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| How to Fix Background Noise Picked Up by Your Microphone During Calls |
Background noise on a call is a different problem from audio quality issues covered elsewhere on this site — it's not that your microphone sounds bad, it's that it's picking up everything around you along with your voice. Most background noise problems have genuinely effective fixes, from free software settings to small physical changes.
Step 1: Turn On Your App's Noise Suppression
This is the fastest and most effective fix, and it's often not set to its most effective level by default. Check your app's audio settings for "noise suppression," "noise cancellation," or "background noise removal," and set it to the highest level offered.
Step 2: Mute Proactively, Not Reactively
The most reliable fix for intermittent noise — a dog barking, a delivery, household members talking — is muting whenever you're not speaking, rather than relying on software alone. Many apps support a push-to-talk shortcut (often holding the spacebar) worth learning if your meetings involve a lot of listening.
Step 3: Check Your Microphone's Position
Built-in laptop microphones pick up sound broadly, capturing room noise almost as readily as your voice. Sitting closer to the microphone improves the ratio of your voice to background sound without touching any software setting.
Step 4: Address the Specific Noise Source
Keyboard/typing noise: Mute while actively typing; software reduces but doesn't fully eliminate sharp mechanical sounds.
Fan or HVAC hum: One of the easier sounds for noise suppression to filter effectively, since it's constant — revisit Step 1 if this is your main issue.
Household members and pets: Harder to filter with software since they're closer in character to your own voice. A closed door or timing calls around quiet periods works better than software alone.
Outdoor/traffic noise: Closing windows or repositioning away from a street-facing window helps more than any setting.
Step 5: Consider a Directional External Microphone
If noise persists after software and positioning fixes, a basic external USB microphone with a directional pickup pattern outperforms most built-in laptop microphones. Do this after the free fixes, not instead of them.
Step 6: Rule Out a Different Issue Entirely
If people describe the sound as static or distorted rather than identifiable background noise, this points toward a different cause covered in our guide on microphones sounding robotic, muffled, or cutting out, rather than a true background noise problem.
Quick Reference
| Noise type | Best fix |
|---|---|
| Keyboard/typing | Mute while typing; enable noise suppression |
| Fan/HVAC hum | Enable noise suppression — handles this well |
| Household members/pets | Closed door, timing, white noise outside the room |
| Traffic/outdoor noise | Close windows; reposition away from the window |
| Persistent despite all fixes | Consider a directional external USB microphone |
If your conferencing software is managed by your employer, check whether noise suppression settings are centrally controlled before assuming one is unavailable.