Green Room

Fix · Webex on a Mac

Webex microphone not working? Fix it on your Mac.

Webex and macOS both try to clean up your voice. When they fight, you can sound cut off or far away.

Quick check first: Try the free mic test. If the meter moves, your mic works and the fix is in Webex (steps 1 to 4). If not, start with the Mac checks.

Fix it in Webex

  1. Pick the mic in Webex.Click Settings in the sidebar, then Audio, and choose your microphone. Follow system setting uses whatever your Mac's Sound settings pick.
  2. Test it.Click Test next to the microphone and say a few words. Webex plays them back. In a meeting, open Audio options › Audio Settings to do the same.
  3. Check Automatically adjust volume.In Settings › Audio, this lets Webex set your mic level. Turn it off if you sound too quiet and set the level yourself.
  4. Check Smart audio.Under Settings › Smart audio, Noise removal, Optimize for my voice, Optimize for all voices, and Music mode change how your voice is processed. Try Noise removal first.

macOS Mic Mode fights Webex

Webex's help says macOS Mic Modes can conflict with its Smart audio, and recommends the Standard mic mode with Webex. During a meeting, open Control Center, click Mic Mode, and choose Standard.

Muted by the host

Webex's help notes the host may have muted you. If your mic icon shows muted and you didn't do it, ask the host.

Then check your Mac

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

  1. Allow Webex on your Mac.Choose Apple menu › System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, and turn on Webex. If it's already on, turn it off and on again. Quit and reopen Webex 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 Webex 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 Webex

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 Webex'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 Webex is really using.

Webex 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 Webex isn't using your setup. 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 people hear me on Webex?

Pick your mic in Settings › Audio and click Test. If you aren't muted and it still fails, turn on Webex in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone.

Which Mic Mode should I use with Webex?

Standard. Webex says other macOS Mic Modes can conflict with its own Smart audio settings.

How do I test my mic in Webex?

Open Settings › Audio, or Audio options › Audio Settings in a meeting, and click Test next to the microphone.

Other fixes

Webex camera not workingWebex shows a black picture when it's pointed at the wrong camera, when a virtual camera gets in the way, or when macOS blocks it. Webex audio not workingWebex picks separate devices for the speaker and the ringer, so one can work while the other is silent. 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. Google Meet mic not workingMeet hears your mic only if the site, the browser, and your Mac all allow it. 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.

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