Green Room

Fix · Google Meet on a Mac

Google Meet mic not working? Fix it on your Mac.

Meet hears your mic only if the site, the browser, and your Mac all allow it. Then it has to pick the right mic.

Quick check first: Try the free mic test in the same browser. If the meter moves, the browser and Mac are fine and the fix is in Meet (steps 3 and 4). If not, start at step 1.

Fix it in Meet

  1. Allow the mic for Meet.In the address bar, click View site information and turn on Microphone.
  2. Check Chrome's mic settings.Go to chrome://settings/content/microphone and under Default behavior choose Sites can ask to use your microphone. In Safari, use Safari › Settings › Websites › Microphone.
  3. Pick the mic in Meet.Click the arrow next to the mic button and choose your mic, or open More options › Settings › Audio. Talk and watch the bar move.
  4. Unmute.If the mic button at the bottom is red, click it to turn on your microphone.

Mic still dead? Reset Core Audio

Google's help gives a Mac fix that needs an admin password: open Terminal, type sudo killall coreaudiod, enter your password, and rejoin. It restarts the Mac's sound service.

Echo

Google notes that a mic and a separate external speaker can cause echo. Headphones fix it.

Then check your Mac

If Meet looks right and the microphone still doesn't work, go through these in order.

  1. Allow your browser on your Mac.Choose Apple menu › System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, and turn on the browser you use for Meet, like Google Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. Quit and reopen the browser after.
  2. Check your Mac's input.Open System Settings › Sound and click Input. Select your mic, make sure the Input volume slider isn't at zero, and watch the level move when you talk.
  3. Check the mic itself.Look for a mute button, a mute light, or a gain knob turned all the way down. Unplug a USB mic and plug it back in, try another port, and skip the hub if you can.
  4. Watch for Bluetooth call mode.When Meet turns on the mic in AirPods or another Bluetooth headset, the headset switches to call mode and your voice drops to phone quality. If you sound muffled, use your Mac's mic or a USB mic, and keep the headset for listening.

Test it outside Meet

The free microphone test runs in your browser, with nothing to install. If your microphone works there, your Mac and the hardware are fine, and the fix is in Meet's settings above.

Microphone testLive meter, then hear yourself back. Webcam testLive preview, resolution, frame rate, and lighting. Speaker testLeft, right, and a sweep to check every speaker.

On a Mac? See which mic Meet is really using.

Meet keeps its own mic choice, so your Mac can look right while the call uses the wrong one. Green Room shows which app has each mic open, and warns you when Google Chrome isn't using your setup. For Meet, that's your browser, like Google Chrome. One click switches your Mac back, and it flags a mic that's muted, at zero, or silent. Free, with no account.

Download free See how it works

Questions

Why can't anyone hear me on Google Meet?

Check the mic button isn't red, then click the arrow next to it and pick the mic you're using. If Meet shows no mics, allow the microphone for meet.google.com and for your browser in Privacy & Security.

How do I allow the mic for Meet in Safari?

Choose Safari › Settings › Websites › Microphone and set meet.google.com to Allow.

Where are Meet's audio settings?

On the preview screen, or in a meeting under More options › Settings › Audio.

Does my browser need permission on a Mac?

Yes. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone and turn on the browser you use for Meet.

Other fixes

Google Meet camera not workingMeet runs in your browser, so the camera has to get past two gates: the browser's permission for meet.google.com, and macOS's permission for the browser. Google Meet audio not workingIf Meet is quiet, the sound is usually going to a speaker you aren't using, or the browser tab is muted. Zoom microphone not workingWhen nobody can hear you, it's usually one of four things: Zoom never joined audio, it's using the wrong mic, you're muted, or macOS is blocking zoom.us. Teams microphone not workingTeams can be muted in three places at once: the meeting, your headset, and macOS. Discord mic not workingDiscord's mic can pass its own test and still send nothing, because Push to Talk or input sensitivity decides when you're heard. FaceTime microphone not workingFaceTime has its own mic choice and its own Mic Mode.

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