Fact · Dictation on Windows
To test an installed microphone, Microsoft says to open the device's Properties page from Input, start a test, and adjust the Input volume slider if needed.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“Select Stop test and choose Play to hear your recorded sample. Adjust the Input volume slider if needed”
How to set up and test microphones in Windows, Microsoft, Microsoft Support, n.d., To test a microphone that's already installed.
Open the original- What it measures
- The test runs on the Properties page of the device you select under Input. It records a short sample you can play back, so you can hear what the microphone picks up before you dictate.
- What it does not show
- The article does not give a volume number or a target level. The right level is the one at which your own voice is clear in the playback without the room noise dominating.