Allow or restore microphone access
Fix a blocked microphone so voice tracking, freestyle, and spoken debate can hear you.
Applies to: All voice features · fastest on desktop Chrome or Edge
Rhetoric shows the microphone state explicitly before a session: supported, denied, and unsupported each get their own labeled screen. If you see "denied", the browser is withholding the mic; the fix is in the browser's own settings, and takes under a minute.
Chrome and Edge (desktop)
- Click the icon on the left of the address bar (a lock or sliders).
- Find Microphone and switch it to Allow.
- Reload the page and start the session again.
Safari (Mac)
- Safari menu → Settings → Websites → Microphone.
- Set this site to Allow.
- Reload the page.
Firefox
- Click the permissions icon in the address bar and remove the microphone block.
- Reload: Firefox will ask again; choose Allow.
Still silent after allowing? Check the operating system: macOS System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, or Windows Settings → Privacy → Microphone, must permit the browser itself. External mics: check the input device your OS has selected.
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Contact supportSteps last verified on 2026-07-12