Apple is known for its high quality, whereas it has a perfect combination of hardware and software services so as its product. Talking to the customer satisfaction of apple, It is a consistent top mark in customer satisfaction, and they provide top-notch service to the customer. That’s why a larger audience attracts the MacBook besides the price, but after all of these things, sometimes users have encountered the Mac microphone not working error.
What Causes Mac’s Microphone to Stop Working?
There are numerous reason, Mac’s microphone stop working. There is a list of the reason according to the client and some of the research. Here is the list of the reasons below:
1. Low input volume: Sometimes, your Mac did not transmit the sound properly, and the result is the lowering of the microphone, and your voice is not clear to the other people while using the microphone. While playing games, you got a problem communicating with friends.
2. Incomplete Drivers: A Driver act as a translator between a device and the operating system. At the same time, the audio driver connects the microphone with the operating system. Corrupted, outdated, and deletion of some files of the Sound Driver result in the Unclear voice, Lowering of Microphone s’ volume, and sometimes it led to Mic failure.
3. Corrupt setting: Most of the time, the microphone stopped working due to some invalid setting or corrupted setting in your Mac to start your microphone again. Go to the Microphone s’ setting column on your Mac and check your setting and change the setting in the default.
4. User account glitch: Sometimes, It happens that the user account gets a glitch, and the result is stopped working microphone to avoid this type of error; just restart your Macs.
5. Application permissions: There is a privacy setting in all the applications in media, and sometimes the application has disabled the microphone, and you encounter the error in microphone to avoid this type of error, enable the microphone in application permission.
6. Application Microphone Level: If you download any application from the search engine on the 3rd party website, then you are usually familiar with low-level input level or distorted sound.
7. Corrupt Application: Corrupt application may also the result of the distorted voice of the Microphone in the Macs; for that, you have to make sure that your application is installed correctly and have been download from the authentic website. Sometimes reinstallation of the corrupted application may also work.
8. Third-party peripheral: Unnecessary or excess use of third-party hardware and software results in a low-level voice in the microphone, and sometimes you also have encountered a distorted voice in the microphone. This is due to the Third-party peripheral.
9. Interference from other third-party software: Sometimes, when you are using your Mac, some 3rd party application popup of sound option and believe me, this is the reason for corrupted voice in the microphone. Uninstalling such type of application in your Macs will definitely fix the microphone in your Macs.
10. Microphone obstructed: This is one of the exception reason, due to which microphone s’ voice gets distorted, but still, it is the reason, Sometimes the cover of the laptop cause this error another reason is some kind of tapes, sticker or tattoo stick in Mac’s microphone.
11. Noise Reduction: It is a unique feature that is available only in Macs. The function of the Noise is to reduce the background sound in the input. This function sometimes doesn’t work well; to avoid any kind of sound issue in the microphone just change the Noise setting into default.
12. Multiple inputs: if your Mac has many connected ports, then you might be confused in selecting the correct port this led to the corrupted voice in Mac’s microphone.
13. Physically Damaged: Damaged microphone of the Mac led to the distortion /corrupted voice in mic. It is the physical damage that can be seen.
Above are some causes of the Mac microphone not working error.
How to Fix Microphone Not Working
I am going to show you all the possible and working methods to fix the microphone issue in the Mac. Follow the steps carefully in the method that I have shown you below.
Solution 1: Checking Application permission
If you are using some application in the Macs and then you got a mic distortion and problem in the mic, make sure to check your Mac’s mic because sometimes there is some reason due to which this error comes up. Doesn’t grant permission is one reason to access the mic permission to the given application, do follow the given steps.
Step 1: Click on the apple logo, options appear on display. Sub click on the system preference in the given options.
Step 2: Search “Security and Privacy” in the system preference, and as soon as you see it, click on it.
Step 3: Go to the privacy setting in the “security and privacy” and select the microphone which appears on the left side.
Step 4: Then click on the privacy setting on the 4th column at the top of the application.
Step 5: According to your choice, give access to the application which you want.
Step 6: After doing all the 5 steps, restart your Mac to see the result.
This is one of the effective and simplest methods among all the methods, as shown above. I hope this method fixes the Microphone not working issue.
Solution 2: Checking Application Input Level
As we know, different applications have different sound and microphone settings. Similarly, sometimes the application input sound is low, resulting in distortion of the mic in Mac on particular applications. We can change the settings to fix the microphone of the Mac.
Follow the given steps:
Step 1: Click on the apple logo; options appear on display.
Step 2: In input mode, you see two and only options “Push to talk” and “Voice Activity”.
Step 3: Tap on the “voice activity” and make sure that the right tick in white appears in the box.
Step 4: change your microphone input sensitivity according to your suitability.
Step 5: Make sure all the 4 steps have done and then restart the application and check again
Now there is no problem from the application microphone side; check out the other method to fix the mic issue in Mac.
Solution 3: Adjusting Input Volume
Adjusting input volume plays a vital role in the mic of the Mac. If your input volume is low, then you might be facing some of the mic issues in the Mac, like distortion of sound, lack of sound in the microphone.
Whereas if your sound input volume is too high, then the listener/receiver of the sound faces very loud, blunt, and irritating sounds so in this way adjusting of the input volume is important so the question arises where the adjusting input volume appears in the display and how to change the input volume?. Just follow the given steps below:
Step 1: Click on the upper left corner of the apple icon and select system preferences in the menu.
Step 2: Sound will appear on the hardware section, click on it.
Step 3: and then click on the input in the sound section.
Step 4: Select the input device which you want to change and in input volume. Press the right click of the mouse and drag it according to your choice in order to get fix the mic
(Protip: when you go to the left side, you face decrement in the input volume, whereas if you go through the right side, then you face the increment in the input volume.)
