How do I adjust microphone sensitivity on Android?
Microphone sensitivity refers to how well a microphone can pick up and convert sound into an electrical signal. It determines how much audio volume is required for the microphone to detect and record sound properly. Adjusting microphone sensitivity allows you to optimize audio input levels for clear sound recording and transmission.
Setting the right microphone sensitivity is crucial for getting good audio quality. If the sensitivity is too high, loud noises may get distorted and clipping can occur. If it’s too low, quiet sounds may not get picked up at all leading to low volume recordings. The optimal setting depends on the microphone type, environment noise levels, distance from audio source etc. Finding the right balance is key.
On Android devices, you can manually adjust microphone sensitivity in the sound settings to improve audio capture quality. Raising sensitivity can help pick up soft voices during phone calls or quiet instruments when recording music. Lowering it minimizes background noise interference. Customizing this setting allows you to fine-tune audio input for different situations.
Knowing how to optimize microphone sensitivity gives you better control over your audio recordings. The ability to adapt the levels to suit changing environments and use cases is invaluable for content creators, musicians and anyone who relies on clear audio capture. This guide will walk through the steps to adjust this important setting on any Android device.
Check Current Microphone Sensitivity
The first step is to check your current microphone sensitivity in Android. The easiest way to do this is to open the built-in Voice Recorder app and make a test recording:
- Open the Voice Recorder app on your Android device. You can find this in the Apps drawer or by searching.
- Tap the red Record button and speak at your normal volume and distance from the phone microphone. Speak a few sentences to get a good sample.
- When finished, hit Stop and play back the recording. Listen closely to the playback volume and clarity.
This will give you a sense of your current microphone sensitivity level in Android. If your voice playback seems quiet, muffled or distant, your sensitivity may need to be increased. If it sounds loud and distorted, the sensitivity may need lowering. The goal is to have clear audio playback at an appropriate volume level.
According to MakeUseOf, testing with the Voice Recorder app is a quick way to check mic sensitivity before adjusting it.
Access Microphone Settings
To adjust the microphone sensitivity, you first need to access the microphone settings on your Android device. Here are the steps to get there:
Open the Settings app on your Android device. This is usually accessed by tapping the gear icon on your home screen or app drawer.
Next, scroll down and tap on the “Sound & vibration” or “Audio” section in Settings. On some devices this may be labeled “Sound settings” or something similar.
In the Sound settings screen, look for an option labeled “Microphone” or “Microphone settings” and tap on it. This will open the microphone settings for your device.
If you don’t see a microphone option, tap on “Advanced” at the bottom of the Sound settings to view more options. The microphone settings may be located there.
Once in the Microphone settings screen, you will see controls to adjust the microphone sensitivity level.
Locate Sensitivity Slider
To adjust the microphone sensitivity on Android, you need to locate the sensitivity slider in your device’s settings. This slider controls the microphone gain, which determines how sensitive the mic is to picking up audio. The higher the gain, the more sensitive the mic will be.
On most Android devices, you can find the microphone sensitivity slider by going to Settings > Sound/Audio Settings. Look for an option like “Microphone” or “Voice Input” and select it. This will open the microphone settings.
Here you should see a slider labeled “Microphone volume” or “Microphone gain.” Some devices will have it labeled as “Audio gain” under a Voice Input or Call settings section. Slide this to the right to increase the microphone sensitivity and amplify the audio volume picked up by your mic.
Adjusting this slider boosts the gain applied to the microphone signal before it gets processed and transmitted. Turning it up makes quiet sounds more audible, while keeping loud sounds from clipping. You’ll need to test different settings to find the right sensitivity for your environment.
Adjust the Slider
Once you have accessed the microphone settings and located the sensitivity slider, you can adjust it to change the microphone’s sensitivity level. Dragging the slider to the right will increase the sensitivity, allowing softer sounds to be picked up by the microphone. Dragging to the left will decrease the sensitivity, filtering out more ambient noise.
According to the MakeUseOf article “How to Adjust Mic Sensitivity on Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows,” you can “Slide up the slider under Boost” in the Sound settings tab to increase the microphone gain and sensitivity. The further you drag the slider to the right, the more sensitive the microphone will become.
It’s generally recommended to start with the slider set to the middle or default position. You can then test your microphone in different apps while incrementally adjusting the slider, dragging it right to raise the sensitivity if your voice is too quiet or left to lower sensitivity if there is too much background noise being picked up.
