How to set up and test the microphone in Windows 11

Windows 11 has several built-in utilities to help you maintain, maintain, test, and fix your PC in case you run into any issues. For example, you can use System Restore in Windows 11 to get your PC back up and running in time. Windows 11 PCs also include a troubleshooter that automatically fixes audio issues in Windows 11, among many other issues. However, if you are also experiencing problems with your microphone and want to test it on Windows 11, you can easily do so in Settings and Control Panel. Moreover, you can also amplify the sound of the microphone without downloading any third party apps. On that note, let's go ahead and find out how to test the microphone in Windows 11.

Check your microphone in Windows 11 (2022)

In this guide, we have explained how to set up wired and wireless microphones in Windows 11, and two methods to test the microphone in Windows 11. In addition, we have added instructions on how to increase the microphone volume in Windows. 11. Having said that, let's go deeper.

Set up a wired microphone in Windows 11

Before we set up a wired microphone, we first need to know which port you need to connect the microphone to. So, let's go ahead and find out how to set up a wired microphone in Windows 11.

1. If you are using a Windows laptop, the 3.5mm audio jack usually works for both audio output and microphone input. Therefore, you should connect a wired microphone to the headphone jack on your laptop. And if you're using a custom-built Windows PC, the microphone port will be pink. You should also look for the "microphone" icon around the ports.

2. After connecting the microphone to the desired port, open Settings by pressing Windows + I and go to System -> Sound.

3. Here, in the "Input" section, select the wired microphone you want to use and that's it. You have successfully set up a wired microphone in Windows 11.

Set up a wireless microphone in Windows 11

To set up a wireless microphone that works via Bluetooth, you just need to open Settings and connect the microphone to your Windows 11 computer. Here's how to do it.

1. Make sure your Bluetooth microphone is in pairing mode. After that, open the Settings app from the Start menu or by using the keyboard shortcut Windows + I.

2. In the Settings app in Windows 11, go to System -> Sound.

3. Scroll down and go to the Input section. Here, click "Add a device" next to "Connect a new input device". This will open the Bluetooth pairing window on your PC.

4. Here, select "Bluetooth" in the pop-up window.

5. If your wireless microphone is in pairing mode, it will appear here. Once it appears on the screen, click on it and follow the on-screen instructions to pair the microphone.

6. That's all. In the Input section, make sure the wireless microphone is selected as the default microphone.

Check your microphone in Windows 11 from Settings

1. To test the microphone in Windows 11, press the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut "Windows + I" and open "Settings". You can also manually open Settings from the Start menu.

2. From the System menu, open Sound in the right pane.

3. Here, scroll down and tap "Microphone" under the "Input" section.

4. After that, in the "Input Settings" section, click the "Start Test" button next to "Test Microphone".

5. Start speaking and you should see an indicator showing the voice response. Once you're done, click "Stop Test".

6. Windows 11 will show the microphone test result right below. If the test result is above 50%, your microphone is working properly. If not, increase the "Input Volume" slider to the maximum. That's all.

Now test the microphone again on your Windows 11 PC and it should pick up your voice without issue.

Check Your Microphone in Windows 11 from Control Panel

1. You can also check the microphone in Windows 11 from the Control Panel. Just press "Windows + R" to open the "Run" window. Here, type mmsys.cpl and press Enter. This will open the sound settings directly in the control panel.

2. Then go to the Recording tab and select your microphone. After that, click "Settings" in the lower left corner.

3. The speech recognition window will open. Here, click "Configure Microphone".

4. In the next window, select "Other" and click "Next". If you connected a headset or a dedicated microphone, select the appropriate option. For built-in microphones, "Other" is the appropriate option.

5. After that, click "Next" and read the suggestion displayed on the screen. If the indicator is in the "green" area, it means that your microphone is working properly. After reading the offer, click Next.

6. If everything went well, this will show that your microphone is ready to use. Now you can close the window. If your microphone sound is getting low or high, move on to the next method to boost your microphone volume in Windows 11.

Increase microphone volume in Windows 11

1. Use the keyboard shortcut "Windows + R" to open the "Run" window. Here, type mmsys.cpl and press Enter.

2. In the Sound window, go to the Recording tab, select your microphone and open Properties.

3. Here go to the "Levels" tab and increase the "Microphone Gain" level. You can also turn it down if the microphone is picking up too much sound.

Microphone not working in Windows 11? Fix it here!

No matter what you're trying to do, if the microphone isn't working on your Windows 11 PC, don't worry. We explained a few steps in a dedicated article on how to fix microphone problems in Windows 10 and 11. Just follow our guide and the microphone will start working again without any problems. You may need to reinstall your microphone drivers or make some changes to your system settings.

Testing and optimizing microphone sound in Windows 11

We have explained two native ways to set up and test the microphone in Windows 11. According to my testing, Microsoft has done an amazing job of introducing the microphone test utility into the Settings app in Windows 11. Alternatively, you can also open the Control Panel window to check and amplify microphone sound. But that is not all. One of the future new features of Windows 11 allows you to see what software or application is using the microphone in real time. This would be a welcome addition to Windows 11. And if you want to get a universal mute switch in Windows 11/10, you can follow our linked guide. Finally, if you have any questions, please let us know in the comments section below.