FaceTime, Skype, Siri, Photo Booth, and phone calls. We’re always talking to our computers, so what can you do if your MacBook microphone stopped working?
So what do you do if your MacBook microphone stopped working?
It’s an unfortunate situation, but we’re here to help. Below you’ll find our top tips for fixing your MacBook microphone listed from simplest to most time-consuming.
The location of your Mac’s microphone(s) is not very obvious and often very hard to find, especially when you don’t know where to look! The internal built-in mics on computers are almost invisible–they are so small!
Locate your Mac’s microphones by reviewing the technical specifications and diagrams for your exact MacBook, iMac, or Mac desktop model. Microphones on Macs are usually tiny pin-holes on the sides of your MacBook, inside the speaker grill near the keyboard, or the tiny hole next to your iMac’s FaceTime or iSight camera.
Once located, use a microfiber or lint-free cloth and clean the microphone to remove any debris that could be blocking it. You can also gently use compressed air to remove any lint or dust that might be interfering with the microphone’s ability to pick up sound.
Some readers recommend using a very soft toothbrush to brush away any lint, dirt, or dust.
Configure the Microphone
We’re going to start by going into your settings to ensure your MacBook microphone is recognized and selected.
On your Mac, open the System Preferences app and click on the Sound icon. Select Input from the tabs at the top of the window. You should see ‘Internal Microphone’ listed in the table—this is your MacBook’s built-in microphone.
Select the ‘Internal Microphone’ and start saying something out loud to make a sound. Below the Input selection box you should see some grey bars lighting up to show the input level. Drag the Input volume slider above that so that the microphone volume is loud enough.
If you can’t see ‘Internal Microphone’ in the list then your Mac isn’t recognizing its own microphone. Some of the steps below might help with that. If the ‘Internal Microphone’ is present and the Input Level indicators are working then the app you’re trying to use the microphone with is the problem.
Turn On Dictation
Turning on Dictation not only allows you to dictate to your MacBook and have it type for you, but it’ll also download relevant drivers which may resolve any microphone issues.
Open System Preferences and go to the Keyboard window. Click on the Dictation tab to the right and select the On button. Your Mac will search for relevant language packs and drivers to download automatically.
Once the downloads are complete—shown by a swirling box beneath the Dictation option—try using your microphone again to see if the issue has been fixed.
Reset Your PRAM
The PRAM, or Parameter RAM, stores lots of small settings for your MacBook. These include settings for brightness, volume, startup-disk, and some microphone configurations.
When you reset the PRAM on your MacBook all of these settings will return to their default, potentially resolving your MacBook microphone issues. You’ll also need to go into System Preferences to put other settings back how you like them.
How to perform a PRAM reset:
Click the Apple icon in the top left and select Shut Down
Wait for the MacBook to complete turn off
Press the power button and hold cmd+alt+P+R
Keep the buttons held for 20 seconds or until you hear a chime
Release the buttons and wait for your MacBook to start up as normal
Test a New Account
It could be that your MacBook microphone stopped working due to a glitch in your user account. It’s easy to test this theory by creating a new account and seeing if the microphone works in that.
To do so, open the System Preferences app and click Users & Groups. Click the padlock and enter your Administrator password to allow changes. Then click the plus icon at the bottom left and enter details for a new user account.
With the new account created, log out of your current one using the Apple icon at the top left of your Mac. It’s important that you log out, instead of switching users for this to work. Once you have done so, sign in to the new account and open to test the microphone again.
If the microphone works in your new account you can either transfer all your data across to a new account and delete the old one, or restore your macbook to factory settings and recover your data through a backup.
Mic issues on macOS Mojave or macOS Catalina
There is a unique issue that we have seen in macOS Mojave and Catalina betas. The microphone on MacBook works well for the most part except in certain apps. We have seen this issue reported by users who use the microphone with Game apps.
Try this simple terminal command if you run into microphone issues on macOS Mojave or Catalina.
Open Terminal app from Utilities folder
Type in rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.apple.TCC
Press enter
Enter credentials when prompted
Restart Mac
In case the terminal command above didn’t work for you, try it again by adding a ‘Sudo’ in front on the command. Apps that were not able to use the mic may require permissions again but it works following that. Essentially, he command resets the permissions and makes the apps request for mic permissions again.
Reinstall the App or Get Support
If the MacBook microphone has stopped working for only one app, it’s likely down to a fault with the app itself. You should delete the app and reinstall it again, and if that fails contact the developer for their support.
You can delete an app by opening the Applications folder in Finder and dragging the relevant app icon to the Trash. Make sure you empty the Trash and restart your MacBook before trying to install the app again, ensuring that all its data has been erased.
Dan writes tutorials and troubleshooting guides to help people make the most of their technology. Before becoming a writer, he earned a BSc in Sound Technology, supervised repairs at an Apple Store, and even taught English in China.
Hi!
So I started using my MacBook Air for school in August and it was working just fine. Until about October it suddenly stopped working. I’ve tried using the microphone for zoom, facetime, and other apps that require a microphone but it doesn’t work. Somehow, however, when I click on Siri, she can hear me. Help plz!
