5 Best Ways to Fix Microphone Not Working on Mac

Working from home is the new normal these days. Lots of companies like Shopify, Salesforce, Twitter, Spotify, etc. allow employees to do things from home. In virtual meetings and conferences, you can make a lasting impression when your device’s microphone, speakers, and webcam perform as intended. A sketchy microphone performance can be awkward because others won’t be able to hear you. If you encounter such problem on Mac, read on.

Microphone not working properly on Mac can leave the wrong impression during an ongoing job interview or meeting. The guide below will walk you through different steps to find and fix the problem.

1. Configure microphone settings

This is the most common way to fix the microphone issue on Mac.

Before using your microphone, you can check the microphone input level. If it’s too low, your Mac won’t detect any sound.

Follow the steps below to configure the microphone settings from the System Preferences menu.

Step 1: Click on the Apple icon in the menu bar and select System Preferences (in Applications or you can find it via Siri or Spotlight Search). Then click on Sound in the Hardware group.

2nd step: Click Enter on the tab at the top of the window. Now click Internal Microphone in the device list to adjust your Mac’s internal microphone microphone settings, or click the name of any external USB microphone you have installed.

Step 3: Drag the Input volume slider to the right to increase the microphone volume or drag the slider to the left to decrease the volume.

Close the sound settings window after adjusting the microphone.

2. Activate microphone authorization

If you haven’t enabled microphone permission for an app, no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to use the microphone for the selected app. Apple allows you to customize the microphone permission from the System Preferences menu.

Follow the steps below to make the necessary changes.

Step 1: Click the Apple icon in the menu bar and select System Preferences.

2nd step: Go to Security and privacy> Microphone.

Step 3: Enable microphone permission for the apps you intend to use.

Now open the app you were having microphone issues in and check it again.

3. Try to activate dictation

This method may or may not work for everyone. You might not know how it works, but some reports claim that enabling the macOS dictation feature can help fix some internal microphone issues.

All Mac computers come with a dictation setting that takes over and triggers things that activate your mic and make it work again for text-to-speech functions.

Here’s how to activate it.

Step 1: Click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your Mac’s menu bar.

2nd step: Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: Select Keyboard from the menu.

Step 4: Click the Dictation tab at the top of the window.

Step 5: Activate dictation.

This forces your Mac’s microphone to start working for you, even if another app is causing problems.

4. Reset your Mac’s PRAM

Your Mac’s Settings RAM, or PRAM, stores all Mac settings, preventing your microphone from functioning properly. Resetting your PRAM can do the trick – if nothing else has restarted it.

Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Shut down your Mac completely.

2nd step: Hold down Cmd + Alt + P + R while turning your Mac back on.

Step 3: Hold all keys for 20 seconds.

Step 4: Release all keys and let your Mac restart normally.

Now test the mic again and make sure it is working. If that still doesn’t work, try the method below.

5. Restart your Mac in Safe Mode

It’s a simple but effective way to troubleshoot microphone issues. It’s always a good idea to use safe mode. The method checks for certain issues and logs your Mac out of Safe Mode to resolve microphone issues.

Follow the steps below to restart your Mac in Safe Mode.

Step 1: Shut down your Mac.

2nd step: Immediately press the power button on your Mac and hold the Shift key until the login screen appears.

Step 3: After that, you might want to enter your password several times and Mac will start in safe mode.

Enjoy flawless meetings on Mac

If none of the tips work for you, it could be a hardware issue on your Mac. In such cases, you need to make an appointment at the nearest Apple Store. If that fixed the microphone issue, let us know which trick worked for you in the comments.