Browser support
Recording works in every current browser. What varies is the native output format and whether tab audio capture is available.
Desktop
| Browser | Recording | Native format | Tab audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome 49+ | Yes | Opus in WebM | Yes |
| Edge 79+ | Yes | Opus in WebM | Yes |
| Firefox 29+ | Yes | Opus in WebM or Ogg | No |
| Safari 14.1+ | Yes | AAC in MP4 (.m4a) | No |
| Opera 36+ | Yes | Opus in WebM | Yes |
| Internet Explorer | No | — | No |
WAV and MP3 are produced by the page rather than the browser, so both are available everywhere recording works at all — including Safari.
Mobile
| Platform | Recording | Native format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safari on iOS 14.5+ | Yes | AAC in MP4 | The only engine with microphone access on iOS |
| Chrome on Android | Yes | Opus in WebM | Full support |
| Firefox on Android | Yes | Opus in WebM | Full support |
| Samsung Internet 5+ | Yes | Opus in WebM | Full support |
| Any browser on iOS | Yes | AAC in MP4 | All use Safari's engine |
No mobile browser supports tab audio capture, and none can record with the screen locked or the tab backgrounded.
Requirements
- HTTPS
- Mandatory. Microphone access is unavailable on plain HTTP
- JavaScript
- Required. Browsers cannot open a microphone without it
- A user gesture
- Required by Safari; recording must start from a real click or tap
- Permission
- Granted per site, and separately by the operating system
Feature availability
| Feature | Where it works |
|---|---|
| Microphone recording | Every current browser, desktop and mobile |
| WAV output | Everywhere — produced by the page |
| MP3 output | Everywhere — produced by the page |
| Native compressed output | Everywhere, though the format differs |
| Tab audio capture | Chrome, Edge and Opera on desktop only |
| Device selection | Everywhere, with names shown after permission |
| Background recording | Nowhere — a browser limitation |
If your browser is not supported
The most likely cause on a modern browser is not the version but a blocked permission or a missing operating system setting. Work through microphone not working before concluding the browser is at fault.
Genuinely unsupported browsers are rare now: Internet Explorer, very old Android system browsers, and text-mode browsers. Any browser released in the last five years will record.
For the exact permission menus and quirks of a specific platform, see the browser and device section.
- ChromePermissions and formats in detail.
- SafariThe two-layer permission model.
- FirefoxSession-based permissions.
- Microphone not workingDiagnose before blaming the browser.
Questions
Which browsers can record audio?
All current ones — Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari and Opera on desktop, plus Safari on iOS and Chrome, Firefox and Samsung Internet on Android. Only Internet Explorer and very old browsers cannot.
Does recording work on Safari?
Yes, on macOS and iOS. Safari produces AAC in an MP4 container natively, and WAV and MP3 are produced by the page so they are available too.
Why does recording need HTTPS?
Browsers restrict microphone access to secure contexts, because audio over plain HTTP could be intercepted or injected by anyone on the network path.
Can I record on a phone?
Yes, in Safari on iOS and Chrome or Firefox on Android. The screen must stay on and the tab visible — no mobile browser records in the background.
Which browsers can record tab audio?
Chrome, Edge and Opera on desktop. Firefox and Safari do not expose tab audio for capture, and no mobile browser supports it.
Is MP3 available in every browser?
Yes. No browser encodes MP3 natively, so the page does it in JavaScript — which means it works identically everywhere.