Home / Ubuntu / Linux / Ubuntu Test Microphone
Ubuntu / LinuxUbuntu Test Microphone
Test a microphone on Ubuntu and other Linux desktops, in the browser or from the terminal with arecord and pactl.
Ubuntu can test a microphone from the desktop, from the browser, or from the command line with arecord and aplay. All three are covered below, starting with the fastest.
Ubuntu Test Microphone: step by step
- Use the browser test
Firefox and Chrome both work. Press Start test, allow access, and watch the meter. This is the fastest check and needs no terminal.
- Check Settings, Sound
The Input tab lists your devices with a live input level bar. Confirm the right device is selected and the volume is not at zero.
- List capture devices in the terminal
Run arecord -l to see every capture device ALSA can find. If your microphone is absent here, the problem is at the kernel or hardware level.
- Check the active source
Run pactl list sources short to see what PulseAudio or PipeWire currently exposes, and pactl list sources to see the volume and mute state in detail.
- Record a test file
Run arecord -f cd -d 5 test.wav to record five seconds, then aplay test.wav to hear it. This bypasses the browser entirely.
- Unmute in alsamixer
Run alsamixer, press F4 for capture controls, and use the arrow keys. A capture channel marked MM is muted — press M to unmute.
Linux microphone fixes
- PipeWire versus PulseAudioUbuntu 22.10 and later use PipeWire. Restart the user services with systemctl --user restart pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber if devices behave strangely.
- Browser cannot see the micSnap-packaged browsers need the audio-record interface. Check with snap connections firefox and connect it if it is missing.
- Level drops automaticallyDisable automatic gain in your browser, and check module-role-ducking is not active in the PulseAudio configuration.
- Device visible but silentCheck alsamixer capture levels. ALSA can mute a source independently of the desktop volume control, and the desktop will not show it.
- Wrong profile selectedRun pactl list cards to see profiles. Headsets often need the headset-head-unit profile before their microphone appears at all.
Three layers, three places to be muted
Linux audio has three layers that can each silence a microphone independently: the kernel driver through ALSA, the sound server through PulseAudio or PipeWire, and the application sandbox for Snap or Flatpak packages. A mute at any layer looks identical from the desktop — the device appears, and nothing arrives.
That is why the terminal checks matter. arecord tests the ALSA layer directly, pactl shows what the sound server is doing, and the browser test shows what applications finally receive. Working from the bottom up identifies the layer in about a minute.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between ALSA and PulseAudio?
ALSA is the kernel-level driver layer. PulseAudio and PipeWire are sound servers on top that handle routing, mixing and per-app volume.
My mic works in the terminal but not in the browser
That is a sandbox permission. Snap and Flatpak browsers need explicit audio recording access.
How do I set a default input?
pactl set-default-source followed by the source name from pactl list sources short.
How do I test a microphone on Ubuntu from the terminal?
arecord -f cd -d 5 test.wav records five seconds, aplay test.wav plays it back. Use arecord -l first to confirm the device exists.
Related tests
Where to go next: testing AirPods, checking all three iPhone mics, or fixing Chrome permissions.
Tested and updated · Written and maintained by check-mic.com · Report a problem with this page