Background noise
Most background noise is the room reaching an open mic. Fix the room and the mic distance first, then let the app's suppression clean up the rest.
- Room · source off
- Mic · closer mic
- System · input volume
§ Apps · Signal
Signal
Private messaging with end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls.
- Platforms
- Windows · macOS · Linux · iOS · Android
- Suppression
- No noise setting
- Echo cancel
- No setting listed
- Noise gate
- No setting listed
- Push-to-talk
- No
- Last verified
- 2026-10-18
§ 01 — Setting
Where the setting is
| Platform | Path |
|---|---|
| Windows | No noise setting. In a call on Signal Desktop: settings icon → microphone or speaker drop-down |
| macOS | No noise setting. In a call on Signal Desktop: settings icon → microphone or speaker drop-down |
| Linux | No noise setting. In a call on Signal Desktop: settings icon → microphone or speaker drop-down |
| iOS | No noise setting. In a call: tap the speaker or Bluetooth icon to switch where the sound goes |
| Android | No noise setting. In a call: tap the speaker or Bluetooth icon to switch where the sound goes |
Signal's help pages describe no noise suppression setting. In a call, the audio options Signal documents are choosing the microphone and the speaker.
Type: No noise setting in the app.
§ 02 — Layers
The three layers
Noise can be fixed at three points before it leaves you. Start at the top: a fix at the device beats any amount of software.
| Layer | What it does | What to set |
|---|---|---|
| L1 · Device | The mic and where it sits. Distance to your mouth sets how loud your voice is against the room. | Pick the right mic in the app. A headset or a mic close to your mouth beats a laptop mic across the desk. |
| L2 · System | Your operating system passes the mic to the app at the input volume you set, sometimes with its own processing. | In your system sound settings, choose the same input device and set its volume so speech stays in the green on the noise test. |
| L3 · App | Signal's help pages describe no noise setting, so the device and system layers do the work. | No noise setting. In a call on Signal Desktop: settings icon → microphone or speaker drop-down |
Echo cancellation. Signal's help lists no echo setting.
Noise gate. Signal lists no gate.
§ 03 — Limits
What it cannot fix
- Signal has no noise switch of its own, so filtering has to come from a headset mic close to your mouth, your system, or a noise tool whose virtual microphone you pick on Signal Desktop.
- On Windows, if call volume drops, Signal suggests Settings → Sound → More sound settings → Communications → Do nothing, and turning off enhancements for your output device if that does not help.
- Signal Desktop has to be linked to Signal on an Android phone or iPhone first.
§ 04 — Symptoms
Fixes for what you hear
Echo
Echo is almost always someone's speakers playing the call into their own mic, and the person causing it usually cannot hear it.
- Room · headphones
- Room · one device per room
- Room · TV down
Phone call background noise
Phones have their own voice filters for calls. Turn them on, keep the bottom mic near your mouth, and avoid speakerphone in noise.
- Room · quieter spot
- Mic · bottom mic
- Mic · off speaker
Bluetooth mic sounds bad
Classic Bluetooth drops to a narrow, mono call mode whenever its mic is on. A separate mic, or LE Audio, avoids the switch.
- Mic · separate mic
- Mic · one device
- Mic · AirPods mic
Mic too quiet
A quiet mic is usually distance, the wrong input device or a low input volume in the system, not a broken mic.
- Mic · closer
- Mic · right input
- System · input volume
Voice cutting out
Clipped first words almost always mean a voice activation threshold set too high. Dropouts mid-sentence point to the connection or Bluetooth.
- Mic · closer
- Mic · USB headset
- App · threshold
Robotic voice
A robotic voice is usually late or lost packets on the network, or a headset sending audio at a rate the app does not expect.
- Mic · USB headset
- System · separate devices
- System · close apps
One-sided audio
One-sided audio is almost always a mute, a blocked mic permission or the wrong device, in that order. Firewalls come last.
- Mic · unmute
- Mic · one device
- System · mic permission
Others hear themselves
If others hear themselves when you unmute, the echo is on your side: your speakers, a second device or your sound driver sends their voices back.
- Room · headphones
- Room · one device
- Room · one audio source
Delay and lag
Most call delay comes from the network: a distant server, busy Wi-Fi or a VPN. Some apps add a little delay of their own.
- App · push to talk
- App · video off
- Network · VPN off
§ 05 — Test
Test it
The noise test rates your mic fine for Signal when your noise floor is at or below −60 dBFS and your voice is at least 20 dB above it. Between −60 and −45 dBFS it is usable with a system or software filter on; above that, the noise needs fixing at the room or the mic.
Signal's help pages describe no noise setting, so these bars are our rule of thumb for a call with no app filter, not figures from Signal. The methodology explains them.
Test my mic for Signal → § 06 — Questions
Signal questions
Q.01Does Signal have noise cancellation?
Signal's help pages describe no noise suppression setting. In a call you can change the microphone and the speaker; for less noise, use a headset mic close to your mouth or a noise tool on your computer.
Q.02How do I change the microphone in a Signal call?
On Signal Desktop, select the settings icon in the call and use the microphone or speaker drop-down. On Android or iPhone, unplug headphones or tap the Bluetooth or speaker icon to switch.
Q.03Why is my Signal call volume low on Windows?
Signal suggests opening Settings → Sound → More sound settings → Communications, choosing Do nothing and applying it, then calling again. If that does not help, turn off enhancements for your output device and update your audio drivers.
§ Sources
Checked against
Signal's own help pages and announcements, last checked :
- support.signal.org · Calling Options: Switch Camera, Microphone, or View
- support.signal.org · Voice or Video Calling
- support.signal.org · Troubleshooting Calling
- support.signal.org · Installing Signal