How to Test Microphone on Windows 10 to see if it’s working
If you can’t get a friend to test your voice through skype, discord, or in-game, another good technique to see if a mic is functioning is to listen to it yourself. This is simply accomplished using the “Listen to this device” option in the Windows 10 Microphone settings. The following are detailed instructions.
As long as your computer is running Windows 10, this approach should work whether you’re using an HP, Dell, or Lenovo laptop or a desktop PC. As long as the microphone is correctly attached, recognized, and enabled in Windows, it should function on most microphones, whether from a headset, headphone, or independent mic.
How to Test Microphone on Windows 10
Without further ado, here’s how to check if your microphone is truly functioning by listening to your own voice via it.
1. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar’s notification area (lower right corner of your desktop screen), then select Open Sound Settings.
- Alternatively, navigate to the Start menu > Settings > System > Sound to access the sound settings.
2. On the right side of the Sound Settings box, choose the Sound Control Panel option under Related Settings.
3. Go to the Recording tab in the sound control panel window, and then pick the Microphone that is presently in use. Choose Properties from the context menu by right-clicking it.
- If you have numerous microphones on the list, you should just activate the one you’ll be using (or set it to “Default device”) and leave the others disabled if you won’t be using them.
- You may not be aware that certain headsets and headphones include built-in microphones. When an app or game requires a microphone and you have multiple microphones enabled, Windows will utilize the one that was configured to be the default device.
4. Go to the Listen tab in the Microphone Properties window and check the option that says “Listen to this device.” To make it work, click Apply.
5. Try speaking into your microphone now. Maybe you hear your own voice. To eliminate echos, it’s best to perform this with headphones rather than a speaker.
6. When you’ve finished testing with the microphone, disable the “Listen to this device” option so you don’t always hear your own voice.
Bonus: Microphone’s volume too low or hardly can be heard…
Go to the Levels tab in the same properties window and check the volume level of your Microphone. It’s up to you how much you want to increase it. If another level named Boost exists, you can try increasing it to your liking. Boost improves your mic’s input to pick up even more sound by amplifying it. It’s beneficial if the volume on your microphone is still too low even when it’s set to 100.
What are the common causes of microphone issues in apps or games
If you have numerous microphones, make sure you have the right microphone selected in your app or game (possibly from one of your headsets that you are not aware of). The software can only use one Microphone at a time, just like Windows. As a result, the correct one must be chosen.
Make that your microphone is not muted by accident in the game’s settings, by the server, or by anybody else in the game.
A hardware switch on some microphones/headphones allows you to easily mute and unmute your microphone. Check to see if it’s in unmute mode.
