Mac OS is relatively closed system, which means you do not have the access to do much about programming, not even the simplest self troubleshoot in some cases. But if there is still anything than we can do about it: A USB microphone doesn't work on your Mac?
General steps of getting Mic working. Enable via Quick Menu (Microphone section not USB peripherals) 2. Go to Sound Control Panel 3. Recording tab and properties on External Microphone Headphone 4. Levels (check not muted) 5. Listen tab (tick Listen to device and apply) 6. If your microphone is not working as expected, these websites and apps will be useless. Configure the microphone settings On your Mac, go to Apple menu System Preferences Sound Input and select a mic (built-in internal one usually) and check the input levels. Does the input level moves when you say something?
A few tips on the physical connection for your reference.
- 1.If you have many devices connected to your Mac: Disconnect all USB devices except the device you're testing.
- 2.If the mic is connected to a USB hub that does not have a power cable, pleases plug the mic directly into your computer's USB port.
- 3.If your computer has more than one USB port, switch the mic to another port.
- 4.If you still cannot use the mic, shut down the computer and unplug it from the power outlet. Wait about a minute, then plug it back into the power outlet and start up your computer.
After all these hard work, chances are that the mic is still not seen by your Mac. Then you can go ahead to do something about the system setting. Check the microphone permissions: Head to System Preferences > Security and Privacy > Privacy, and select 'Microphone' from the sidebar. You should see a list of apps that have requested access to your microphone and make sure you tick a checkmark next to all the apps that you need to use with your mic.
Hopefully the mic is recognized by the computer now. But if the situation did not get any improved: You still not hear any sound coming out of your Mac, then more troubleshooting should be done.
First off, under sound setting of Mac OS system, make sure the microphone is the default input while the built-in speaker of Mac is the default out. Next, turn up the input volume and talk to the mic, see if there is any response in the input level.
If not, you have to enable the dictation feature of your Mac. But it is a wild card, which does not necessarily work in your case, but is definitely worth a shot. Head to System Preferences > Keyboard, and then click the 'Dictation' tab. Click the 'On' radio button and wait for any downloads to complete. Make sure the microphone you want to use is selected in the drop-down menu. Luckily this time you should see the levels moving.
At last, click open the app QuickTime player on your Mac to hear microphone sound coming out of the laptop's internal speaker. You also have to choose the USB mic as default device in the drop-down menu of the apps and drag the progress bar to the right side. And this all, you should be able to hear audio by now.
The microphone is an essential part of your Mac. Whether you are using apps like Skype, Zoom, Facetime, Siri or whether you are speaking to Mac, you need a microphone. But, what if you find that your Mac microphone has stopped working? Whatever the reason be, we'll have a look at steps you can take to resolve the issue.
Why Your Mac Microphone Might Not Be Working? Let's first have a look at a few reasons why your Macbook microphone might not be working –
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Ways To Fix Microphone Not Working On Mac
Here are some of the easiest and effective steps you can undertake if the microphone is not working on your Mac, immaterial of whether it is a MacBook or iMac –
Table Of Contents |
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| 1. Fix The Misconfigured Sound Input 2. Give Your Mac A Quick Restart 3. Throw The Junk Files Out Of Your System 4. Do Your Apps Have Access To Microphone? 5. Turn On The Dictation Option 6. Reset Your Mac's PRAM |
1. Fix The Misconfigured Sound Input
One of the reasons why the microphone on your Mac might not be working could be because of a misconfigured sound output. Here we will look at the possible steps which can help you fix the issue –
1. Go to Sound Preferences and then go to Sound
2. Click on the Input tab
3. You will be able to see a list of devices you use as a sound source. Here you will also be able to see the name of your Microphone as well
4. Now, as you click on your choice of microphones, you will see an Input volume bar at the bottom
5. Slide the bar and check if you are able to hear properly
2. Give Your Mac A Quick Restart
Let's keep it simple at first. If your Mac microphone is not working, you can give your Mac a quick restart and then check if the problem is fixed. To restart, go to the Apple menu and then click on Restart.
