Fix · Google Chrome

Microphone not working in Chrome: how to let a call hear you

When a call in Chrome cannot hear you, three things each get a say — the site, Chrome and the computer — and Google’s own checklist starts with simply being muted.

What you are seeing

You are in a video call in Google Chrome — Google Meet, Zoom or Teams in the browser, Meetful — and nobody can hear you, or Chrome says it cannot use your microphone.

The likely causes, most common first

Work down the list; most people find theirs in the first two.

1. You are muted somewhere

  1. Check the headset first: many have a mute switch on the cable, and some mute when the microphone arm is pushed up.
  2. Then check the call itself — a crossed-out microphone in the call’s controls means the site is muting you, not Chrome.

Google: “The mute switch on the cord is off.” — support.google.com/chrome/answer/2693767

2. The site is not allowed to use the microphone

  1. Click the small icon at the left of the address bar, find Microphone, set it to allow, and reload the page.
  2. If you once chose Never allow, Chrome remembers. Undo it under Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Microphone, where blocked sites are listed.

Google: “Some sites won't work if you don't allow them. For example, you won't be able to join a video call.” — support.google.com/chrome/answer/2693767

3. Your Mac has not let Chrome use it

  1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, and switch Google Chrome on.
  2. Chrome may need to quit and open again before it notices the change.

Apple: “You can decide which apps are allowed to use the microphone.” — support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/control-access-to-the-microphone-on-mac-mchla1b1e1fe/mac

4. Windows has not let Chrome use it

  1. On Windows 11: Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone. Turn on Microphone access, then Let desktop apps access your microphone — Chrome counts as a desktop app.

Microsoft: “To use your microphone with apps on Windows 11, you'll need to turn on some permissions in Privacy & security settings.” — support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/turn-on-app-permissions-for-your-microphone-in-windows

5. Chrome is listening to a different microphone

  1. A webcam, a monitor, a dock or a pair of earbuds can each bring a microphone of its own, and Chrome may have picked one you are not speaking into.
  2. Choose the right one under Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Microphone, using the arrow at the top.

Google: “You can select a default microphone to use on different sites.” — support.google.com/chrome/answer/2693767

6. Your work or school controls Chrome

  1. On a managed computer the IT team sets these permissions, and the switches may be greyed out for you. Ask them to allow the microphone for the sites you use for calls.

Google: “your network administrator can set camera and microphone settings” — support.google.com/chrome/answer/2693767

7. It needs a fresh start

  1. Leave the call and join again. Still silent? Quit Chrome completely and reopen it, then restart the computer.

Google: “Rejoin the video call.” — support.google.com/chrome/answer/2693767

Every quote above is from Google’s, Apple’s and Microsoft’s own help pages, read on 10 November 2026. Something changed? Tell us.

The longer guide, with more detail →

Other Google Chrome problems

Camera not workingWhen your video stays black in a Chrome call, the camera is usually blocked for the site, blocked for Chrome by the computer, held by another app, or simply the wrong camera.Screen share not working on a MacOn a Mac, Chrome can only share your screen once macOS has given it permission to record the screen — and the sound comes along only when you share the right thing.Transcript missingA Google Meet transcript is saved to the organiser’s Drive, only starts from a computer or an Android phone, and waits for the host to join on the web.Recording missingGoogle Meet saves recordings to the organiser’s Drive, only records from a computer or an Android phone, and stops by itself after eight hours.Notes or summary missingGoogle’s automatic notes need an eligible plan, a meeting of about fifteen minutes or more in one supported language, and somebody from the host’s organisation to start them.Breakout rooms missingBreakout rooms in Google Meet need an eligible Workspace edition and a host on a computer, and Google never records what happens in them.

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