The AI Agent playground lets you test your voice agent before going live — but if your microphone isn't set up correctly, the test won't work. This article walks you through the most common causes and how to fix them, on both Mac and Windows.
Before working through the steps below, do a quick check:
Does your microphone work in another app (e.g. Zoom, Teams, or your system's Voice Recorder)?
If yes, the issue is likely browser or permission-related.
If no, it may be a hardware or system-level issue — start with the operating system checks below.
1. Check browser microphone permissions
This is the most common cause. If you accidentally clicked Block when your browser first asked for microphone access, the playground won't be able to hear you — and the block won't reset on its own.
Chrome
Click the lock icon to the left of the address bar.
Find Microphone and set it to Allow.
Reload the page and try again.
Alternatively, go to chrome://settings/content/microphone and remove Superchat from the Not allowed list.
Safari
Go to Safari → Settings → Websites → Microphone.
Find Superchat and set it to Allow.
Reload the page.
Firefox / Edge
Click the lock icon next to the address bar.
Look for a Microphone Blocked entry and remove it.
Reload the page and accept the new permission prompt.
Tip: Try opening the playground in an incognito/private window. If it works there, a browser extension is likely blocking microphone access in your normal session — disable extensions one by one to identify the culprit.
2. Check operating system microphone permissions
Even if your browser has permission, your operating system can block microphone access at a deeper level.
Mac
Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
Make sure your browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) is toggled on.
Reload the Superchat page and try again.
Windows
Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
Make sure Microphone access is turned on.
Scroll down and confirm your browser is allowed to access the microphone.
Reload the page.
3. Make sure the right microphone is selected
If you have multiple audio inputs — a built-in mic, a headset, a webcam microphone — your system may be listening to the wrong one.
Mac
Go to System Settings → Sound → Input.
Select the correct microphone and speak — you should see the input level bar move.
If it doesn't move, try unplugging and replugging the microphone — macOS can sometimes fail to register a newly connected device.
Windows
Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select Sound settings.
Under Input, choose the correct microphone from the dropdown.
Speak into it — the test bar should react.
4. Close other apps using the microphone
Some applications hold exclusive access to the microphone. If Zoom, Teams, or another app is open and using your mic, the browser playground may not be able to access it at the same time.
Close any other apps that use audio, then reload the playground and try again.
5. Check you're not muted
It sounds obvious, but worth checking:
Is there a mute button on your headset, microphone, or keyboard? (Look for a mic icon with a slash through it.)
On some laptops, there's a dedicated microphone mute key — pressing it again will unmute.
On Windows, check Settings → System → Sound → Input and make sure the input volume isn't set to zero.
On Mac, check System Settings → Sound → Input and make sure the input volume slider isn't all the way down.
Still not working?
If none of the above has resolved the issue, try the following:
Restart your browser — close it completely and reopen.
Restart your computer — this clears temporary audio conflicts.
Try a different browser — if Chrome isn't working, try Safari or Firefox.
Test your microphone on another device — if it doesn't work there either, it may be a hardware issue with the microphone itself.
Windows only: Run the built-in audio troubleshooter — go to Settings → System → Sound → Troubleshoot.
If you've worked through all of these steps and the playground still isn't picking up your microphone, please get in touch with our support team and let us know which browser and operating system you're using.