How to Increase Microphone Input Volume and Check the Level

If people on a call say you sound distant, or your recordings come out faint, the fix is usually a quick settings change. This guide shows how to raise microphone input volume in the operating system, when to use hardware gain or boost, and how to confirm the new level sounds clean rather than just louder.

Before you start

Everything in this guide uses settings on your own computer and microphone, so no account or online service is needed. If you use a browser-based microphone test to check the result, it needs permission to access the microphone. Whether such a tool processes audio only in your browser or sends it anywhere depends on the tool, so check its privacy information instead of assuming.

• Connect the microphone you actually use, such as a headset, USB microphone, webcam microphone or audio interface.
• Close apps you don't need that might be holding the microphone, especially other call or recording apps.
• Note your current input level so you can return to it if the change makes things worse.
• If your microphone or interface has a physical gain knob, find it now. It sits before any software setting and often matters most.

Step-by-step instructions

Windows 11

• Open Settings, then go to System and Sound.
• Under Input, select the microphone you want to use. It must be the active input device, otherwise your changes affect a different microphone.
• Open that device's properties and raise the Input volume slider.
• Speak at a normal volume and watch the level indicator on the same page. It should move clearly while you talk.

Windows 10 and the classic Sound panel

• In Windows 10, open Settings, go to System and Sound, choose your microphone under Input, then open Device properties to adjust the volume.
• For more control in either Windows version, open the classic Sound control panel and select the Recording tab.
• Double-click your microphone and open the Levels tab.
• Raise the Microphone slider. If your audio driver provides a Microphone Boost slider, it appears on this tab too. Raise it one step at a time, because boost amplifies background noise along with your voice.
• Click OK or Apply to save.

Microphone Boost is supplied by the audio driver, not by Windows itself, so many USB microphones and headsets won't show it. That's normal and doesn't mean anything is broken.

macOS

• Open System Settings and select Sound. On versions before macOS Ventura, open System Preferences and select Sound instead.
• Go to the Input section and select your microphone.
• Move the Input volume slider to the right.
• Speak and watch the input level meter on the same screen.

macOS has no separate boost setting, so the slider is the system-level limit. If the slider is at maximum and you're still too quiet, use the hardware gain or microphone placement steps below.

Hardware gain and app settings

Microphone input gain on an interface, mixer or microphone body raises the signal before it reaches the computer. Turning it up usually gives a cleaner result than pushing a software boost. Make small adjustments, then recheck the level in the system settings.

Call and recording apps often have their own audio settings, with a separate input device choice and sometimes an option that adjusts the microphone level automatically. Make sure the app uses the same microphone you just configured. If the app keeps changing your level, turn off its automatic adjustment and set the level yourself.

Check the output

The level meter is your first check. While you speak normally, the meter should move well up the scale. If it stays near the bottom, the signal is still too weak. If it sits at the top on ordinary speech, it's too hot and will distort.

Then record a short clip with a built-in recorder, such as Sound Recorder on Windows or Voice Memos or QuickTime Player on macOS. Play it back through your usual output device, such as headphones or speakers. Listen for three things: whether your voice is loud enough, whether loud words crackle or break up, and how much background noise was raised along with your voice. A level that is slightly lower but clean beats a louder one that distorts.

The sample rate shown in the device's advanced format settings controls audio format and quality, not loudness. Raising it won't make the microphone louder, so leave it alone unless an app specifically requires a different setting.

Common problems and next steps

The slider is at maximum but the microphone is still quiet

• Check that the correct input device is selected both in the system and in the app. A webcam or laptop microphone is often chosen by default instead of your headset.
• Move closer to the microphone and speak toward the side it picks up from. Distance often affects loudness more than any slider does.
• If the microphone or interface has a gain control, raise it.
• On Windows, look for Microphone Boost in the Levels tab of the classic Sound panel.
• Update or reinstall the audio driver, or the manufacturer's software for USB microphones and headsets, if levels stay unusually low.

The level keeps resetting

This usually means an app is adjusting the microphone automatically. Turn off automatic level adjustment in that app's audio settings. On Windows, the Advanced tab of the microphone's properties in the classic Sound panel also has an option that lets apps take exclusive control of the device. Turning it off can stop one app from overriding your level.

Louder, but noisy or distorted

Boosting the microphone input raises background noise and hiss along with your voice. Lower the boost or gain until loud speech stops crackling, then make up the difference by moving closer to the microphone. If the app offers noise suppression, try it, but listen to a test recording, because strong suppression can make a voice sound muffled.

Bluetooth headset sounds weak or low quality

When the microphone on a Bluetooth headset is active, many headsets switch to a hands-free mode with limited audio quality. Raising the input volume won't change that. For better results, use a wired headset or a separate microphone and keep the Bluetooth headset as the output device only.