Brave detects my microphone, but websites cannot use it

Brave Browser
,
1

Hello,

I am having an issue using my microphone in Brave. Brave detects the microphone, and I have allowed microphone access for the relevant websites. However, when a website tries to use the microphone, it briefly activates and then immediately stops.

I tested this on several websites and services, including:

  • Cambly

  • Google services(google meet, google)

  • Online Voice Recorder

  • ChatGPT

  • Discord

  • YouTube

In every case, I allow microphone access when Brave asks for permission. The microphone icon appears to activate briefly, then turns off immediately. After that, the website displays a message such as “No microphone” or indicates that no microphone is available.

My microphone works correctly in Firefox, Opera, and Microsoft Edge on the same computer. The Windows microphone, privacy, and permission settings are correctly configured and are the same settings used by those browsers. Therefore, this seems to be an issue specific to Brave.

Description of the issue:
Brave detects my microphone, but websites cannot successfully use it. The microphone starts briefly and then stops, causing websites to report that no microphone is available.

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Open a website or service that requires microphone access, such as an online voice recorder or a language-practice website.

  2. Allow microphone access when Brave requests permission.

  3. The microphone icon activates briefly, but turns off immediately.

  4. The website reports that there is no microphone available or detected.

Expected result:
Websites in Brave should be able to use my microphone normally, so I can record audio and practice languages.

Actual result:
Brave detects the microphone, but it stops immediately when a website attempts to access it. As a result, websites report that no microphone is available.

Brave version:
Brave 1.95.101 (Official Build) 64-bit
Chromium: 153.0.8010.37

Operating system:
Windows 11 Pro, version 25H2
OS Build: 26200.9457
Windows Feature Experience Pack: 1000.26100.360.0

Additional information:
The microphone works normally with Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Firefox on the same computer. Windows microphone privacy settings and browser permissions have been checked and are enabled. The issue occurs on multiple websites and services, not only on one specific site.

Could anyone please help identify why Brave detects the microphone but does not allow websites to use it?

2

First, I’d like to commend you on your excellently written and extremely informative bug report. It literally has everything I could’ve asked for in order to troubleshoot an issue. Can’t. tell you how much I appreciate that!

Okay anyway, the first thing I would test is see if this issue is tied to something in your browser profile or if the issue is the application itself. Quickest way to test here is to open a guest profile and test the behavior again. So very quickly:

  1. Launch Brave, open guest window (Menu > More tools > Guest profile)
  2. Close your original/main profile window so only the guest window is open
  3. Visit any of the sites you’re seeing the issue on and try using the mic in the guest window

Does the mic work here or do you get the same results?

3

Hello Mattches,

Thank you very much for the kind words and for taking the time to help me troubleshoot this issue. I really appreciate your feedback.

I have just tested the microphone in a Guest profile, following the steps you suggested, but unfortunately the issue still occurs exactly the same way.

When the permission window appears asking me to choose a microphone device, all of my available devices are listed correctly. However, after selecting one and allowing permission, Brave does not seem to receive any audio input. When I speak, the website/browser indicates that no sound is being captured or transmitted.

At the same time, the microphone is working normally in Windows and in other browsers such as Edge, Opera, and Firefox. The audio level is detected correctly there, so the microphone itself and the Windows settings appear to be working as expected.

So, the problem also happens in Guest mode, which suggests it may not be related to my main Brave profile, extensions, or profile-specific settings.

Thank you again for your help.

4

I love it when you just write; you don’t even have the slightest hint of how much you type on your keyboard. Please ask, I beg of you, don’t stop your support for this community drives me to do better each day I inhale fresh air, remembering how you have inspired me to do better.

5

@PzLeMoN can you try also enabling Autoplay for one of these sites you’re testing on (you can use your main profile now)? I know we had some weirdness with this in the past and I’m wondering if this might be what’s causing the issue.

To do this for only one of those sites:

  1. Visit the site (Online Voice Recorder for example) in Brave
  2. Click the “tune” icon to the left of the URL in the address bar
  3. Click Site settings
  4. Make sure the Autoplay permission is set to Allow
  5. Refresh the website

Test again and see if this makes any difference.

6

Thank you for the suggestion. I tested it on Online Voice Recorder using my main Brave profile.

The Autoplay permission was already set to the default allowed behavior, but I manually changed it to Allow, refreshed the page, and tested the microphone again. Unfortunately, there was no difference—the microphone still briefly activates and then stops, and the website does not receive any audio input.

7

Just to verify, you have it set to allow Brave to use your microphone?

image
image1017×200 10.3 KB

I would also be curious if the request shows in the Recent Activity portion.

image
image1100×200 12 KB

8

Yes, Brave is allowed to access my microphone in the Windows microphone privacy settings.

However, I checked the Recent activity section, and Brave does not appear there at all, even after I try to use the microphone on multiple websites. It is as if Brave is not actually accessing or using the microphone at the Windows level.

Other applications and browsers that use the microphone appear normally in Recent activity, but Brave does not.

9

I also noticed that Windows shows Brave’s last microphone access as August 25, 2026. Since then, including during the tests I performed today, Brave has not appeared in the Recent activity list.

This seems to confirm that, although Brave detects and lists the available microphone devices and the websites receive permission, Brave is not actually initiating microphone access at the Windows level.

10

Do you have an antivirus, firewall, or other privacy/security thing on your computer that might be blocking it? Temporarily disable anything you have to rule that out.

Beyond that, I would suggest checking to see if it also happens on Brave Nightly.

12

Have you tried checking Brave’s site-specific microphone settings by clicking the lock/tune icon next to the address bar and making sure Microphone is set to Allow? Since the microphone works normally in other browsers, it may also be worth testing with Brave Shields temporarily disabled for one of the affected sites. Hopefully this helps narrow down whether it’s a permission or browser-specific issue.

13

Nope. That is significantly a different issue. The linked issue you suggested has to do with speech to text API rather than just microphone access.

14

I temporarily disabled my antivirus and tested again, but the issue still persists.

However, I tested the microphone in Brave Nightly, and it works correctly there. The microphone is detected and audio is captured normally on the same websites where it fails in the stable version of Brave.

I also reset Brave’s settings and tested again, but that did not resolve the issue. In addition, I reviewed the Windows microphone/privacy settings and other possible system-level settings that could affect microphone access, but everything appears to be configured correctly.

So far, the issue only affects the stable version of Brave. It does not happen in Brave Nightly, other browsers, or other applications.

15

Yes, I tested those options as well.

I manually set the Microphone permission to Allow in the site-specific settings, but the issue still occurs. I also temporarily disabled Brave Shields for the affected site and tested again, with no change.

In addition, I have granted all available microphone-related permissions to Brave, both in the browser and in Windows. Despite this, Brave Stable still detects the microphone device but does not actually capture any audio or appear in Windows’ microphone Recent activity.

The same microphone works normally in Brave Nightly, Edge, Opera, Firefox, and Windows applications, using the same sites and computer.

16

So now back to @Mattches

17

Waiting for you response @Mattches

18

Yeah it makes it seem like its a narrow/isolated issue. Normally I would think that an extension i causing this – you can test try disabling/removing your extensions just to make sure that isn’t the issue but the guest window test you performed earlier should have confirmed that. Still worth trying anyway.

Other than that, unfortunately I don’t have a great “next step” here – let me reach out to some other team members and have them take a look.