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HearMyMic
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How to hear your mic in your headphones

Hearing your own voice in your headphones is called mic monitoring or sidetone. Try it instantly below, or set it up permanently.

Microphone test

Your browser will ask for permission. Choose Allow to start.

Your audio never leaves your device.

Your mic is working

Listening…

–∞ dB

WaitingSay something at your normal speaking volume.

Something went wrong

See how to fix it

Record and play back

Hear exactly how you sound to others.

Your recording will show up here.

Hear yourself live

Plays your mic through your speakers or headphones.

Use headphones to avoid feedback. Speakers can cause a loud squeal.

Your microphone

Microphone
—
Sample rate
—
Channels
—
Echo cancellation
—
Noise suppression
—
Auto gain control
—
Estimated latency
—
Level
—

Results are approximate. They show what your browser reports, and can differ from what another app or the people on your call hear.

Why you might want to hear yourself

Closed headphones block out your own voice, and most people start talking louder without noticing. Feeding a little of your microphone back into your ears fixes that. It’s also the simplest way to check how your mic sounds while you adjust it.

For a quick check, start the test above and switch on “Hear yourself live”. It works in any browser and stops when you leave the page. If you’d like monitoring all the time, in games and on calls, use one of the system options below.

Ways to hear your mic in your headphones

  1. Right now, in your browser

    Put on headphones, press “Test my mic”, and switch on “Hear yourself live”. You’ll hear your microphone straight away.

  2. On Windows

    Open Settings, System, Sound, then More sound settings. On the Recording tab, double-click your microphone, open the Listen tab, tick “Listen to this device”, choose your headphones, and press Apply.

  3. On a Mac

    macOS has no built-in monitoring switch. Open QuickTime Player, choose File, then New Audio Recording, and raise the volume slider in the recording window. You’ll hear your mic for as long as that window stays open.

  4. On a gaming or USB headset

    Look for “Sidetone” or “Mic monitoring” in the headset’s companion app, or for a dedicated dial on the headset or its USB adapter. This kind of monitoring happens inside the headset, so it has no noticeable delay.

  5. On a USB mic or audio interface

    Plug your headphones into the microphone or interface itself and turn on its direct monitoring switch or dial. Like headset sidetone, it’s delay-free.

Questions and answers

Why is there a delay when I hear myself?

Software monitoring, including the browser option and Windows’ “Listen to this device”, routes sound through your computer’s audio system, which adds a short delay. Hardware monitoring built into headsets, USB mics and interfaces skips the computer and has no delay you can hear.

How do I stop hearing my own mic in my headphones?

Reverse whichever option is on: untick “Listen to this device” on Windows, set Sidetone or Mic monitoring to zero in your headset’s app, turn down the direct monitor control on your mic or interface, or switch off “Hear yourself live” here.

Can I monitor my mic with Bluetooth headphones?

You can, but the delay is long enough to be distracting, often a fifth of a second or more. Sound quality also drops while a Bluetooth headset’s microphone is active. Wired headphones are a much better choice for monitoring.

Can I hear my mic on a PlayStation or Xbox?

Yes. On Xbox, press the Xbox button, open the audio settings at the bottom of the guide, and adjust Mic monitoring. On PlayStation 5, look for Sidetone volume under Sound, Microphone, when a supported headset is connected. Not every headset supports it.

Will other people hear my monitoring?

No. Monitoring only changes what’s sent to your own headphones. What others hear is the microphone signal itself, which is the same whether monitoring is on or off.

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