Microphone missing from screen recording? How to fix

You finish a screen recording and hear the computer audio, but not your voice. Or the recording has no sound at all. The microphone and the screen or tab audio are separate sources, so one can be captured while the other is missing.

Check the microphone in the Screen Recorder, then make a short test clip. These steps help you tell whether the problem is a recorder setting, browser permission, system setting, or the microphone itself.

Record a short test clip

1. Open the Screen Recorder on a computer. Choose the screen, window, or tab you want to capture, and make sure microphone recording is enabled in the recorder.
2. When your browser asks for microphone access, allow it. If you see a choice of microphones in the recorder, select the one you intend to use, such as your headset mic rather than the laptop's built-in mic.
3. In the screen-sharing chooser, select the correct screen, window, or tab. If you also need sound from a browser tab, enable its audio-sharing option. Tab or system audio is separate from your microphone.
4. Record a few seconds while speaking, then play the clip. If you are unsure whether the mic works outside the recorder, open the Microphone Test, choose the same device, and check whether the meter moves and the status changes to Sound detected.

Keep the test short. A brief recording is enough to check whether your voice is present without making a large file or capturing private notifications.

What the result means

The recording has tab sound, but not your voice

The browser is capturing the selected tab's audio, but that does not automatically include the microphone. Check that microphone recording is enabled in the Screen Recorder and that the recorder has permission to use the mic. If the Microphone Test works but the clip does not contain your voice, the issue is probably in the recorder or browser permissions, not the microphone hardware.

The recording has your voice, but no tab or computer sound

The microphone is working. The screen-sharing chooser may not have been set to share audio, or the browser may not offer audio capture for the source you selected. Try capturing a browser tab with its audio option enabled. Some screen and window capture choices do not provide the same audio options as tab capture.

The Microphone Test meter moves, but the recording is silent

The computer and browser can receive microphone input, but the Screen Recorder may have the mic turned off or may be using a different input. Select the intended microphone in the recorder, if a device choice is available, and make another short clip.

The microphone meter does not move

The browser is not receiving sound from the selected mic. Check the input device, mute switch, browser permission, and system microphone access below. If the Microphone Test reports No microphone was found, the computer may not be detecting the device at all.

How to fix it

1. Turn on microphone recording in the tool. Check the Screen Recorder's microphone control before starting the capture. A screen or tab can record successfully even when the mic option is off.
2. Allow microphone access in the browser. Open the site permissions from the icon beside the address bar, set Microphone to Allow, then reload the page and start a new recording. If the browser showed a permission prompt, make sure you allowed access rather than blocking it.
3. Allow microphone access in the operating system. In Windows 11, open Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone. Turn on Microphone access and Let desktop apps access your microphone. On macOS, open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone and allow your browser.
4. Choose the right input device. In Windows 11, go to Settings › System › Sound and select the intended device under Input. On macOS, open System Settings › Sound › Input. Speak and check that the input level responds. Then select that same device in the recorder if it offers a microphone list.
5. Check the mute switch and input level. Look for a mute button on the headset, cable, or microphone. Raise the input level in the system sound settings if the meter barely moves. Also make sure the microphone is not muted inside a meeting or recording app running in the background.
6. Close other apps that may be using the mic. Quit video-call, voice-chat, and recording apps, then reload the recorder. If the browser reports The microphone is being used by another app, closing the other app may release it.
7. Restart the browser and reconnect the microphone. Unplug and reconnect a USB mic, or disconnect and pair a Bluetooth headset again. If the problem continues, restart the computer and test once more.

If you are on macOS and screen or computer audio is missing too, check System Settings › Privacy & Security for screen recording permissions. That permission concerns capturing the screen or system audio. Microphone access is a separate permission.

When the microphone itself may be faulty

Test the same microphone in the Microphone Test and, if possible, on another computer. If the meter stays still on both devices, check the cable, mute switch, battery, or Bluetooth connection. A headset that remains silent after those checks may need repair or replacement. If the microphone works in the test but not in the Screen Recorder, focus on the recorder's microphone setting and browser permissions instead.

Screen recording on phones

The TooLab Screen Recorder does not work on phones. Use a computer for this test. On a computer, remember that sharing a tab's audio does not mean the browser is also recording your voice: enable microphone recording separately and allow microphone access when asked.

Screen Recorder recordings and files stay on your device. Nothing you record is uploaded.