How to Use Apple Earbuds as Mic on PC, Skype & Zoom [GUIDE] (2024)

Are you using Apple earbuds to listen to songs and also talk to your colleagues? Did you know that you can also use Apple earbuds as a mic on a PC?

The advantage of Apple’s earphones is that it functions as headphones as well as mic making them unique in the market.

So, How to Use Apple Earbuds as Mic on Pc?

In order to Use Apple Earbuds as Mic on Pc:

Find out the recording slot and insert Apple earbuds.
Open Control Panel and tap on Sound.
Under the external mic option, check if the Apple earbud is listed.
Double click the earbud name.

Going forward, Apple earbuds will work as a mic on a PC.

In this article, you will learn how to use Apple earbuds as a mic on various platforms.

Tools Needed To Use Apple Earbuds as Mic on PC

In the previous section, you would have gone through the steps briefly. The unfortunate thing is that it does not happen directly. This means that you need a couple of tools to activate earbuds to function as a mic on a PC.

Earpods (3.5mm plug)

The primary step to using Apple earbuds as a mic is to spot the audio jack. In general, there is an inbuilt slot open for headphones. In such cases, you can directly connect the wire to the slot and then go ahead with audio settings.

Lightning Jack

If you want to use Apple earbuds as a mic on a PC, you need a lightning cable that has a USB-A or USB-C connector. The only difference between them lies in compatibility which can cause left or right earbud not working.

Step-by-Step Guide: How To Use Apple Earbuds as Mic on PC

As soon as you have the tools ready, let us begin with the step-by-step guide to using your earbuds as mic on a PC or laptop. Remember that you should have access to these tools and you cannot skip them.

Step 1: Find the recording slot

The recording slot can usually be found on the sides of your laptop or at the backside of the CPU. In recent times, a single audio slot does the work of earbuds and headphones.

Hence, plugging the earphone into the slot is all that is required to begin listening to music or using it as a mic. However, the challenge begins when the system contains two slots for recording. In such instances, one of them is for mic input and the other for headphone audio.

You may need an audio splitter and a lightning jack to streamline the audio. If you are unsure of the slot in your computer, find out the mic symbol around the jack. Simply plug in the earpod and find out if you can hear any audio.

In some laptops, the symbol does not appear. In that case, you should check online for the type, size, and shape of the jack so you can try it properly.

Now that you have found out the recording slot, the next step is to plugin Apple headphones and get ready to adjust audio settings.

Step 2: Adjust audio settings in Control Panel

To launch the control panel and adjust audio settings, follow the steps below.

Press the Windows key on your keyboard and then type “control panel”.
A right pane appears and click on Open.
Select Sound.

Under the list of options displayed, click on Sound.
A new dialog box appears with 4 tabs.
Select the Recording tab and select Apple headphones.
Click Set Default.

Step 3: Verify If it Works

To ensure that the sound is properly set, you should also follow a few more steps.

Under the Recording tab, select earbud and click Properties at the bottom.
To adjust volume, go to the Levels tab in the Microphone Properties dialog box.
Adjust the slider based on the sound you prefer.
Click Apply and then tap on OK.

Going forward, the audio quality remains uncompromised and Apple earbuds are treated as a mic on PC. This is the same guide for laptop as well.

Here comes the important section. There can be instances where your system fails to recognize earbuds. As a result, you may not be able to carry out any of the steps or methods mentioned above. We still have a solution for the same.

Press the Windows key and type “sound settings.”
The right pane appears with a few options and select Open.
A new window opens.
Click “choose your input device” and then find your Apple earbud name.
Select Apple headphones and then see if there are sound differences below the “test your microphone” option.

If your system is still not finding your Apple headphones as a mic, the only solution is to troubleshoot the device and then find out if it is in working condition. In some cases, earbuds might need a soft or hard reset based on the situation. You may also need to its firmware – use our guide to update Powerbeats Pro Firmware!

It is highly recommended to gain access to the tools and then follow the guide. If nothing works, you should troubleshoot to find out the exact reason.

How to use Apple earbuds as a mic in Skype

As much as we use Apple earbuds, we should also consider fixing them as a mic for Skype so all your remote conversations do not get hampered.

The advantage with Apple headphones is that it works as a mic on multiple platforms and all you need to do is to follow a few technical steps. No extra cost for it, we promise!

In order to use Apple earbuds as mic with Skype:

Login to Skype and then select Settings.
Select Audio and click Microphone.
Tap on the drop-down list to set Apple earbuds as the default device.

That’s it. It should work now.

It is also a good idea to carry a test call or a sound test. If there are problems with sound, you should first begin altering the audio settings of your system and then move on to Skype settings.

How to use Apple earbuds as a mic on Zoom?

As we mentioned earlier, earbuds are highly compatible on multiple platforms and Zoom is not an exception. With more users using Zoom for their official conversations, it is high time that you learn how to use Apple headphones as a mic on Zoom.

Follow the steps below and you’ll be there!

Join a Zoom meeting (ongoing).

Note. You can create a link yourself and then join in the meeting.

In the dialog box that prompts, select “test speaker and microphone”.
As a part of the test, you should hear the audio output. If you did, it means that your Apple headphones as a mic are already enabled. Otherwise, you should select Apple headphones from the drop-down menu that appears.
Once you select, go ahead with the microphone test by selecting Yes.
You will be prompted to talk a few words using a mic so Zoom replays the same. If you hear, click Yes and you are done.
Now that your earbuds are set as mic, you can directly select “Join with computer audio” going forward.

Earbuds will now act as headphones as well as a mic whenever you are using Zoom. As a result, you do not have to repeat steps each time you join a meeting.

Why won’t the mic on my Apple earbuds work on PC?

The most common reason is that the headset mic is not enabled or some other device is selected as default.

To enable mic on your Apple headphones, you should go to Control Panel and select Sound. Then, you should select the Apple earbud name as the input and it should work.

Conclusion

After using apple headphones as a mic for years, we admit that they are the best when it comes to compatibility. Even when things go a little difficult, you can still address them with simple tools as mentioned in this article.

Now that you have followed our guide, you would probably be able to use Apple earbuds as a mic on a PC or laptop and also multiple platforms including Zoom and Skype.

Perhaps, you can also extend this to Discord and other new platforms by following similar steps. Before you go, check out our step by step guide on how to connect skullcandy wireless earbuds! Also, check out how to pair altec lansing bluetooth speaker!