The best iPhone microphone in 2025: get high-quality audio with your Apple phone

Your iPhone does a great job of capturing a scene’s colors and tones, and you might think the best iPhone microphone is just the one that is built in; however, the quality of its audio recordings may be subpar to the HDR quality of the iPhone’s video footage.

Plus, the further away your subject is from the microphone, the more the audio quality will diminish. You may also pick up unwanted background or ambient sounds, and wind blowing on the iPhone’s mic can completely ruin a recording, thanks to the low-frequency rumble that it produces.

Fortunately, there are plenty of microphones available that can elevate the quality of your audio recordings to match the production values of your HDR video clips from the best iPhones.

But what sort of mic do you need? For wedding videographers, you won’t have time to wire people up with individual mics, so you'll need an on-camera (or on-phone) shotgun mic that will capture better-sounding audio as you document the day like a 'fly on the wall'. If you're a YouTube vlogger and like to walk and talk while presenting to the camera, then you’ll need a wireless solution that lets you roam freely with a clip-on mic while a receiver attached to the iPhone captures your voice from a distance.

All of the mics featured in this buying guide have links to full reviews, many of which contain a video that allows you to hear each mic in action. This will help you to make an informed choice so that you can find an iPhone-compatible mic that suits your film-making needs (and budget).

George Cairns

George has been freelancing as a photo fixing and creative tutorial writer since 2002, working for award-winning titles such as Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N-Photo, and Practical Photoshop. He's an expert in communicating the ins and outs of Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as producing video production tutorials on Final Cut Pro and iMovie for magazines such as iCreate and Mac Format. He also produces regular and exclusive Photoshop CC tutorials for his YouTube channel.

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The best iPhone microphones

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Best iPhone mic overall

If you’re in the market for a compact and dependable wireless microphone system that provides professional-quality audio, the DJI Mic Mini is definitely a contender. I’ve found its lightweight and portable design to be just right for creators like vloggers, interviewers, and filmmakers who want high-quality sound without the hassle of bulky equipment. The system comes with a transmitter featuring a built-in mic and a receiver that connects effortlessly to iPhones using USB-C or Lightning adapters.

One aspect I really love about the DJI Mic Mini is its impressive range – up to 250 meters. This allows me to move around freely while recording and still capture clear, uninterrupted audio, even in bustling or expansive settings. Battery life is another strong point, lasting around 5.5 hours, which means I don’t have to stress about running out of juice during longer sessions.

Setting it up is a breeze, thanks to the intuitive controls that let me start recording in no time. Even with its small footprint, the audio quality is exceptional, delivering clear, professional sound every time. While it may not be the most budget-friendly option available, I believe the DJI Mic Mini is a worthwhile investment if you’re serious about producing high-quality content. It’s reliable, portable, and provides exactly what I need for my projects.

Read our full DJI Mic Mini review

Best iPhone microphone for ease of use

It’s very easy to record poor-quality sound. Just take a few steps away from your smartphone’s built-in mic, and your voice will soon be drowned out by ambient noise such as passing traffic or aircraft! You could attach a cabled lavalier mic to your smartphone, but your freedom of movement will be limited by the length of the cable.

Fortunately, it’s also very easy to capture great-quality sound, even at a distance from your smartphone. The RØDE Wireless Micro has a small receiver that plugs via a USB-C connector straight into your smartphone. You can clip (or magnetically attach) a compact, sleek mic with a built-in transmitter onto your shirt and then walk and talk with complete freedom of movement while sounding great. You can be heard at up to 100 meters away (as long as you don’t turn your back on the camera, causing the transmitter to lose line of sight with the receiver).

This kit is designed to ‘plug and play’, and as it uses Intelligent Assist Gain, you don’t need to worry about manually setting and riding sound levels to avoid clipped audio tracks. This makes the RØDE Wireless Micro the perfect entry-level wireless kit for a smartphone videographer, and it also benefits from RØDE’s established reputation in the field of high-quality audio gear. It does lack the built-in noise reduction software featured in most mics, but you can easily (and more effectively) reduce unwanted background noise using apps such as iMovie, Final Cut Pro, and Premiere Pro.

Read our full RØDE Wireless Micro review

Best budget iPhone microphone

Some wireless mic kits in this guide require you to attach the receiver to your smartphone or camera via a cable. You may even have to buy a third-party adaptor to attach the cable to an iPhone older than the iPhone 15 range. Cables cause a transmitter to dangle, which can get snagged if your phone is mounted on a gimbal.