My mic responded only to tapping on the case, but not at all on voice or other sounds.
I tried all the above software fixes to no avail.
Then I found the solution, in my case it was really as simple as cleaning out the tiny mic holes on the left side of the Macbook with an old toothbrush. Getting the dust out.
Just had to easily press the toothbrush on the holes for like ten or twenty times and magic happened!
Thank you thank you! I must have spent 6 hours and a meeting with Geek Squad to try to get my mic working on my Mac air High Sierra. None of it worked until I followed your advice and rubbed a toothbrush over the mic a few times. As you said, works like a charm. I was ready to by a new computer.
I’ve tried all the tips but it still not working. The mic was usable when the computer turn on for few min then it’s die right after. My mac is macOSHighSiera, MacBook air early 2015
I’ve tried all the tips but is still not working the mic was working every time I restart the computer but few second later it not receiving anymore. Im on MacOS High Siera, MacBook Air Early 2015
Shut down your Mac.
Press and hold
Shift on the left side of your keyboard
Control on the left side of your keyboard
Option (Alt) on the left side of your keyboard
With all 3 keys pressed down, press and hold the power button
Keep pressing all four keys for at least 10 seconds
After 10 seconds, release all keys
Power up normally and test
HI Dan im not able to get my microphone working on my apple mac book pro. Could you help me get through this. Ive tried lots of things and am quite stuck . I can hear but can’t record and i would love to give a beekeeping course on Zoom but not much good with out a voice.
thanking you and in truth I’m scared trying to sort it out alone else i lose stuff
Great help thank you! I was able to get it fixed going into dictation. It worked well for that but in the sound menu it still wasn’t registering my voice. I went back to dictation and under the microphone the option Automatic was on, I switched it to internal and that resolved the problem.
Thanks again
I’ve this issue with both OSes since Mojave was released 2 years ago. SIP tampers the TCC database file preventing apps from requesting permissions to access the devices.
Try to use a toothbrush to solve the problem, it works for me and many others!
It was “just” dust on the tiny tiny holes of the side mic of my Mac BookAir.
If you see that the mic is registering vibration, like knocking on the touchpad or the typing of the keyboard, 99% the problem is this one and you can solve it in 5 seconds with a toothbrush.
Thanks anyway to all the suggestion you shared here that probably are great to solve software / drivers related problem.
I can’t thank you enough for sharing this tip! After trying every other possible option – including all of the settings/tricks mentioned above, I also managed to fix my mic issue with a soft bristled toothbrush. I was not convinced this would work as the mic holes are so small and it seemed the toothbrush bristles were too large to fit into those tiny little holes, but it worked!!!!!
==========================================================================
First of all, disable SIP protection in your Mac.
==========================================================================
How to turn off System Integrity Protection in macOS
Click the Apple symbol in the Menu bar.
Click Restart…
Hold down Command-R to reboot into Recovery Mode.
Click Utilities.
Select Terminal.
Type csrutil disable.
Press Return or Enter on your keyboard.
Click the Apple symbol in the Menu bar.
Click Restart…
If you later want to start using SIP once again (and you really should), then follow these steps again, except this time you’ll enter csrutil enable in the Terminal instead.
To check if it is disabled, execute the command csrutil status
and confirm the message: System Integrity Protection status: disabled.
==========================================================================
After that,
Manually manipulate the security database TCC.db.
==========================================================================
1. Open Terminal
2. Make a backup copy of the ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db file
3. Open the database by giving command: sudo sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db
4. Provide your password when requested
5. Within sqlite3, For Skype for Business audio fix type in command: INSERT INTO access VALUES(‘kTCCServiceMicrophone’,’com.microsoft.SkypeForBusiness’,0,1,1,NULL,NULL,NULL,’UNUSED’,NULL,0,1541440109);
7. Type .exit to exit the sqlite3
8. Skype for Business should be visible in the Security & Privacy preferences Privacy-Microphone view
This is not something the user should be required to do, but until the application is fixed, this might be the only way.
Hi!
So I started using my MacBook Air for school in August and it was working just fine. Until about October it suddenly stopped working. I’ve tried using the microphone for zoom, facetime, and other apps that require a microphone but it doesn’t work. Somehow, however, when I click on Siri, she can hear me. Help plz!
God bless you! The PRAM test worked!
Wondering if Zoom created the initial issue
Thanks!!!!
The microphone of my Mac Mojave desktop doesn’t work any more.
I checked the security and sound settings, and tried all advice given here and there. It stilll doesn’t work.
Thanks for any advice.
My mic responded only to tapping on the case, but not at all on voice or other sounds.
I tried all the above software fixes to no avail.
Then I found the solution, in my case it was really as simple as cleaning out the tiny mic holes on the left side of the Macbook with an old toothbrush. Getting the dust out.
Just had to easily press the toothbrush on the holes for like ten or twenty times and magic happened!
Mic works like a charm again!
Thank you thank you! I must have spent 6 hours and a meeting with Geek Squad to try to get my mic working on my Mac air High Sierra. None of it worked until I followed your advice and rubbed a toothbrush over the mic a few times. As you said, works like a charm. I was ready to by a new computer.
