Microphone: How to set up & Troubleshoot mic problems

A microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, tape recorders, karaoke systems, hearing aids, motion picture production, live and recorded audio engineering, FRS radios, megaphones, in radio and television broadcasting and in computers for recording voice, speech recognition, VoIP, and for non-acoustic purposes such as ultrasonic checking or knock sensors.

How to set up a microphone on Windows 10

Install a new microphone by following these steps:

  • Right-click the volume icon on the taskbar and select Sound > Recording Devices.
  • In the Recording tab, select the microphone you’d like to set up.
  • Select Configure.
  • Select Set up a microphone, and follow the steps of the Microphone Setup Wizard.

Test a microphone that has already been installed:

  • Right-click the volume icon on the taskbar and select Sound > Recording Devices.
  • In the Recording tab, check if the green bars rising as you speak into your recording device. If the bars are moving, your device is connected and working properly.
  • If your recording device isn’t working, you need to update your drivers.
  • To enable Cortana’s microphone, select the microphone icon in the Cortana search bar.
  • Select Settings, and under Microphone, select Get Started.

How to fix microphone issues on Windows

Here are the steps to find and fix microphone problems in Windows 10 using the troubleshooter:

  1. Open the Search bar and type-in troubleshoot.
  2. Scroll down under Find and fix other problems and click on Recording audio
    Fix Microphone issues in Windows 10
  3. Run the troubleshooter.

Although, in many cases, users have not been able to fix the issues this way. That’s why we covered most of the issues and presented effective solutions in the guides below.

Microphone not working in Windows 10

Why is microphone not working? Sometimes these issues occur if your microphone isn’t set as default or if it’s disabled. Read below how to set up a microphone and test it out on Windows 10. Check out these guides to help you fix microphone not working:

Other microphone issues and how to fix them