Troubleshoot audio issues in Google Meet

Here’s how to troubleshoot if you can’t be heard in a meeting.

Important:

• Make sure you’re not in Companion mode, where the mic and speaker are unavailable. If you’re in Companion mode, leave and rejoin the meeting. Learn how to join a meeting.
• To share audio from a presentation, on your computer, share a tab. You can’t share audio from your mobile device. Learn how to present during a video meeting.

Learn about Companion mode.

Restart your browser

Mac computer settings might prevent Meet from using the microphone. If this happens, restart Chrome Browser. If that doesn't work, restart your computer, then increase the microphone volume in your system’s settings.

If using an Apple^® Mac^® computer, you might need to:

1. Restart your browser or computer.
2. Adjust your computer's microphone volume control.
3. On computers using macOS^® Mojave^® version 10.14 or later, adjust your microphone system settings.

Troubleshoot more

Enable microphones on macOS Mojave and later

Some Mac computer settings might prevent Meet from using your microphone. 

1. Go to System Preferences  click Security & Privacy.
2. Select Privacy  Microphone.
3. Check the box next to Google Chrome or Firefox.

Restart Chrome browser

Quitting Chrome might not resolve the problem because it doesn't reset apps or extensions that use your microphone. To do this, restart Chrome Browser. When you restart Chrome Browser, your tabs and windows reopen.

1. In your browser, enter chrome://restart. 
2. Make sure your microphone and camera are turned on.
3. Rejoin the video meeting.

Restart your computer and check the microphone level

If after restarting your browser you still can’t be heard, restart your computer.

1. Go to System Preferences  click Restart.
2. Sign in.
3. Go to System Preferences  click System Preferences.
4. Click Sound  Input.
5. Next to Input volume, move the slider to verify that the level bars move.
6. Rejoin your Meet video meeting. 

Reset your microphone using the CLI (advanced)

Release your computer’s microphone from other apps or extensions that might be using it.

Tip: You may need administrative privileges on your computer to do this.

1. Go to Applications  Utilities and double-click Terminal. 
2. In the Terminal window, enter sudo killall coreaudiod and press Enter.
3. Enter your password and press Enter.
4. Rejoin the Meet video meeting.

Unmute yourself

Other people can mute you to reduce background noise, but they can't unmute you.

1. Turn on your microphone.
2. At the bottom of the screen, click Mute on .

Note: For meetings organized through a personal Google account, only the meeting organizer can mute another participant.

Unmute your Windows device

1. Open the Sound settings  click Recording.
2. Double-click the microphone.
3. Select Levels.
4. Check that the microphone is on.
5. To raise the volume, move the volume slider and click OK.

Unmute your Mac device

1. ​Go to System Preferences  click Sound  Input. 
2. Make sure that the microphone is on.
3. Raise the volume with the volume slider.

The volume setting will save automatically.

Unmute your Linux device

1. ​Open the Sound settings  click Input.
2. Select the microphone device setting.
3. Make sure that the microphone is on.
4. To raise the volume, move the volume slider and click OK.

Why are some sounds reduced in Windows?

When you’re in a meeting, Windows reduces noise from other sources. This is not because of Meet but a Windows function.

Other participants can hear my screen reader, music player, or other applications

Depending on your operating system and audio device, sounds that come from other browser tabs or applications may be heard by other participants. To avoid other sounds being picked up by the microphone, use headphones.