Fixing Google Meet Microphone Not Working on Computer, Phone

Google Meet is currently one of the most widely used video conferencing software for organizing online meetings and online classes. Typically, Google Meet provides seamless audio and call experience on both computers and phones. However, similar to other competing platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, users may still encounter microphone issues on Google Meet, which can happen while hosting or joining meetings. So how do you fix Google Meet microphone not working? Below are some effective measures you can apply.

Troubleshooting Google Meet Microphone Not Working

I - How to Fix Google Meet Microphone Not Working on Computer

1. Ensure that you have enabled the microphone during the video call

Look at the bottom part of the Meet meeting screen, if the microphone icon in red with a cross mark, it means your microphone is muted. Simply click on it to unmute. Besides, apart from your accidental or intentional muting, connecting to a Google Meet meeting with at least five participants may also automatically mute your microphone. Additionally, the meeting organizer may mute your microphone remotely. In both cases, only you can unmute yourself.

2. Grant microphone access for Google Meet on the web browser

As a security measure, most web browsers block microphone access to websites and web apps like Google Meet by default. Your browser probably prompted you to allow microphone access the first time you started a Google Meet meeting. However, you may have overlooked this notification due to confusion.

In this case, you have to manually grant the necessary permissions to the web application. The permission granting process varies slightly across different browsers. Here's what you do:

2.1. On Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge Chromium

After accessing Google Meet in your browser, you click on the padlock icon in the top left corner of the address bar and set Microphone to Allow.

If this option doesn't appear in the dropdown menu when you click on the padlock icon, select Site Settings.

Next, you'll be taken to the Settings page allowing you to grant permissions to Google Meet. Here, click on the dropdown menu next to the Microphone option and choose Allow.

2.2. On Firefox

After accessing Google Meet in your browser, click on the padlock icon in the top left corner of the address bar and remove the Blocked Temporarily restriction next to the Use the Microphone option.

2.3. On Safari

You go to the Safari menu > Preferences, click on the Websites tab, and select Microphone. Then, set meet.google.com to Allow.

3. Grant microphone access for web browsers on Windows and Mac

3.1. On Windows

Windows has introduced a new feature to control which apps use your microphone to enhance security. If you're unable to use the microphone in Google Meet, you should check your microphone permissions in Windows with the following steps:

Step 1: Type Microphone privacy settings into Windows search and click on the corresponding search result.

Step 2: On the Settings page, enable the option Allow apps to access your microphone.

Step 3: Scroll down the page and ensure that the option Allow desktop apps to access your microphone is also enabled.

3.2. On Mac

Similar to Windows, you'll need to grant permission for apps/browsers to use your microphone. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Open the System Preferences app on your Mac from the Dock or click on the Apple icon and select System Preferences.

Step 2: In the System Preferences page, select Security and Privacy.

Step 3: If the lock icon at the bottom left corner of the Security and Privacy screen is locked, click on that lock icon and enter your Mac's PIN code.

Step 4: Choose the Privacy tab and click on the Microphone option in the left panel. Then, check the browser you want to allow microphone access.

4. Select the correct microphone to use on Google Meet

Google Meet allows you to change input and output devices from within the platform. So, if you have multiple microphones connected to your PC or Mac, you need to specify the exact microphone you want Meet to use. Start by clicking on the 3-dot icon in the Google Meet menu and selecting Settings.

Under the Audio tab, choose the microphone you want Meet to use.

5. Use Google Meet on the Chrome browser

You can join Meet meetings from any web browser on Windows and Mac. While Google Meet works on all major browsers like Firefox or Safari, it's best to use it on Google Chrome because typically, Google's products and services work best with Google's own products and services.

Apart from the aforementioned issue, Google Meet sometimes fails to change the background. Fixing the problem of Google Meet not finding the camera is also easy and effective.