More than 50% of the user s’ mic issue gets fixed by this method.
Solution 4: Disabling Ambient Noise Reduction
It is the additional feature in Mac i.e. to remove unwanted sound and noise. Sometimes these unwanted sounds can create a problem in the mic. Distortion of the mic is one of the problems due to unwanted sound. I am going to show you some steps to avoid mic problem in Mac and disable ambient noise reduction:
Step 1: Click on the upper left corner of the apple icon and select system preferences in the menu.
Step 2: Sound will appear on the hardware section, click on it.
Step 3: and then click on the input in the sound section.
Step 4: make sure to uncheck in the dialogue box of “Use ambient noise reduction”.
Step 5: Save the changes and exit.
Check if the issue is solved or not. If not, then try other methods, as shown below.
Solution 5: Turning on dictation
One more advanced feature in Mac is dictation. This feature is beneficial to do faster work. Here I am going to show you some steps to turn on dictation:
Step 1: Click on the upper left corner of the apple icon and select system preferences in the menu.
Step 2: select keyboard in the system preference.
Step 3:Then go to the dictation section, which is on the keyboard.
Step 4: and make sure to on the dictation by just tap the “on” box.
The main reason to turn on the dictation is to check whether your audio and microphone driver is up to mark. Make sure to fix the audio and microphone driver if the dictation features don’t go well.
Solution 6: Disconnecting Third Party Peripherals
Sometimes third-party peripherals make a troubleshooting problem, and the result of the troubleshooting problem can cause the distorted or corrupted voice of the mic in the Mac.
There is one solution to handle this situation or error. Disconnect all the third-party peripherals connected to your Mac, including 3rd party headphones, mouse speakers. After successfully removing all the third-party devices from the Mac, make sure to restart your Mac to successfully result.
Solution 7: Resetting PRAM or NVRAM
Before going to this method, I am going to tell you about the PRAM and NVRAM. PRAM stands for Parameter Random access memory, and its working is your Mac store small memory to store certain settings and access them quickly.
NVRAM stands for nonvolatile random access memory. It also stores similar information as PRAM. Whereas the common thing in both of them is the steps to reset them is common both. I am going to show you how to reset PRAM/NVRAM. This will help to fix the microphone in the Mac.
Step 1: Shut down your Mac.
Step 2: Turn on your Mac and make sure to press option (alt) +”command”+ “P”+”R” all together.
Step 3: When the first time your Macs will open in that case, make sure to hold all option (alt) + command”+”P”+”R” keys together, then the Mac will open again.
Step 4: Make sure to check all the settings.
I hope you’re setting has been changed into the manual, and make sure to check whether your error is fixed or not.
Solution 8: Creating a new user Account
You can fix your Mac’s mic by creating a new user account. In some special cases, the user account gets corrupted; its result in the corruption and distortion of the mic in the Mac is one of the problems users get to suffer. I am going to show you some steps to create a new user account to fix all the headphone issue:
Step 1: Click on the apple icon’s upper left corner and select system preferences in the menu.
Step 2: select keyboard in the system preference.
Step 3: Click on the user & Group on the menu. Click on the lower left “lock” icon to makes a change.
Step 4: Type your administrator password to unlock.
Step 5: Click the Add user button (Which looks like a plus sign).
Step 6: Set the new user account type. (This includes the full name, new password, old password, and if you forgot, the password hint option is also available. Also, this account will link to the I Cloud account that enables the user to login with the help of Apple ID).
Step 7: After setting all the detail and password, click on the create user option.
Do follow the steps carefully, and by this method, you are apple to fix the microphone in the Mac.
Solution 9: Resetting the SMC (for Intel-based Machines)
SMC stands for System Management Controller. It controls many functions some are: Mac sleep function, power, battery keyboard backlighting, various light indicator, etc. This method is suggested by the apple website to fix any issues in the Mac including the mic in the Mac. I am going to navigate you on how to solve the mic issue in the Mac.
There are basically two main methods to reset the SMC:
- Resetting SMC on Mac Notebook (non-removable battery)
- Resetting SMC on Mac notebook (removable battery)
I am going to show you one by one both the method with all the steps.
Solution 9.1: Resetting SMC on Mac Notebook (non-removable battery)
This method is for non-removable battery Mac, as shown below:
Step 1: Press the apple key on the keyboard, and then a menu appears to click on the shutdown option. The dialogue box appears (are you wan to sure ), then click on the Yes option.
Step 2: Make sure your laptop has been shut down, then press the “shift”+” control option”+” power button” at the same time and wait for a minimum of 10 seconds.
Step 3: Release the keys that you are pressing and press the power button to open the Mac again.
By following all the steps above, SMC has been successfully reset, then check your mic again.
Solution 9.2: Resetting SMC on Mac Notebook (Removable Battery)
This method can work on the removable battery Mac as given below:
Step 1: Press the apple key on the keyboard, and then a menu appears to click on the shutdown option. The dialogue box appears (are you wan to sure ), then click on the yes option.
Step 2: Remove the battery from the Mac, which is generally in the backside of the laptop.
Step 3: After disconnecting your battery, then press and hold the power button for 10 seconds.
Step 4: Restart your Mac again to see the changes.
By following all the steps above, SMC has been successfully reset, then check your mic again.
Solution 10: Checking for Physical Damage/Obstruction
Sometimes there is a chance when your mic is unable to work, or you can say that your mic has been broke physically because none of the methods have been work above. In that case, it is recommended to go to the apple service center, avoiding the 3rd party shop.
Conclusion
I have shown all the possible methods to fix the Microphone not working error on Mac. I hope your mic issue has been fixed by the methods that have been shown above.
