Microphone Not Working on Mac (Sequoia)? 8 Fixes Here!

Imagine you were in the middle of an important video meeting and the whole team was waiting for your presentation. You clicked on the “Join” button, and the video conferencing connection started.

All of a sudden, nobody could hear you. You tried to raise your voice, checked the sound settings, and even restarted the conference app, but the problem persisted. One thing struck your head: the MacBook Pro’s microphone was not working!

This frustrating experience is more common than you think. It can even bring a massive disruption to your projects. In this article, we’re going to examine the most frequent reasons for the Mac microphone not working and provide proven solutions to get it working again.

Why Is Your Microphone Not Working on Mac?

Both software glitches and hardware issues can cause your microphone to stop working on your Mac. Here, we collect some common causes of this issue.

• Your Mac might connect to an external microphone or another input source by default.
• Your macOS requires the app to request access to your microphone. If the app doesn’t grant the permission, it won’t be able to use your microphone.
• If the input volume is set too low, your microphone will be muted.
• Dirt, debris, or dust can block the microphone openings and cause poor sound quality or completely prevent the audio input.
• Temporary software issues in macOS or some apps can lead to microphone not working issues.
• Your microphone might suffer from physical damage, or its cable can cause it to malfunction.
• Outdated audio drivers can cause microphone issues as well.
• Malware may also interfere with your microphone’s function.

How to Fix a Mac Microphone Not Working Suddenly?

Often, a simple restart can fix minor software glitches. Alternatively, turn off your computer and clean your mic’s connection port. If these steps don’t resolve the issue, check your microphone settings or try the additional steps below.

Restart Your Mac

When you restart the system, it reloads components and applications, allowing your MacBook microphone to work again. You can take 1 minute to restart your Mac:

1. Tap on the Apple logo in the top left corner.
2. Select the “Restart” button from the dropdown menu.
3. Then your computer will automatically shut down and start.

Check Sound Input Settings

It’s critical to ensure you’re using the correct microphone. Sometimes, your system may connect to an unexpected input device. Also, the volume might be muted or too low. By checking the sound input in the system settings, you can verify you’ve selected the right mic. Meanwhile, you need to adjust the input volume to a proper level. Besides, this solution can also help you figure out if there is any issue with the hardware.

1. Click on the Apple logo and choose the System Settings option.
2. Tap on Sound and select the Input tab.
3. Check and ensure you’ve connected to the right mic.
4. Adjust and test the input volume.
5. Test the microphone by speaking into it.

Check Microphone Permissions

Even if your microphone doesn’t make a sound, it doesn’t indicate your mic is broken. Next, check your microphone permissions. This is because some applications may not grant the permissions to access the microphone by default. In macOS, the privacy settings can prevent the microphone from accessing. This is going to protect your data and privacy. If an app lacks permission, it cannot use the microphone even if the hardware is functional.

1. Click on the Apple logo and open the System Settings.
2. Navigate to Privacy & Security and click on Microphone.
3. Check the box of Zoom, Teams, or other software you’re using.

Enable Dictation

Audio drivers are crucial for the Mac microphone. These drivers act as a bridge between the hardware and the operating system. You can force the system to check and load the audio drivers and components by enabling dictation on your computer. Besides, this can resolve driver issues or minor software glitches. Additionally, it ensures that the system is active to recognize and utilize the microphone.

1. Click on the Apple logo and choose System Settings.
2. Tap on Keyboard and select the Dictation tab.
3. Turn on the Dictation and confirm the change.

Reset NVRAM/PRAM (Intel Macs Only)

If your Mac has Intel chips, you can reset NVRAM and PRAM. NVRAM stores system settings that deal with hardware and sound. Sometimes the settings can be corrupted or set up incorrectly, impacting your microphone. Resetting NVRAM/PRAM wipes the settings and allows the system to load them with default values. This process can resolve conflicts or errors that might be preventing the microphone from functioning correctly.

1. Shut down your Mac and wait for a while.
2. Press the power button to turn it on.
3. Immediately hold down the Command + Option + R keys and hold them for about 20 seconds.
4. Release the keys and allow your Mac to start up.

Quit Apps or Processes

While you’re seeking to use the microphone, some other apps may also attempt to use the microphone. In other words, these apps may interfere with the microphone and create audio issues. Therefore, you’re suggested not to open multiple apps at the same time, especially when you’re using the microphone on your Mac. You can exit idle software and resources to avoid their conflict.

To see the running apps and processes, you use the Activity Monitor feature.

1. Open Finder and navigate to Applications, Utilities, and Activity Monitor.
2. Here, you can check all running apps and processes.
3. Select the apps that may interfere with your microphone and click the Quit button.

Free Up Storage Space

A lack of storage space can also cause macOS to slow down and affect the performance of audio drivers. In this situation, you can free up the storage space on your device. By clearing out junk files, you’ll create more room for the system to operate smoothly.

To get more storage space on a Mac, you can use BuhoCleaner. This professional Mac cleaner can scan for and get rid of various types of unwanted files, apps, and app files in one click. This includes junk files, cache files, duplicate files, large files, temporary files, and other items that accumulate over time.

Step 1. Free download BuhoCleaner and launch the computer on your Mac.

Step 2. Choose the Flash Clean mode and click the types of files you want to delete.

Step 3. Click on the Remove button to initiate the process.

Scan for Malware

Last but not least, you have to scan for malware. Malware might cause conflicts with system processes or take up system resources, leading to issues with the microphone. Choose a reliable malware scanner in the Mac App Store and detect and remove any potential threats

Conclusion

Through a series of solutions, you can fix the microphone not working on a Mac. Starting from a simple restart, you can resolve the issue by checking the audio drivers and related settings. Besides, some other apps may also take up the microphone at the same time. Additionally, always ensure your computer has enough storage space to properly run apps. If these solutions do not work, you may need to turn to Apple Support to ask for further assistance.