If you're keen to capture clean, professional audio while you're out, your phone's built-in microphone may not cut. Whether you’re shooting fast videos, recording interviews on the go or want your voiceover to sound clear, investing in a dedicated phone microphone can have a huge impact on the quality of your content.
Today, there are many compact microphones specially made for mobile devices. From solo creators shooting on smartphones to visitors who travel to tightly set up visitors, a portable microphone can be a game-changer. Some people plug in their phones directly, while others use wireless microphone systems to give you more freedom of movement, especially when it comes to things like Vlogging or wall and Talk shooting.
Today’s mobile microphones offer many smart features for content creators who want to boost their sound without being on a full recording stand. You'll find models with multiple transmitters with multiple two-two settings, stereo capture mode for stereo sound, and even charging cases that make everything work anytime, anywhere. Just make sure to check compatibility with your device before purchasing – not every microphone works seamlessly on Android and iPhone.
Whether you’re pursuing something simple and compact, or needing a high-quality microphone for a more polished piece, we’ll have a summary of the best mobile microphones you can buy right now.
Best Phone Microphone of 2025
Lavalier microphone
James Truet / engadget
The obvious benefit of lapel microphones is their size. Their small profile makes them ideal for displaying to the camera and has flexible movement while maintaining consistent audio quality. If you're a budding Tiktok or Vlogger, it's definitely worth keeping one of these mini microphones in your schoolbag. And, if you don't want to be tied to a cable, there are a lot of great wireless lavender microphone options, with a handy adapter.
However, the main trade-off is that they only apply to those who record their affiliates. If you have two people talking and only one person wearing a microphone, you will only get good audio in half of the conversation, so for multiple people recordings you need a microphone for each guest and you can record them at the same time, so the cost can go up quickly.
Fortunately, lapel microphones have become a highly competitive market with viable options at prices as low as $14.95. For absolute bargaining, with long ropes and some connecting accessories, the M1's Boya is hard to argue with. But while these budget options are very valuable, it is worth paying more if what you want should last longer, be more general or sound better.
A word about wireless microphone
Recently, the phone microphone system exploded, but we really liked a wireless microphone. DJI's MIC 2 system provides some important upgrades to its predecessor. It is worth noting that it can be connected directly to your smartphone via Bluetooth, and its motion improves AI noise reduction and a larger touch screen.
adapter
Therefore, we have already introduced it with AI Micro, an adapter. The first thing you might encounter when handling mobile audio accessories is the TRR and TRS connector. In short, the 3.5mm TRS is what you probably know, it's the old classic headphone jack, and TRR has become common for its support for headphones and inline microphones. You can easily distinguish them because there are two black bands on the TRS connector, and TRR has three.
For you, budding creators may be a little annoyed, as many of the 3.5mm Lavaliers will be TRS and will not work properly when plugged into the phone's headphone adapter. Sometimes your lavalier might include what you need in the box, but otherwise, you need to get the TRS to such a TRRS adapter. Of course, some smartphone-specific microphones already have TRRS connectors – for those smartphones, you need to go another way if you want to use it with other devices like DSLR.
shotgun microphone
James Truet / engadget
When it comes to video recording, you may be more familiar with the shotgun microphone. This is the style of microphones, most often found on DSLR or mirrorless cameras, but they also create great companions for other portable devices, including your phone.
The advantage of shotguns is that they tend toward height orientation, which makes them perfect for podcasts, recording instruments, Foley sounds and more. Another benefit for American mobile recorders is that they tend to be light and portable, perfect for sliding into a backpack or even a laptop bag. Even better, there are some mobile-specific options.
Desktop and USB MICS Mobile
James Truet / engadget
Mobile-specific microphones are great, but nothing can stop you from using your phone microphone or other phones you may already have (if some are portable). You definitely need to dance with some adapters, but that's half the fun. Here are some suggestions for “regular” microphones that pair with your phone, and then the cables and adapters you need to set up. There are even some wireless systems that can easily record anytime, anywhere.
A sentence on the cable
James Truet / engadget
Connecting a USB microphone directly to a phone is rarely as simple as a single cable, although it is starting to become more common. Often, Android makes it easier, and thanks to the wide range of manufacturers and software versions, you can't always guarantee things will go smoothly.
iPhone is another case. USB microphones have a great chance of working with the USB camera kit we mentioned earlier, but sometimes it's still not high. It's frustrating that some lightning cables have USB-C that can be paired with a microphone, but sadly most people won't – including Apple's own. A confirmation option is FIIO or this universal alternative to this cable. These are cheap enough, if you use audio regularly (and of course, it can also be used to charge your phone as a bonus, then it's worth a try).
Other mobile microphones need to be considered
This article originally appeared on Engadget
