Whether you’re chatting with friends over Skype, talking tactics on a game, or laying down some tunes, a microphone can come in very handy for your computer. But what if you don’t have one?
While you may not have a microphone for your computer, chances are that you have a smartphone. There’s the solution to your problem: you can use your smartphone as a PC microphone and it’s incredibly easy to set up.
We’ll show you different ways to use your phone as a microphone.
Use Your Phone as Microphone Using WO Mic
One of the best ways to achieve this is by using WO Mic. With this program, you can use USB, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi to connect your smartphone’s microphone to your computer.
It’s entirely free to use, has low latency, and will work in any application just like a standard microphone.
Head over to the WO Mic website and download the PC client and PC driver. Install them both. Then grab either the Android or iOS app.
Launch the PC program. Go to Connection > Connect… and choose a Transport type.
We’ll detail the steps for all the different options below.
1. Connect via Bluetooth
First, enable Bluetooth on your computer. Press Windows key + I to open Settings and go to Devices > Bluetooth & other devices. Slide Bluetooth to On. Your computer will now be discoverable to other devices.
Next, enable Bluetooth on your phone. The exact location of this option will vary on a device, but it’s usually inside your Settings, perhaps beneath a Connections category.
Pair your phone to your computer. A notification should pop up on your computer to confirm the connection.
On the Windows WO Mic program, select Bluetooth as your Transport type and select your phone from the Target Bluetooth device dropdown. Click OK.
On the phone WO Mic app, tap the settings cog, tap Transport, and select Bluetooth. Go back a screen and tap the play icon to begin transmitting your voice.
2. Connect via USB
This method only works for Android. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable. It’s the same one you use to charge the phone.
Windows may prompt you to install a driver, so follow that process through if so.
Next, enable USB debugging in the Developer options of your phone. Your phone should then be recognized by Windows as a device.
On the Windows WO Mic program, select USB as your Transport type. Click OK.
On the phone WO Mic app, tap the settings cog, tap Transport, and select USB. Go back a screen and tap the play icon to activate your phone’s microphone.
3. Connect via Wi-Fi
For this method both your phone and computer need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
To alter your Wi-Fi network on Windows, press Windows key + I to open Settings and to go Network & Internet > WiFi.
On the phone WO Mic app, tap the settings cog, tap Transport, and select Wi-Fi. Go back a screen and tap the play icon. A gray banner message should appear at the top with a number at the end. This is the IP address.
On the Windows WO Mic program, select Wi-Fi as your Transport type. Click OK. In the Server IP address field, input the IP address from the app. Click OK to begin using the microphone.
4. Connect via Wi-Fi Direct
This method requires you turn your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot and use your network data. Use this as a last resort; if your computer doesn’t have its own internet connection, and the other methods above aren’t suitable.
First, create a mobile hotspot from your phone. The way to do this will vary on a device, but have a look in Settings and you can find it usually beneath a Connections or Tethering category.
Next, you need to link your computer to this hotspot. Press Windows key + I to open Settings, go to Network & Internet > WiFi and select the hotspot.
On the phone WO mic app, tap the settings cog, tap Transport, and select Wi-Fi Direct. Go back a screen and tap the play icon.
On the Windows WO Mic program, select Wi-Fi Direct as your Transport type. Leave the Soft AP IP address field at its default of 192.168.43.1. Click OK and you’re good to go.
Is Windows Not Detecting Your Voice?
You shouldn’t run into any problems, but if you follow the above instructions and Windows isn’t detecting the microphone, there’s an easy fix.
Press Windows key + I to open Settings. Go to System > Sound. Beneath Input, use the dropdown to select Microphone (WO Mic Device).
Speak into your smartphone and you should see the volume reflected on the Test your microphone bar.
Alternative Methods to WO Mic
There are alternatives to WO Mic, but these require the use of an audio connection jack. Megaphone Free for iOS, Microphone for Android, and Real Microphone for Windows Phone should do the trick.
Download these apps, hook your phone to your Windows computer using a male-to-male headphone jack and your phone will then function as a computer microphone.
You can even plug in a pair of headphones to your computer’s microphone jack and use them. It might seem like an odd idea, but both make use of vibrations for different primary functions.
Simply put, headphones vibrate to create sound, while microphones monitor for vibrations. But you can still switch it and use the headphones as a microphone. However, bear in mind that the audio quality will leave a lot to be desired, so make this a last resort option.
Smartphone as Webcam
While using your smartphone as a Windows microphone might not be ideal for everyone, it’s a perfect solution for those who need to get talking quickly and don’t have a traditional microphone handy.
When you can get yourself chatting within minutes without spending a penny, it’s hard to complain. You’re being cost-effective and making use of the devices you already have.
On that note, you can also try using your smartphone as a webcam.
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