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Which Google feature is failing—voice input in Google Search, the Google app or Assistant, a Google site in Chrome, or Google Meet—and on which device? The fix depends on where the microphone is blocked. Start with the shared checks below, then follow the steps for your Google feature and device.
Check the microphone, mute state, and input device first
A microphone can be connected but muted, or Google may be listening to a different input. Before changing permissions, check the physical controls and the device selected in the app.
- Turn off any physical mute switch on the microphone or headset.
- In Google Meet, check that you are not muted and select the microphone you intend to use.
- In Chrome, check the selected default microphone in its microphone settings.
- If you use Bluetooth audio, confirm it is powered on and connected to the device you are using. Disconnecting and reconnecting it can help.
In a Meet call, the blue speaking indicator on your tile can help show whether Meet is detecting your voice. It is different from the microphone or speaker indicators for other participants.
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Test whether the problem is Google-specific
Try recording audio in another application on the same device. If that works, focus first on the Google app or site’s permission, browser settings, or selected input. If no application can record, check the device’s microphone access, input selection, recording level, mute switch, connection, and hardware. This test narrows the problem; it does not identify a cause by itself.
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Fix microphone access in Chrome on a computer
For voice input in Google Search or a Google site opened in Chrome, access must be allowed for the site, Chrome, and the computer. Google notes that Chrome can allow or block microphone access for a site and lets you choose a default microphone in its settings. See Chrome’s microphone troubleshooting steps.
- Open the Google site that needs the microphone. Select the site information icon beside the address bar and check its microphone permission. Allow access if it is blocked.
- Open Chrome’s microphone settings and check the site’s permission and the default microphone. Remove a block for the relevant Google site and select the intended input device.
- Open your computer’s privacy or sound settings. Confirm that Chrome is allowed to use the microphone, that the intended input is selected, and that its recording level is usable.
- Return to the Google site and try voice input again. If Chrome asks for permission, allow it.
A site-level permission does not override an operating-system restriction. On a work or school computer, an administrator may also manage Chrome permissions.
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Check permissions on Android
Android has separate app and website permissions. A permission for the Google app or Meet does not automatically grant microphone access to a site in Chrome, and Chrome’s site permission does not replace Android’s permission for Chrome itself.
Google Meet app
- Open Android Settings and find Meet under Apps or App permissions.
- Open Meet’s permissions and allow microphone access while using the app.
- Reopen Meet, check that you are unmuted, and select the intended connected audio device if one is available.
Google’s Android Meet audio troubleshooting guide also recommends checking the connected device and Bluetooth connection. Android menu names can vary by manufacturer and version.
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A website in Chrome
- In Chrome, open the microphone site settings and allow access for the Google site you are using.
- In Android Settings, find Chrome’s app permissions and allow microphone access if it is disabled.
- Return to the site and try again.
See Chrome’s microphone troubleshooting guidance for its site and microphone settings.
Google app or Assistant
For voice input in the Google app or voice interaction with Assistant, check Android’s app permission for the relevant Google app. Google explains the relationship between microphone permission, Search voice input, and Assistant in its Google Search microphone permission help.
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Troubleshoot Google Meet on a computer
Meet needs microphone access at three levels: Meet, the browser, and the computer. Google’s computer audio troubleshooting guide calls out each one.
- Check that you are unmuted in the meeting.
- In Meet’s audio settings, select the correct microphone or connected audio device.
- Check that the browser allows Meet to use the microphone.
- Check the computer’s microphone privacy and sound settings, including the selected input and recording level.
- If you are in Companion mode and cannot use the microphone, leave the meeting and rejoin without Companion mode.
Restart or update after checking access and input
First confirm permissions, mute state, and device selection; restarting will not fix a blocked permission or the wrong input. Then make sure Chrome or the Google app is current. If Chrome has been updated or microphone access remains held by browser apps or extensions, Google suggests restarting Chrome by entering chrome://restart in the address bar. For a documented Mac microphone issue, Google also recommends restarting the computer; see its Meet audio troubleshooting steps.
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When the microphone may be faulty
If the microphone fails in multiple applications after you have checked system access, input selection, recording level, mute, and connection, the issue may be with the microphone or device. If the built-in microphone appears faulty, an external USB microphone is an optional way to test another input on a computer; select it in Chrome or Meet. For operating systems and device makers not covered here, use the maker’s current support instructions rather than assuming the menu names are the same.
Quick Recap
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