Share via

I cannot use microphone on ppt on mac

Lois Nicholson 0 Reputation points
2025-11-11T16:37:04.7966667+00:00

I have tried the security and privacy to turn on access to mic however this is not worked. i have also tried deleting and reinstaling the app, however this has not worked either. how can i use mic on ppt

Microsoft 365 and Office | PowerPoint | For education | MacOS
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Gabriel-N 17,785 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-11-12T03:17:49.2166667+00:00

    Hi Lois Nicholson

    Thanks for posting your question on the Q&A forum!

    I understand how confusing it can be when the microphone doesn’t work as expected, especially when you've already tried adjusting permissions and reinstalling the app. To help troubleshoot, I ran a few tests on my end using macOS 15.7.1, AirPods Pro 2, and PowerPoint version 16.102.2, and the mic worked fine in that setup. Here are a few steps you can try:

    • Toggle mic access: Turn off and then back on microphone access for PowerPoint in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone. Make sure to follow the recommended step to quit and reopen the app.
    • Check input source: Go to System Settings > Sound > Input and see which mic is being used. Try saying a few words and check if the Input Level bar moves, if it does, the mic is being detected. You can also adjust the mic volume using the Input Volume slider.

    User's image

    Since you mentioned the mic isn’t working during recording, I assume you're using the Record feature like the one shown below.

    User's image

    In this recording screen, if you click the mic icon and switch to the correct mic (e.g., AirPods in settings), then press Record, does it capture your voice? 

    User's image

    One thing I noticed during testing: if I connect my earphones after opening PowerPoint, I need to quit the app, adjust the device settings, and then reopen PowerPoint for it to recognize the mic properly.

    You might also want to test your earphones on another device to confirm the mic is working.

    If the issue still persists, could you let me know:

    1. Your macOS version
    2. Your PowerPoint version
    3. Whether you're using the built-in mic or an external device (and the exact name/model of that device)

    Looking forward to your reply!

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

    Was this answer helpful?

  2. AI answer

    2025-11-11T16:37:24.2466667+00:00

    To troubleshoot microphone issues in PowerPoint on a Mac, you can follow these steps:

    1. Check Microphone Settings: Ensure that PowerPoint has permission to access the microphone. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Microphone and make sure PowerPoint is checked.
    2. Restart PowerPoint: Sometimes, simply quitting and restarting PowerPoint can resolve the issue.
    3. Test in Safe Mode: Restart your Mac in Safe Mode to see if the microphone works there. This can help determine if other software is interfering with PowerPoint.
    4. Create a New User Account: Create a new user account on your Mac and test PowerPoint there. This can help identify if the issue is related to your user profile.
    5. Repair Disk Permissions: Use the Disk Utility to repair disk permissions, which can sometimes resolve issues with applications not functioning correctly.
    6. Reinstall Office: If the problem persists, consider completely uninstalling and then reinstalling Microsoft Office to ensure that all components are correctly installed.

    If you've already tried some of these steps, focusing on the microphone settings and testing in Safe Mode might be particularly useful.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.