Finding the right sensitivity level may require some trial and error. Test the microphone across phone calls, voice messages, recordings, livestreams, and other apps to ensure your voice comes through clearly at the desired volume without distorting or picking up unwanted ambient sounds.
Test the New Setting
Once you have adjusted the microphone sensitivity slider in the settings, it’s important to test out the new level to ensure it provides the optimal volume and clarity. The easiest way to do this is to open up the voice recorder app and make a test recording.
Speak at your normal volume and distance from the phone microphone. Play back the recording and listen closely. Your voice should be clearly audible without distortion or clipping. If the recording is too quiet, go back to the settings and increase the sensitivity slider. If your voice is loud to the point of distortion, reduce the slider.
Test with different volume levels – both loud and quiet speech. This will help you fine tune the slider to accommodate different use cases. According to DPA Microphones, when testing microphone settings it’s important to “Tap and / or rub the grill in a controlled manner to check that this handling noise is not picking up too much.”
Keep tweaking the level until your test recordings sound clear and consistent, without the need to move closer or further from the phone. This optimal microphone sensitivity level will provide quality audio pickup for calls, videos, recordings and more.
Fine-Tune the Setting
Once you have adjusted the sensitivity slider, you may need to fine-tune the setting to find the optimal level. Make small adjustments up or down while speaking at your normal volume and distance from the microphone. Pay attention to the input levels shown on the microphone settings screen. The goal is to achieve strong input levels on vocal sounds without peaking or clipping (input levels going all the way to the right).
Try speaking a bit louder or softer as you test. Move around as you normally would when using the microphone. The optimal setting should work for your typical speech volume and distance from the device. Make very small adjustments to the slider until you find the sweet spot.
According to the Analog Devices article Understanding Microphone Sensitivity, “The user should set the mic gain control so that the loudest peak signal causes no more than 3 dB of compression in the audio circuitry following the mic.” This ensures your microphone audio sounds natural without distortion.
Check Multiple Apps
After adjusting the microphone sensitivity and testing it in one app, it’s important to check how the new setting works across different apps on your Android device. For example, test making voice recordings, phone calls, video chats, livestreams, and other apps that utilize the microphone.
Pay particular attention to how the adjusted sensitivity impacts the microphone in video calling apps. Since these rely heavily on clear audio pickup, check the mic in apps like Google Duo, Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Zoom, and others you commonly use for video chats. Speak at different volumes and distances to evaluate how well the mic picks up and transmits your voice with the new sensitivity enabled.
If the sensitivity causes issues like echo, background noise, or muffled speech in certain apps, you may need to fine-tune the setting further. The optimal sensitivity level can vary across different Android apps depending on their individual audio settings and processing. Checking multiple apps helps ensure the new microphone sensitivity works well across the board.
Save the Setting
Once you have adjusted the microphone sensitivity slider and found the optimal level for your needs, you will want to make sure the setting sticks. The good news is that the microphone sensitivity setting you choose in the Android settings menu will remain at that level until you change it again.
You don’t have to worry about your preferred microphone sensitivity reverting back or needing to be reset every time you close an app or restart your phone. Android will remember the custom slider position and keep the microphone input gain at that level across different apps.
So feel free to spend some time dialing in the right sensitivity range for your particular microphone and environment. Get the level adjusted to your liking, test it out in your favorite apps, and know that the setting will persist going forward until you decide to change it.
Saving the setting means you can customize your microphone input once, have it apply system-wide, and not have to worry about adjusting it again later.
Troubleshooting
If you are still having issues with your microphone sensitivity after adjusting the settings, here are some common problems and solutions:
Microphone blocked: Make sure nothing is covering the microphone hole on your device, including phone cases, screen protectors, dust, lint, etc. Clean the microphone area thoroughly.
Outdated software: Check for any available operating system and app updates, and install them. Software updates often include bug fixes for microphone problems. Restart your device after updating.
App permissions: Open your app permissions in Settings and make sure the app you are using has been granted access to the microphone. Toggle the permissions off and on to refresh them.
Background noise: Find a quieter environment or use noise cancelling/isolation headphones to reduce background noise interference.
If issues persist after trying the above solutions, consider resetting your device to factory default settings. If the problems began after installing a particular app, try uninstalling it.