Tuner not working? Here's how to fix it

Nine times out of ten, an online tuner that "doesn't hear" anything is a microphone permission problem — and it's fixable in under a minute. Work through this list from the top.

1. Check the microphone permission

When you click Start Tuner, your browser asks for microphone access. If you (or a previous visit) dismissed or blocked it, the tuner can't hear anything:

• Chrome / Edge (desktop): click the lock or sliders icon at the left of the address bar → Site settings → Microphone → Allow, then reload the page.
• Firefox: click the microphone icon in the address bar and clear the block, then reload and click Start Tuner again.
• Safari (Mac): Safari menu → Settings for This Website → Microphone → Allow.
• iPhone / iPad (Safari): tap aA in the address bar → Website Settings → Microphone → Allow. If it's still silent, check Settings → Apps → Safari → Microphone, and Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
• Android (Chrome): tap the lock icon → Permissions → Microphone → Allow, and confirm Chrome itself has mic permission in Android settings.

2. Make sure the right microphone is selected

On computers with multiple inputs (headset, webcam, interface), the browser may be listening to the wrong one. Check your system sound input settings, or the per-site microphone selector in the browser permission dialog. If you use an audio interface, plugging the guitar in directly works brilliantly — select the interface as the input.

3. iOS quirks worth knowing

• Silent Mode does not affect the microphone, but a call or another app using the mic will block it.
• If the tuner stops after the screen locks, reload the page — iOS suspends audio processing in background tabs.
• Bluetooth earbuds can hijack the mic with a low-quality channel; for tuning, the phone's built-in mic is better.

4. The room is too noisy

Tuners lock onto the loudest periodic sound. In a rehearsal room or backstage, that may not be your guitar. Options:

• Get the phone or laptop mic close to the soundhole or pickup.
• Pluck harder and mute all other strings.
• Use the Tune by ear mode — play the reference tone loud and match it; beats between the tone and your string are audible even in noise.

5. The tuner shows the wrong note or jumps around

• Reads an octave off or a wrong note: pluck more gently over the neck. Hard attacks emphasize overtones for the first moment, which briefly reads sharp or as a harmonic.
• A string is very far from target: the tuner shows the nearest note to what it hears. Get within a couple of frets by ear (or with a reference tone) and it will lock on.
• Old, dead strings: heavily worn strings have unstable pitch and poor intonation; no tuner can fix that. If they're older than a few months of regular playing, new strings are the real solution.
• Very low tunings: for Drop G, 8-string or 5-string bass, pluck softly and give the needle a moment — fundamentals below 50 Hz take longer to analyze. The 12th-fret harmonic reads faster.

6. Still nothing?

• Try a different browser — a recent Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari.
• Make sure the page is served over HTTPS; browsers block mic access on insecure pages.
• Close video-call apps (Zoom, Teams, Discord) that may hold the microphone.
• As a last resort, the tuner's Tune by ear mode needs no microphone at all.