If your PC or MacBook has a built-in microphone that isn’t responding, the issue could be caused by a variety of issues. In this article, you will find a few steps that you can take to troubleshoot the microphone.
Check the Recording Volume For a PC Microphone
To check the recording volume of your built-in microphone on your laptop, click the
Sound symbol in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, then select
Recording Devices. Next, double-click
Internal Microphone. Select
Levels, and ensure that the recording volume is sufficient.
Microphone Fails on Windows 10
If you are using Windows 10 and facing an issue with your computer’s built-in microphone, check if you have updated your operating software beyond the April 2018 update. If so, many peripherals are automatically disabled for security reasons.
To grant your PC access to the microphone, open the
Start menu, and select
Settings. Click
Privacy, then find
Microphone. Next, turn on the
Microphone, and select
Allow apps access to your microphone.
Enable Your Internal Microphone
To get started, open
Windows and right-click on the
volume button in the menu bar in the lower right-hand corner. In the menu that opens, click
Recording devices. Find your device and note if it is
enabled or
disabled. If you see that the microphone, often labeled
Internal Microphone, is disabled, right-click on it and select
Enable.
N.B. If after opening the sound panel you do not see your internal microphone listed, right-click in the white space and check
Show disabled devices. Then, complete the remaining steps above.
Update Your Microphone Driver
To update your driver, go to the
Start menu and search
Device Manager. Click to open
Audio Inputs and Outputs, then select
Internal Microphone. Go to the
Driver tab, click
Update Driver, and follow the instructions to complete the update.
Check the Volume For a MacBook Microphone
On your MacBook, click the
Apple symbol in the menu bar, then select
System Preferences. Click
Sound, and go to the
Input tab. Select
Internal microphone and adjust the recording volume as needed. The
Input Level bar will allow you to test the microphone’s strength.
Run an SMC Reset on Your MacBook
If you are still unable to get the microphone to work, you will need to complete an SMC reset. The procedure is different depending on the model of your MacBook. If your laptop has a non-removable battery, go to the
Apple menu, and select
Shut Down.... After your laptop is off, press and hold the
Shift +
Control +
Option +
Power keys for 10 seconds. Then release the keys, turn on your MacBook, and try recording again.
If you have an older MacBook with a battery that can be removed, go to the
Apple menu, and select
Shut Down.... Next, remove the battery. Then, press and hold the
Power button for five seconds. Reinsert the battery and turn on your MacBook.
N.B. MacBooks are generally not capable of processing two audio inputs simultaneously. To check this, make sure that there is only one device in use on your computer.
Photo: Unsplash