Use Your iPhone as a PC Microphone on Windows

Your iPhone has a better microphone than most cheap USB mics, and a much better one than your laptop. But Windows can't use an iPhone as a microphone on its own, and iOS has no setting for it.

Micstream fixes this. The Windows client installs a small audio driver that adds a microphone called "Micstream", and the iPhone app sends its audio there over Wi-Fi. 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 iPhone to your PC over your local network. It never passes through a server.

You need three things:

An iPhone running iOS 18 or newer
A PC with Windows 10 or 11, or Linux (see below)
Both on the same Wi-Fi network

Setup

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

Install the iPhone app

Get it on the App Store. You don't need an account.
3

Allow the two permissions

When you first open the app, iOS asks for Local Network access. Allow it: the app needs it to find your PC. When you first connect, iOS asks for microphone access. Allow that too. If you said no by mistake, you can change both in SettingsAppsMicstream.
4

Connect

Open the app while the Windows client is running. Your PC appears within a few seconds. Tap it to start streaming. You don't need to type an address or a code.
5

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.

Lock the screen, keep streaming

Once streaming, you can lock your iPhone or switch to another app. The audio keeps going, and the orange microphone dot stays at the top of the screen. It uses little battery, so a long meeting is fine.

A phone call, Siri or an alarm stops the stream, because iOS gives them the microphone. Micstream doesn't take it back on its own, so the microphone never turns on without you knowing. To continue, open the app and tap your PC again.

AirPods and other Bluetooth mics

The app uses the iPhone's built-in microphone by default. That's usually best, because most Bluetooth headsets only send phone-call quality. To use your headset anyway, turn it on in the app under SettingsMicrophone. AirPods with the H2 chip on iOS 26 or newer record in high quality. Other headsets record in phone-call quality.

Troubleshooting

The app can't find your PC

Most often, Local Network access is off. If the app shows an orange banner about it, tap the banner. Or go to SettingsPrivacy & SecurityLocal Network and turn on Micstream.

If that's not it:

Make sure the iPhone 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.

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.

The stream stopped on its own

A call, Siri or an alarm took the microphone (see above), or the Wi-Fi dropped. Open the app and connect again. If it keeps happening in the same place, the Wi-Fi is weak there. Move closer to the router.

Audio is choppy

This comes from the network, not the microphone. Distance, walls and other traffic make it worse, like a download on the PC or a video on the iPhone. Move closer to the router, or pause the other traffic.

Common questions

Can I connect over USB or Lightning?

No. On iPhone, Micstream works over Wi-Fi only. On a good network, the delay is low enough for calls, streaming and recording.

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 on iPad?

The app is made for iPhone. It also installs on iPad, where it runs in iPhone mode.

Does it work with a Mac or Linux PC?

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

What's the actual audio quality?

Windows receives the audio as 32-bit float at 48 kHz. It is never downsampled.

Both downloads are free:

Download Windows Client Get iPhone App