The beauty of the Godox WES is that its receiver has a little connecting port that plugs straight into an older iPhone’s Lightning port (if you buy the Godox WES1 kit) or an Android smartphone (or new USB-C-equipped iPhone) if you buy the Godox WES2 kit). No dangling cables are required. This makes it an easy job to clip the transmitter to your lapel, plug the receiver into your phone, and start recording video with high-quality audio. The only downside to the receiver’s plug-in design is that it may not be attachable if your phone is in a cage, such as the Neewer iPhone 15 Pro Max cage, as the cage’s handles can get in the way of the plugged-in receiver.

The Godox WES is one of the cheaper wireless kits in this guide, but it produces excellent quality audio from up to 200 meters with line of sight (and only minimal drop-out when you turn your back to the camera at around 100 meters). Its affordable price and ‘plug and play’ nature make it an attractive choice, and iPhone users should be especially interested as the WES meets Apple’s MFi (Made for iPhone) manufacturing standards (though do make sure you buy the Lighting (WES1) version if you own an iPhone 14 or older model. If you own an iPhone 15 or later, then the WES2 kit is the one you need.

Read our full Godox WES2 review

The best all-rounder iPhone microphone

The DJI Mic 3 is a significant upgrade from its predecessor, the DJI Mic 2, with a smaller and lighter design. Audio is top-notch, with 32-bit float recording and adaptive gain control to prevent audio clipping and ensure high-quality sound, and I found it to transmit reliably within the promised 400m range. There's a generous 32GB of built-in storage, and it boasts decent battery life, with the charging case providing up to 28 hours of use.

Build quality is just as impressive as the sound quality, with the transmitter and receiver units fitting neatly in the included metallic-looking charging case. The receiver slots into an iPhone's USB-C socket (or camera hotshoe) and has an OLED touchscreen that is both convenient and easy to use.

It's ideal for solo creators who require a high-performing and reliable audio solution, but it's on the pricey side and may be overkill for casual users looking for a more wallet-friendly option.

Read our full DJI Mic 3 review

Best iPhone Microphone for professionals

The RODE Wireless Pro is a typical wireless mic system, with two transmitters and a receiver (but it does have some extra tricks up its sleeve, as I’ll explain). You can attach the receiver to an iPhone using the supplied Lightning cable adaptor. As with many other wireless mic kits, both transmitters and the receiver live in a carry case that enables you to charge all three units at once. This ensures that they will all perform with equal charge during a shoot.

The Wireless Pro has on-board recording on its transmitters, so if the signal drops out between transmitter and receiver, you can still rescue the audio from the file that’s been recorded directly onto the transmitter. And it captures a superior 32-bit float file. This game-changing format means you don’t have to worry as much about setting the gain wrong and capturing quiet or distorted audio. You can use the 32-bit float track to rescue problematic recordings in a post-production editing app.

Read our full Rode Wireless Pro review

Best all-in-one iPhone microphone kit

To use a directional shotgun mic, you’ll need to be able to mount it onto your iPhone. Most gun mics require you to buy a separate cage or smartphone tripod clamp that has a cold shoe adaptor to which you can attach the gun mic. SmallRig’s iPhone cage has a collection of built-in cold shoe mounts that you can use to attach the kit’s supplied gun mic to your iPhone (as well as a cold shoe-mountable LED lamp). The kit’s gun mic has a plastic shock mount, which is designed to reduce camera handling sounds from spoiling your audio recording.

It is set to a cardioid polar pattern, so when you’re recording a subject, it will focus on their voice while minimizing unwanted background sounds (such as dealing with a noisy wedding). The kit ships with a range of mic-to-phone cables, including a 3.5mm-jack-to-Lightning adaptor that enables you to plug it into older iPhone models, such as the 14 range. There’s also a supplied wool cover to help reduce wind noise.

By shooting with a mic mounted on this rig, you’ll not get mistaken for just another wedding guest with an iPhone, so if you need to look more professional, a directional shotgun mic (and its accompanying accessories) should suit your needs.

Read our full SmallRig All-in-One Video Kit review

Best iPhone Mini Shotgun Microphone

The Shure MoveMic 88+ is a compact and versatile wireless mic that should be an attractive purchase to a wide range of video makers. For example, wedding videographers can record guests’ messages to the happy couple without wiring them up to a lavalier mic by using the directional Mono Cardioid setting to focus on capturing individual voices (without being too distracted by background chatter and music). An interviewer can switch the mic to a bidirectional (figure-of-eight) polar pattern so that it prioritizes sound from opposite sides of the mic. And presenters can hold the mic in their hand and walk and talk up to 100 meters from their iPhone via a Bluetooth connection.