3. Throw The Junk Files Out Of Your System
Junk files that get accumulated can meddle with the various settings of your Mac and the microphone is no different. This is when you can exercise the power of third-party Mac optimization and cleaning tools like Disk Clean Pro.
Here are some of the easiest and effective steps you can undertake if the microphone is not working on your Mac, immaterial of whether it is a MacBook or iMac –
Table Of Contents |
|---|
| 1. Fix The Misconfigured Sound Input 2. Give Your Mac A Quick Restart 3. Throw The Junk Files Out Of Your System 4. Do Your Apps Have Access To Microphone? 5. Turn On The Dictation Option 6. Reset Your Mac's PRAM |
1. Fix The Misconfigured Sound Input
One of the reasons why the microphone on your Mac might not be working could be because of a misconfigured sound output. Here we will look at the possible steps which can help you fix the issue –
1. Go to Sound Preferences and then go to Sound
2. Click on the Input tab
3. You will be able to see a list of devices you use as a sound source. Here you will also be able to see the name of your Microphone as well
4. Now, as you click on your choice of microphones, you will see an Input volume bar at the bottom
5. Slide the bar and check if you are able to hear properly
2. Give Your Mac A Quick Restart
Let's keep it simple at first. If your Mac microphone is not working, you can give your Mac a quick restart and then check if the problem is fixed. To restart, go to the Apple menu and then click on Restart.
3. Throw The Junk Files Out Of Your System
Junk files that get accumulated can meddle with the various settings of your Mac and the microphone is no different. This is when you can exercise the power of third-party Mac optimization and cleaning tools like Disk Clean Pro.
Microphone Settings On Mac
Here's how you can use Disk Clean Pro to remove the junk out of your Mac in a few very simple steps –
1. Download and install Disk Clean Pro.
2. Scan your Mac for junk files. Click on Start System Scan to proceed.
3. Wait for the process to finish and then click on the Clean Now button.
4. Click OK on the confirmation box appears next.
That's it! You have successfully removed all the junk items in your Mac.
Disk Clean Pro – Other Features |
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Price: US$ $9.99 Compatibility: macOS 10.7 or later Click Here To Download Disk Clean Pro |
4. Do Your Apps Have Access To Microphone?
Let's consider this scenario – you need your Microphone so that you can listen to your colleagues on a Zoom or Skype call and as soon as the meeting starts, you just can't hear anything. Smart switch mac os x. A simple fix is to check app permissions, you can control apps that are allowed to use the Microphone.
Unreal tournament 2003 demo mac. 1. Click on the Apple menu and then click on System Preferences
2. Click on Security & Privacy > Privacy
3. Choose Microphone from the left-hand menu
Microphone On Mac Not Working With Skype
4. Now, click on the checkbox next to the app. For example Zoom
Alternatively, you can check if you have enabled sound settings for a particular app (Apps like Skype, Zoom, etc have dedicated sound settings that need to be switched on so that you can chat via microphone). You can also try to uninstall and then reinstall the app once again and then check if you are able to use the Microphone for that particular app or not.
5. Turn On The Dictation Option
Maybe you don't want to dictate your Mac and type it for you but this feature can also help download drivers which can resolve issues because of which your MacBook microphone is not working. Here are the steps to turn on Dictation –
1. Open System Preferences
2. Click on the keyboard window
3. Now, click on the Dictation tab and then on the Dictation radio button
Your Mac will now look for relevant drivers or language packs and will download them automatically. Once downloaded, check if your Microphone is working or not.
6. Reset Your Mac's PRAM
In simple terms, just resetting your PRAM can help make your Mac microphone work again since this option resets your Mac's settings –
1. Click on the Apple icon and then click on Shut Down
2. When your Mac has turned off press the power button and the cmd + alt + P + R buttons simultaneously
3. Hold them down for 20 seconds
4. When you release the keys, you would have reset the PRAM
Also Read: How To Reset Mac To Factory Settings
Wrapping Up
We sincerely hope that in case your Mac microphone is acting up or not working, the above-mentioned ways will help you fix the issue. We'd again like to reinstate that in case junk files and unwanted apps are interfering with your Mac microphone's settings, you can always count on apps like Disk Clean Pro. If you liked the blog, do give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends.
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