USB mics are just as good as XLR mics, minus the additional gear that you need to invest in. However, if all you need is a mic for meetings, you can save on a USB mic by turning your Android phone into one.
When I ran into issues with my dedicated microphone setup during a meeting, I gave my spare Android phone a new purpose and turned it into a microphone. Yes, you need to install a free app and tweak a few audio settings, but the result is an excellent, clear-sounding audio device that costs nothing and works surprisingly well.
Why I use my phone as a mic
Budget mics have too many compromises
I used a budget Fifine microphone for the longest time, which served me well for both recording voiceovers for videos and meetings. When it went kaput, I bought another budget wireless microphone from Amazon. For the most part, it works quite well, except for the horrible battery life, which has left me hanging in more than a few instances. And there have been times when I totally forgot to bring my microphone when traveling.
I considered buying a secondary collar mic, but the quality of cheap ones was abysmal. The ones under $20 had so much static noise that they defeated the purpose of having a backup. Instead, I experimented to see if I could use my Android phone as a microphone for my PC, at least for meetings.
It does make sense if you think about it. Phone microphones have automatic gain control, noise suppression, compression, and voice enhancements that make them ideal for calls, if not for studio-style recording. Phone manufacturers prioritize optimizing phone mics for voice clarity because that’s what they’re primarily designed for.
With the help of third-party tools like AudioRelay or AndroidMic, you can turn a spare or even a primary Android phone into a microphone that’s much better than a cheap audio device you would find on Amazon. And you always have your phone on you, so it’s an extremely portable setup.
Turning my phone into a microphone with AndroidMic
Free, open-source, and surprisingly capable
While I have used AudioRelay in the past, I prefer AndroidMic now because it’s completely free to use. AudioRelay puts a few advanced features behind the paywall, and the audio quality was better on AndroidMic in my testing.
Setting up your phone as a microphone for your PC involves a few steps, but nothing too complicated. First, you need to install VB-Cable, a free virtual audio driver for Windows. Download it from the VB-Audio website, run the installer as administrator, and reboot your PC. This creates a virtual audio device that acts as a bridge between AndroidMic and your meeting apps.
Next, download AndroidMic for Windows from its GitHub page and install the companion app on your phone from F-Droid.
Then launch AndroidMic on your PC, and set the connection type to Wi-Fi / LAN TCP. In the PC app, select CABLE Input (VB-Audio Virtual Cable) as the Audio Device. Enter the IP address and port shown in the desktop app into your phone. Tap the Settings icon > IP Port and set the IP address and Port as shown on your PC. Then tap connect, and you should see the audio activity indicator light up.
The final step is telling Windows to use VB-Cable as your microphone. Go to Settings > System > Sound > More sound settings > Recording, right-click on “CABLE Output,” and set it as your default communication device. Now, any app like Zoom, Teams, or Discord will automatically use your phone’s mic.
The audio quality test
Impressive for a free solution
I’ve recorded two audio samples for comparison: one from my budget wireless microphone and another from my phone using AndroidMic. Both are unedited and recorded using Audacity. While I believe the dedicated microphone did a slightly better job with clarity, audio recorded from my phone does a pretty good job in a meeting setup when my regular mic isn’t available.
AndroidMic also has built-in noise cancellation that works decently for most environments. But if you want to take things further, you can pair it with a more advanced utility like Nvidia Broadcast. While you must have an Nvidia GPU to make this work, Nvidia Broadcast can improve your mic quality with AI-powered noise removal that handles everything from keyboard clicks to background chatter.
- OS
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Windows, Android
- Price model
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Free
AndroidMic lets you turn your Android phone into a working microphone for your PC using Wi-Fi, USB, or ADB connections, with noise cancellation and advanced audio streaming support
Making the most out of your Android phone
AndroidMic turns your Android phone into a surprisingly capable microphone that works exceptionally well for quick meetings and video calls. It’s come in handy in more than one situation when my dedicated setup wasn’t available or when I was traveling without my usual gear.
So if you’re looking at budget microphones on Amazon for your next meeting or interview, give your Android phone a go with the AndroidMic app and see if it works for your use case.
