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Certain kinds of Windows problems can have all sorts of causes, and microphone issues are a perfect example of this. If your Windows 11 computer's microphone is too quiet, the root cause could be software — a hard-to-find level slider is set too low, for example — or hardware with a misconfigured audio component. If your mic is too quiet in video meetings, when recording a podcast or making a video conference call, here are seven things to check that will hopefully enable everyone to hear your voice again.
If you have more than one microphone connected to your computer, make sure the right one is selected. For example, you might have a mic built into your laptop, but the lid is closed and you're using a standalone webcam on an external monitor. That will result in badly muffled sound. If you occasionally use a VR headset, Windows might even get confused and think the default mic should be the one in the VR headset, all the way across the room — it's no wonder your volume is too low.
1. Click Start and then Settings.
2. On the left of the Settings window, click System, and then click Sound.
3. Scroll down to the Input section and expand it, if necessary, so you can see all the installed microphones. If it's not already selected, click the correct one.
Dave Johnson
Perhaps the single most important step when setting up your mic, you need to set the input volume in Settings.
1. Click Start and then Settings.
2. On the left of the Settings window, click System, and then click Sound.
3. In the Input section, click the arrow to the right of your selected microphone.
4. Click Start test and talk into the microphone in a normal voice for several seconds, then click Stop test. Windows should report a result of "100% of total volume." If you get a result that's less than 100%, increase the Input volume by dragging the slider to the right. Repeat the test until the microphone is capturing 100% of your audio.
Dave Johnson
Microphone sensitivity can drop off rapidly if you're not in the mic's "sweet spot." This might not be a serious problem if you're using the mic built into your laptop or a clip-on webcam, but desktop USB microphones can suffer from low volume if you talk into it off-axis or from too far away. Test the mic to see how close you need to be to get good results. In addition, if you have a mic with multiple input modes (like cardioid, omnidirectional, and bidirectional), the mode you choose can have an enormous impact on input level and sound quality. If you have a choice, dial in the cardioid setting (it'll usually be a dial on the back of the microphone) for most routine recording and web conferencing applications.
1. Click Start and then Settings.
2. On the left of the Settings window, click Privacy & security, and then in the App permissions section, click Microphone.
3. Make sure any apps you are using have permission to use the mic by swiping the buttons to the right.
Dave Johnson
Even though you've configured your microphone in Windows, things can still go awry in the app, whether it's Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or another service. Each app's settings vary, but find the microphone settings in the specific app you want to use and ensure the right microphone is selected and the input levels are high enough.
Dave Johnson
If you've already set the mic's input as high as it will go, there might yet be a way to increase it further.
1. Click Start and then Settings.
2. On the left of the Settings window, click System, and then click Sound.
3. In the Advanced section, click More sound settings. The Sound dialog box should appear.
4. Click the Recording tab.
5. Right-click on your microphone and, in the pop-up menu, choose Properties.
Dave Johnson
6. On the Microphone properties dialog box, click the Levels tab.
7. Finally, if there is a Microphone Boost slider — not all microphones will have this option — drag it to the right to increase the mic's sensitivity.
Some microphones have enhanced audio features that work with Windows to boost the sound quality. Unfortunately, these options can sometimes cause conflicts, which includes lower-than-expected sound quality. To eliminate this possibility, turn off audio enhancements, if it's an option for you.
1. Click Start and then Settings.
2. On the left of the Settings window, click System, and then click Sound.
3. In the Input section, click the arrow to the right of your selected microphone.
4. Look for an Enhance audio section. If you see one, turn it off by swiping the button to the left.