OMG thanks for helping me, it worked. I spent 4 hours with apple advisors
hola
hice esto : rm -rf ~ / Library / Application \ Support / com.apple.TCC
y se borraron todos los archivos del PC que farsa
I did this: rm -rf ~ / Library / Application \ Support / com.apple.TCC
and deleted all the files from the PC
I’ve tried all the tips but it still not working. The mic was usable when the computer turn on for few min then it’s die right after. My mac is macOSHighSiera, MacBook air early 2015
I’ve tried all the tips but is still not working the mic was working every time I restart the computer but few second later it not receiving anymore. Im on MacOS High Siera, MacBook Air Early 2015
Hi An,
Try resetting your SMC:
Shut down your Mac.
Press and hold
Shift on the left side of your keyboard
Control on the left side of your keyboard
Option (Alt) on the left side of your keyboard
With all 3 keys pressed down, press and hold the power button
Keep pressing all four keys for at least 10 seconds
After 10 seconds, release all keys
Power up normally and test
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.apple.TCC Operation not permitted even with Sudo and password
Hi Jefferies,
Try first granting Terminal Full Disk Access: Seeing Error “Operation Not Permitted” in macOS Catalina or Mojave?
HI Dan im not able to get my microphone working on my apple mac book pro. Could you help me get through this. Ive tried lots of things and am quite stuck . I can hear but can’t record and i would love to give a beekeeping course on Zoom but not much good with out a voice.
thanking you and in truth I’m scared trying to sort it out alone else i lose stuff
Sara Jane
Hi Sara Jane,
Try plugging headphones into your Mac and then let’s test the microphone.
Once you connect the headphones to your Mac, open System Preferences under the Apple Menu.
Choose Sound
Select the Internal tab, then run some tests speaking various sentences. Adjust the input volume so you see some levels.
You won’t hear the sound in your headphones, but you will see the volume indicator moving up or down depending on your volume.
Once that is set and working, open System Preferences, click Security & Privacy, then choose Privacy.
Select Microphone.
Tick the checkbox next to the Zoom app to allow it to access the microphone.
Repeat these steps for Camera.
Then open zoom and run a test recording using your Macs microphone and camera. Follow Zooms instructions here to run a test.
Hope that helps and works
Liz
Great help thank you! I was able to get it fixed going into dictation. It worked well for that but in the sound menu it still wasn’t registering my voice. I went back to dictation and under the microphone the option Automatic was on, I switched it to internal and that resolved the problem.
Thanks again
I’ve this issue with both OSes since Mojave was released 2 years ago. SIP tampers the TCC database file preventing apps from requesting permissions to access the devices.
The problem is fixed with a PRAM reset.
Try to use a toothbrush to solve the problem, it works for me and many others!
It was “just” dust on the tiny tiny holes of the side mic of my Mac BookAir.
If you see that the mic is registering vibration, like knocking on the touchpad or the typing of the keyboard, 99% the problem is this one and you can solve it in 5 seconds with a toothbrush.
Thanks anyway to all the suggestion you shared here that probably are great to solve software / drivers related problem.
The tooth brush trick did it for me too!
I can’t thank you enough for sharing this tip! After trying every other possible option – including all of the settings/tricks mentioned above, I also managed to fix my mic issue with a soft bristled toothbrush. I was not convinced this would work as the mic holes are so small and it seemed the toothbrush bristles were too large to fit into those tiny little holes, but it worked!!!!!
I have tried all option non of them work; please help do I need to reinstall OS
Hi Jawid, do you solve your problem? Please help me I have the same problem, I also have tried all option, but no of them work. Thanks.
Have you tried resetting the PRAM?
Thank you so much for this article!!! Worked like a charm!
==========================================================================
First of all, disable SIP protection in your Mac.
==========================================================================
How to turn off System Integrity Protection in macOS
Click the Apple symbol in the Menu bar.
Click Restart…
Hold down Command-R to reboot into Recovery Mode.
Click Utilities.
Select Terminal.
Type csrutil disable.
Press Return or Enter on your keyboard.
Click the Apple symbol in the Menu bar.
Click Restart…
If you later want to start using SIP once again (and you really should), then follow these steps again, except this time you’ll enter csrutil enable in the Terminal instead.
To check if it is disabled, execute the command csrutil status
and confirm the message: System Integrity Protection status: disabled.
==========================================================================
After that,
Manually manipulate the security database TCC.db.
==========================================================================
1. Open Terminal
2. Make a backup copy of the ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db file
3. Open the database by giving command: sudo sqlite3 ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db
4. Provide your password when requested
5. Within sqlite3, For Skype for Business audio fix type in command: INSERT INTO access VALUES(‘kTCCServiceMicrophone’,’com.microsoft.SkypeForBusiness’,0,1,1,NULL,NULL,NULL,’UNUSED’,NULL,0,1541440109);
7. Type .exit to exit the sqlite3
8. Skype for Business should be visible in the Security & Privacy preferences Privacy-Microphone view
This is not something the user should be required to do, but until the application is fixed, this might be the only way.
Thank you, Fabiano, for sharing this tip with us and our readers!
Liz