Learn how to connect a microphone to a smartphone for professional-grade audio recordings. Follow these steps to enhance your content creation with improved sound quality.
How to Connect a Microphone to a Smartphone.
With the growing popularity of music services, video blogs, streams and podcasts, many smartphone users often ask themselves: is it possible to connect a microphone to it? In short: yes! Such a solution will allow you to improve the quality of voice recording, which today plays a huge role in promoting any type of content. Agree, watching a video sequence with a good picture and terrible sound is simply unbearable. In this article, we will tell you about all the ways to connect microphones to Android smartphones and iPhone.
Deciding on the choice of microphone.
First, you need to determine your smartphone type and select a suitable microphone for it. In 2024, major manufacturers almost never produce smartphones with a 3.5 mm jack, but this type of connection is still considered very common. You can also connect most microphones that do not require additional power to the USB port. There are also wireless microphones with a radio module and Bluetooth.
Connecting wired microphones
If you want to connect a conventional lavalier or radio module via a 3.5 mm audio jack, you must make sure that it has a TRRS plug. As a rule, most microphones designed to work with cameras come with TRS cables. It is quite easy to distinguish TRS from TRRS – the first has only three contacts, the second – four. It is the second type that is compatible with smartphones.
Now you can start connecting:
- If your smartphone has a 3.5mm headphone jack, you need to insert the TRRS cable from the microphone into it;
- If you only have a USB-C or Lightning port, use a 3.5mm to USB-C or Lightning adapter (sometimes included);
- Find the Voice Recorder app on your smartphone and check that your microphone is working properly.
Connecting wireless microphones
Wireless microphones are divided into two types: some can be connected via Bluetooth, others via a radio module. In the first case, the sound may not be the clearest, and some delays are possible, since the technology itself does not allow for the transmission of large amounts of data.
To connect a microphone to your phone via Bluetooth, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > Connections > Bluetooth;
- Put your microphone into pairing mode by holding down the connection button;
- Find the microphone in the Bluetooth menu on your smartphone and connect to it;
- Check its functionality in the Voice Recorder application.
To connect a wireless microphone via a USB radio module, follow these steps:
- Connect the receiver to the USB port of your smartphone (use an adapter if the connector does not match);
- Unlock your smartphone and allow devices to connect if the system prompts you to do so;
- Go to the Voice Recorder app and check if your microphone is working.
Connecting microphones via USB
If you already have a USB streaming microphone that doesn’t require phantom power, you can use it with your smartphone or tablet. Simply connect the microphone via a USB-C/USB-C cable. Of course, you can use a USB-C/USB-A adapter.
It’s also worth noting that some microphone manufacturers offer dedicated mobile apps for fine-tuning their devices when used with smartphones.