mouth is better in a noisy room.