The Shure MoveMic 88+ is only 89mm long and fits easily into your hand, although it will be in shot as it’s not small enough to hide, like a clip-on lavalier mic. It’s more expensive than many of the other mics in this Buying Guide, but it captures excellent audio quality – even when recording in noise reduction mode.

It can be purchased on its own or with an additional Shure Receiver Kit. If you only intend to use it with your iPhone, the Receiver Kit isn't essential, as the Shure MoveMic 88+ can broadcast directly to the Shure Motiv Video app on your device; you don’t need to attach a receiver to your phone, as you do with most wireless mic kits. But if you also use a DSLR or mirrorless, then you will need the Receiver Kit, which slots into a standard camera hotshoe (or cold shoe mount) and transfers sound to your camera via the supplied 3.5mm cable. When using the Receiver, you can capture audio at a higher 24-bit bitrate compared to the 16-bit transmitted via Bluetooth to the smartphone app.

Read our full Shure MoveMic 88+ review

Best discreet iPhone microphone

The Hollyland Lark M2S Combo Kit features an extruded mini mic attached to a larger disc-shaped transmitter, enabling it to be tightly and effectively hooked up to a shirt, with only the mini mic head visible, and the transmitter remaining hidden behind clothing. It is an improved design compared to its Lark M2 predecessor's magnetic clip-on solution, where it was easy to drop and lose a mini magnet when detaching the mic.

Thanks to its high 24-bit depth and the 48 kHz sample rate, the Lark M2S kit enables you to capture great-quality audio. In theory, it has a transmission range of 300 meters, and I was certainly able to be heard clearly from my test range of 80 meters. However, if you turn your back to the camera and the transmitter loses line of sight with the receiver, you’re likely to suffer signal dropout, and with no onboard recording in the transmitter, there's no backup to fall back on. However, as most presenters speak directly to the camera, this is unlikely to be too much of an issue.

What particularly impressed me about the Lark M2S was its built-in noise reduction. Normally, a mic’s noise reduction feature causes your voice to sound thinner and a bit warbly, but in my tests, I completely removed the white noise from a background fountain while my voice sounded full-bodied and smooth. You engage the noise reduction feature simply by tapping an orange button on the mic. Alternatively, you can trigger noise reduction from both mics at the same time during an interview by tapping an orange button on the receiver. If you are recording an interview, you can use the LarkSound app to place the two transmitters on separate stereo channels (instead of using the default mono option).

Read our full Hollyland Lark M2S review

How to choose the best iPhone microphone

The key decision to make is whether you need a wireless mic kit or a shotgun mic? A shotgun mic is handy for roaming around while filming busy live events, with its hyper-cardioid polar pattern picking up what’s in front of the microphone while reducing unwanted noise from the back and sides of your iPhone. This will best suit documentary makers or wedding videographers.

If you need to present to the camera from a distance (or interview a subject as you walk and talk), you’re better suited to a wireless mic system. Here, you simply attach the lightweight receiver to your iPhone, which picks up sound from a transmitter attached to your distant subject. However, a wireless mic runs the risk of signal dropout, but some have on-board recording directly in the transmitter, which alleviates this issue. Most of our recommended mic kits contain two transmitters, but you can save cash by opting for kits with only a single transmitter.

How we test the best iPhone microphones

Testing is the fun bit! You'll see, from the supporting videos in the full reviews, that I like to test iPhone mics in a wide range of locations, from windswept Scottish hills to urban city centers. This enables me to discover how effective the windshields and the software noise cancellation features are.

With wireless mics, I like to see how far I can get before the signal drops out, especially when the transmitter loses line of sight with the receiver. Because I test the mics with a top-of-the-range iPhone, I do get a little nervous when I’m around 60 meters away from the iPhone, especially when I’ve left it perched on a wall in the city!

I’ve been recording sound professionally since the late 1980s, and the younger me would be astonished by the quality and range of modern wireless mic kits, especially as I no longer need to hold a heavy gun mic on a long pole just out of frame above the subject’s head! These digital days we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to iPhone mics, and this buying guide is regularly refreshed, with new models added frequently.