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Use your Android phone as a PC microphone

Updated September 23, 2026 · 4 min read

Your Android phone probably has the best microphone you own: better than many USB mics, and far better than the one in your laptop. The only problem: Windows can't use your phone as a microphone on its own.

Micstream fixes this. The Windows client installs a small audio driver that adds a microphone called "Micstream", and the phone app sends its audio there. To Windows and apps like Zoom or OBS, it looks like a real microphone. The audio arrives as 32-bit float at 48 kHz, straight from your phone to your PC. It never passes through a server.

You need three things:

  • An Android phone running Android 8 or newer
  • A PC with Windows 10 or 11, or Linux (see below)
  • A USB data cable, or both devices on the same Wi-Fi network

Setup

  1. 1

    Install the Windows client

    Download the installer and run it. It installs the desktop client and the audio driver, which creates the "Micstream" microphone. Your other audio devices stay as they are.

  2. 2

    Install the Android app

    Get it on Google Play. You don't need an account.

  3. 3

    Connect over USB or Wi-Fi

    USB: connect the phone to the PC with a data cable and choose USB in the app. The connection uses USB tethering, so the app asks you to turn it on once. Its button opens the right setting. If the app says the cable looks like a charging-only cable, try another cable.

    Wi-Fi: put both devices on the same network. Your PC appears in the app within a few seconds. Tap it. You don't need to type an address or a code.

    The first time you connect, allow microphone access.

  4. 4

    Pick Micstream as the input

    Open the microphone settings of the app you're using and select Micstream. To use it everywhere, open SettingsSystemSound in Windows and select it under Input.

Discord and OBS ignore the Windows default and use their own setting, so select Micstream there. There are short guides for Discord and OBS.

USB or Wi-Fi?

USB has the lowest delay, often under 10 ms on high-end phones, and it charges the phone. Use it for recording, streaming, or when you listen to yourself.

Wi-Fi lets you put the phone anywhere, like the middle of a meeting table. Its delay depends on your network, so if the audio drops out, switch to USB.

Streaming in the background

Once connected, you can switch apps or turn off the screen. The stream keeps running, and you can stop it from its notification. A few phones slow down audio when the screen is off. If you hear glitches, turn on SettingsKeep Screen On in the app.

Troubleshooting

USB doesn't connect

  • The cable: many cables only charge and can't carry data. The app tells you when it can't find a data connection. Try another cable.
  • USB tethering: it must stay on while you stream. If it turns off after a restart, turn it on again in SettingsNetwork & internetHotspot & tethering.

The app can't find your PC over Wi-Fi

  • Make sure the phone is on the same Wi-Fi as the PC, not on mobile data.
  • Don't use a guest network. Guest networks often stop devices from seeing each other.
  • If Windows Firewall asks about Micstream, allow it on private networks.
  • A USB cable avoids all of these problems.

Micstream isn't in the input device list

If Micstream is missing everywhere, the driver install didn't finish. Run the installer again.

If it's there but an app still uses another mic, select Micstream in that app and restart the app. Many apps only look for new devices when they start.

Audio is choppy over Wi-Fi

This comes from the network, not the microphone. Distance, walls and other traffic on your Wi-Fi all make it worse. Move closer to the router, or use a USB cable.

Common questions

Is it free?

Yes, with ads: watching a short ad gives you streaming time. A Pro subscription removes the ads and the time limit.

Does it work with a Mac or Linux PC?

Linux works: see the Linux setup guide. A macOS client is in development.

What about an iPhone?

Yes, over Wi-Fi. See the iPhone guide.

What's the actual audio quality?

Windows receives the audio as 32-bit float at 48 kHz, in stereo on phones that support it. It is never downsampled.

Both downloads are free:

Download Windows Client Get Android App