6. Restart your web browser

The next troubleshooting step for fixing the Google Meet microphone issue is to try exiting and relaunching your web browser. It's a great way to address microphone-related issues. Then, reopen the browser and rejoin the meeting. A quick Chrome browser restart tip you can try is to enter chrome://restart in a new tab and press Enter. All your tabs will remain intact.

7. Check the microphone volume on your computer

Both Windows and macOS allow users to set the system microphone volume. If the input volume is low, others in the Google Meet call may not hear you, leading to the misunderstanding that Google Meet is not recognizing your microphone. Therefore, you should check the microphone volume in this case.

7.1. On Windows

Step 1: Access Settings via Windows search or the Action Center. Then, select System > Sound.
Step 2: Under the Related Settings section on the right side of the screen, click on Sound Control Panel.

Step 3: In the Sound window, switch to the Recording tab, select the microphone, and click on the Properties button. Under the Levels tab of the Microphone Properties dialog, adjust the slider to a higher input level, ensuring that the speaker icon next to it is not muted.

7.2. On a Mac

Step 1: Click on the Apple icon and select System Preferences > Sound, then switch to the Input tab.

Step 2: Select your microphone, then adjust the input level accordingly. Your changes will be automatically saved.

Google Meet also features audio sharing. You can apply this method to share audio on Google Meet to make it easier for everyone to join meetings and online classes.

8. Switch to Wired Headphones

If you're using Bluetooth headphones with a built-in microphone, it's possible that Meet's services are conflicting with the wireless technology needed for your headphones to function properly. This is a common issue, and many people worldwide using Bluetooth headphones with Google Meet are experiencing similar problems.

Google plans to address the issue with future updates, but currently, the only solution seems to be using wired headphones with a built-in microphone or using an external microphone.

9. Use Windows Troubleshooter

Windows 10 comes with a troubleshooter that can detect and resolve microphone-related issues.

Step 1: Go to Settings through Windows search or the Action Center. Then, select System > Sound.
Step 2: Under the Input section, choose the microphone you're using in the Choose your input device part and click the Troubleshoot button.

If the troubleshooter detects any issues with your microphone, follow the on-screen instructions to resolve them.

For those using Windows 11, check out the guide on fixing microphone not working on Windows 11 in this article.

Learn more: How to fix microphone not working on Windows 11

10. Restart Microphone via CLI on Mac

On Mac, your microphone might be claimed by other browser extensions or apps, leading to Google Meet not detecting it.

To check if that's the case, start by leaving any ongoing Google Meet meetings. Then, open Terminal (Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal) and enter the command sudo killall coreaudiod.

Then, press Enter and enter your Mac login password to execute the command. Finally, restart your Mac and rejoin the meeting to see if the issue is resolved.

11. Restart Your Computer

If restarting your browser isn't effective, try restarting your computer. This action will clear system cache files and background processes that may interfere with microphone functionality. It will also discharge any built-up charge from capacitors in your system, which can help address any conflicts that might impede your microphone's operation (external microphones only).

Apart from the above issue, Google Meet sometimes struggles to change backgrounds. Fixing the error of Google Meet not finding the camera is also straightforward and effective.

• Read More: How to Fix Google Meet Background Not Changing

II - How to Fix Google Meet Microphone Not Working on Android and iPhone

Not only on computers, but you may also encounter the issue of Google Meet not recognizing the microphone on iPhone and Android devices. Of course, you can resolve this issue with various methods, and Mytour has compiled the most effective troubleshooting methods for you to refer to in the article below:

Read More: How to Fix Google Meet Microphone Not Working on Android, iPhone

Here are all the ways to fix Google Meet microphone not working or microphone issues on Google Meet. They are all easy to perform, and you should apply each method step by step to resolve the issue most effectively. If all else fails, you can try reinstalling Google Meet.

Renaming Google Meet, using filters on Google Meet, or fixing the issue of Meet not opening are also very easy. You can refer to Mytour's article to use Meet effectively and quickly.

Read More: How to Rename Google Meet

Read More: How to Use Filters on Google Meet

Read More: Unable to Open Meet