Fix: Google Meet Microphone not Working

Google is known for inconsistency with apps in its ecosystem. They keep discontinuing services and introducing different ones, for reasons known only to them. So, after Google Hangouts were discontinued, Google Meet and Google Chat took their place. One of the two that made a breakthrough in recent times is Google Meet, a video conferencing service, the response to Microsoft Teams/super-popular Zoom. Although the app is usually working well, it has its fair share of issues. Some Android and Windows users report that the Google Meet microphone is not working.

• Can’t share screen on Google Meet (Android and PC)

It’s important to know that the problem is, especially on Android, rarely on the user’s side. So, we’ll need to wait for Google to resolve it. On the other hand, to eliminate all other possibilities, we brought you a list of possible solutions to check your side. Learn what you need to do below.

Table of contents:

1. Make sure your mic is not muted
2. Check Meet permissions
3. Clear the app’s data and cache
4. Reinstall Google Meet
5. Use Meet in a browser

Why is my Google Meet Microphone not Working?

The most probable reason is a temporary issue with Google’s servers. However, there’s a slight possibility that the app itself is misbehaving or that necessary permissions are not granted.

Also, don’t forget to unmute your microphone. An oversight like that happens to the best of us from time to time.

1. Make sure your mic is not muted

The first thing to try is to ensure that your microphone is not muted. Tap on the Microphone icon to disable/enable it. Try disabling and re-enabling the microphone. If permission is not granted, the prompt should reappear. An extra tip is to disable the voice trigger for Google Assistant, which seemingly causes microphone issues in third-party apps.

If you are experiencing issues on your PC, besides checking the microphone, check the microphone drivers and reinstall them. Also, if you have any physical buttons that toggle the microphone on and off, make sure to check those, too.

2. Check Meet permissions

The next thing to do is to check if Meet has permission to access your microphone. Usually, the prompt appears when you first run the app, but chances are that you denied it by accident or the app is blocked by some kind of system manager. These can be quite pesky on some heavy-modified Android skins.

So, without further ado, here’s how to ensure that Google Meet has all the necessary permissions:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Apps & Notification (Apps).
3. Tap All apps.
4. Open Google Meet (or Gmail, if you are accessing Meet through the Gmail app).
5. Tap Permissions.
6. Make sure that Google Meet (or Gmail) have access to the microphone.

There are similar steps to take on Windows 10. You should locate Permissions under Settings and grant Chrome (or another browser you are using Meet on) permission to access the Microphone. You can do it in the browser, by clicking on the padlock in the Address bar and opening Site settings.

3. Clear the app’s data and cache

The next thing to try if the Google Meet microphone is not working on your Android is to reset the app. This can be done by clearing the local app data. Chances are that the local data is corrupt (which can happen after system updates) and clearing it should fix the problem at hand.

Here’s how to clear data and cache from Google Meet on Android:

1. Again, navigate to Settings > Apps > All apps > Google Meet.
2. Tap on Storage.
3. Tap Clear Data and confirm the selection.
4. Reboot your device and test Meet.

4. Reinstall Google Meet

If the previous step failed, make sure to reinstall the app. This is a long-stretch solution but, considering that the problem is, more times than not, on Google’s side of the field, there’s only so much an end-user can do.

Here’s how to reinstall Google Meet on your Android device:

1. Open Google Play Store and locate Google Meet.
2. Uninstall the app.
3. Reboot your device and open the Store again.
4. Install Google Meet and give it another try.

5. Use Meet in a browser

Finally, if you are unable to utilize the Google Meet app, you can either try using Meet from Gmail for Android or enable the desktop mode in Chrome and access Meet that way. If you are still experiencing issues, bear in mind that you are probably not alone. Many users are having a hard time with this problem and we can only hope that Google will address it as soon as possible.

If you are not aware of how to enable the Desktop mode in Chrome, just tap on the 3-dot menu while in Chrome and tick the Desktop mode checkbox. After that, look for Meet, sign in with your Google Account if asked, and give it a go.

You can always use other services for the time being, unless it’s necessary to stick to Google’s conference service.

And, on that note, we can conclude this article. Thank you for reading and make sure to tell us about alternative solutions that worked for you in the comments section below. Also, check our Facebook and Twitter pages for more content about Android and iOS.