A Chromebook is a very low cost alternative compared to the traditional laptops which use chrome OS instead of windows. You are able to do just anything that is done online the same as a laptop.
Currently it is mostly used in schools and business purposes. Chrome books are probably the most convenient laptop/hybrid devices in this era of online conferencing and video calling.
Most of them come with a built-in microphone and webcam, so you can either use web clients or android apps to make video calls without any additional hardware.
Many users have reported that sometimes the microphone is not working properly or not working at all. Today, here we are discussing about some troubleshooting techniques which will help us to fix this problem
Why Is My Mic Not Working On Chromebook?
There will be many reasons for the mic not working or limited access. Some of the main among them are as below.
- Microphone sensitivity is too low.
- Denied permissions.
- Audio input setting not done properly.
- Chrome browser may not be updated.
- Faulty connections with any Bluetooth devices.
- Faulty software.
Fixes To Microphone Not Working On Chromebook
Below tips will be useful for fixing the microphone working problems.
1. Restart Chrome book
If the in-built microphone is not working in your Chromebook, there are some troubleshooting steps that will help you out.
One easy step is to power off your Chromebook and turn it back on.
To Restart Your Chromebook
- Unplug any connected external microphones and open the quick settings panel from the bottom-right corner where time and other information are displayed.
- There click on the shutdown button, and it will immediately power off your device.
- Now press the hardware “Power Button” on your device to restart the Chromebook.
- Then log into your Google account. Then launch any application that uses the microphone to check if it is working.
If you are using an external microphone, reset it after restart. Then plug it back. If the microphone is still not working, try it with another port if available.
2. Check Audio Input Setting
For the proper working of the microphone, the audio input settings on your Chromebook should be enabled and adjusted appropriately.
- Click on the “clock” in the bottom right corner of the screen.
- To access the audio setting click on the “arrow” next to the speaker icon.
- Under input you can access the “microphone settings”.
- Drag the slider to “increase or decrease” the volume of the microphone.
3. Disable Chrome Extension
If you installed too many extensions, it will be a reason for conflicting with one another. It will affect the working of the microphone on your Chromebook.
- To disable a Chromebook extension, open Google chrome and click the extension icon on the toolbar.
- From the menu, select manage extensions.
- Now you can disable one extension at a time, then check whether the microphone is working or not.
Alternately disable all extensions and turn on one by one until you find the wrong one. If you find a particular extension is causing trouble, keep that one in disable mode or uninstall it if it is not a mandatory one for you.
4. Try Different App
If you are facing issues with the microphone while using a particular application like Google meet or zoom, try it with another one and check whether it works or not.
Sometimes the application which you are using may cause your microphone to stop working. You can check it with a simple app like voice recorder.
You can also try our mic test to check your microphone is working properly online on your browser.
5. Use Guest Mode
By using guest mode, all the extensions apps, and other personalized settings on your account are disabled. Guest mode is a temporary account on your Chromebook that deletes all the browsing data after being used. Ending the guest session, the data will be erased.
To browse guest mode in Chromebook, below steps can make you look easy.
- Sign out of your profile before browsing as a guest.
- Select browse as a guest option from sign/log in screen.
- You will receive a screen with a message showing ‘you are browsing as a guest.
- Now do the required task and some of the functionality will be limited.
- Log out guest mode by clicking the time button in the system tray
- Select exit guests from the top.
If the microphone works in guest mode, you can understand something from your end went wrong like an extension, app or any setting.
6. Update Chromebook Software
Chromebook software usually updates in the background, but sometimes it requires you to manually update it.
For the manual updating, go to settings and click about chrome OS, then check for updates. If an update is available, you will be prompted to restart to update.
If there is no update, you can see a check mark and a message that is You are up to date.
7. Factory Reset Chromebook.
Here you can erase your entire Chromebook and start with a clean slate by power washing.
This will remove all your accounts and reset it to factory settings, so it will be like you are using a fresh one.
To reset your Chromebook to factory setting, go to setting > advanced setting > reset setting, then reset.
8. Change Default Mic On Chrome Browser.
A disconnected mic might still be listed as the mic to use. To change this, kindly follow the below shown procedure .
- Open Chromebook.
- Go to settings.
- Click privacy and security settings.
- Open site settings and go to microphone.
- Allow access and select the required mic.
Now check your mic is working fine.
FAQs
How Do I Turn On The Microphone On My Chromebook?
Open chrome, At the top right click more>settings>click privacy and security site settings. Camera or microphone>select option you want
How Do I Unblock My Microphone On My Chromebook?
Go to start>settings>privacy>microphone. Click change to enable microphone access for the device.
Where Is Mic Settings On Chromebook?
Go to the right hand bottom near time display>volume icon>push on the arrow icon>going to microphone
Final Word
So before you start to troubleshoot potential issues with the internal microphone settings, it’s always good to test the mic and be sure the internal microphone itself is actually the problem that is preventing you from being able to use your microphone normally.
As the ultimate last – ditch attempt to fix your microphone issue only consider the complete factory reset option.
Knowing where the microphone of your Chromebook is located is important for a variety of reasons. In any case, the microphone is located on the top right side of the Chromebook near the webcam.
If your microphone is not working despite having the latest audio drivers installed, use an external headset
Hopefully the above discussed solutions will help you fix your microphone and use your Chromebook as normal.
