Fix Discord Mic not Working

Discord is an app that allows users to communicate with each other across different platforms. It was created specifically for the gaming community and offers a variety of features such as text, voice, and video chat, as well as the ability to create and join servers, which are like virtual chat rooms. Discord is available on a wide range of devices including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux, and can also be accessed through a web browser.

What causes the Discord mic not working issue?

There can be several reasons why the microphone on Discord may not be working. Here are the most common causes of mic issues on Discord:

• Incorrect audio settings: Ensure that the correct input and output devices are selected within Discord settings.
• Third-party software conflicts: Some software or programs, such as antivirus or firewall, may interfere with the microphone’s function.
• The microphone is disabled in the device settings: Make sure that the microphone is enabled in the device settings.
• The microphone is muted within Discord: Check if the microphone is muted in the Discord settings or if there is any hotkey for mute/unmute.
• Outdated or corrupted Discord app: Make sure that the Discord app is up-to-date and not corrupted.
• Microphone hardware issue: Check if the microphone is not physically damaged or not working properly.

It’s best to check each of the above possibilities in order to identify and troubleshoot the specific issue.

15 Methods to Fix Mic Issues on Discord

Fixing the microphone on Discord is crucial because it enables users to communicate effectively and participate in voice chats and calls. Without a functioning microphone, users won’t be able to collaborate and coordinate with others, negatively impacting the overall user experience.

This is especially important for gaming communities and professional use as it can lead to missed opportunities, delays, or hinder productivity.

Restart Your Device

When we encounter technical problems with apps or devices, one of the first things we do is restart the device. This is often an effective solution.

When the device is restarted, it creates new backend drivers and registry files, which can help fix many issues. Additionally, restarting the device clears temporary files that were created during the last usage. Therefore, before attempting other troubleshooting steps, it is wise to try restarting the device to see if that resolves the problem. If the issue persists, then other fixes can be considered.

Test Your Microphone

When encountering microphone issues, it is a good idea first to check the connection and driver installation. These are common causes of problems. Here are some steps to start the troubleshooting process:

1. Right-click the sound icon and click Sounds

2. Go to Sound settings

3. Under Recording, speak something. If the green lines move, then the microphone is working.

4. If the lines do not move, try reinstalling the audio drivers or check the microphone for any hardware damage.

Unmute your mic in Discord

If you’re unable to be heard on Discord, your microphone may be muted. This must probably be the easiest problem to fix.

1. Join a voice chat on a server, right-click on your name under the voice channel, and select Mute from the context menu. This will unmute your microphone.

2. In case you’re muted on the server, right-click on your username and uncheck the Server mute option. It is only possible if you have the right permissions; if not, ask a moderator to unmute you.

3. In a voice call, click on the microphone icon in the call controls to unmute the microphone.

4. You can also use the Unmute button in the bottom left corner of the Discord client, it looks like a gray microphone with a red line crossing it.

Ensure the Correct Microphone Is Selected

If you have multiple microphones connected to your device, Discord may be using the incorrect one. You can resolve this issue by either disconnecting a microphone or changing the input device in Discord settings. To update the input device in Discord settings:

1. Open Discord

2. Go to User Settings (you can find this when you hit the gear icon)

3. On the left sidebar, navigate to Voice and Video.

4. Select the correct microphone from the dropdown menu under Input Device in Voice Settings.

Restart or Log Out of Discord

An easy solution to try before attempting more complex fixes is logging out of Discord and restarting the application.

1. To log out, go to the Discord settings by clicking on the gear icon in the lower-left corner.

2. Scroll down to the bottom and select Log Out from the left sidebar.

3. After quitting Discord, log back in.

4. This step can resolve the issue in most cases, but if it doesn’t, move on to the next fix.

Reset Discord’s Voice Settings

Discord offers the option to reset the voice settings to their default state. This is often effective in resolving most voice-related issues within the app. So it’s worth trying to reset the voice settings to see if it fixes the problem. To reset the voice settings in Discord, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Discord settings by clicking on the gear icon at the bottom-left corner of the app.

2. Select Voice and Video under App Settings.

3. At the bottom of the page, click on the Reset Voice Settings button.

Give Discord Access to Your Microphone

Sometimes, your system settings may prevent certain applications from accessing your microphone. Therefore, if you turned off the automatic permission to use the microphone, Discord may not have access. To enable microphone access for Discord and other apps, follow these steps:

1. Use Windows Search to open the Settings on your computer.

2. Navigate to Privacy in the settings. (This step is not required if you are using Windows 11)

3. Under App permissions, click Microphone. (If you’re using Windows 11, you can access the same by going to Privacy & security > Microphone)

4. Toggle on Allow apps to access your microphone

5. If you’re running Windows 11, you can check the guide on how to check apps using your camera and microphone. If the microphone access was already on, continue troubleshooting with other fixes.

Change the Input Mode

If the microphone is still not working after trying other fixes, you can try changing the input mode in the voice settings to Push to Talk. This setting requires you to press a specific keyboard key to activate the microphone, which can help solve most microphone problems, including broken mic input and cracking voice recording. To change the input mode in Discord, follow these steps:

1. Go to Discord settings.
2. On the left, select Voice & Video under App Settings.
3. Change the input mode from Voice Activity >> Push to Talk.
4. Set a keyboard key as a Shortcut to activate Push to Talk.

Although this fix may resolve the problem, it can also cause some quirks. If the microphone problem goes away, you can switch back to Voice Activity after some time.

Disable Exclusive Mode on Windows

In Windows, a feature called exclusive mode allows a single device to take control of the entire sound driver. This feature can cause issues with your microphone and prevent other apps from using it if a priority app has control. To rule out this issue, you can disable the exclusive mode. Here’s how:

1. Search for Sound Settings in Windows Search and open it.

2. Search and choose your input device and click on Device properties. For Windows 11 users, this can be found on the right pane >> click on More sound settings >> Recording >> choose the input device.

3. In the Related Settings >> click Additional device properties. Windows 11 users can skip this step.

4. Go to Microphone Properties >> select Advanced.

5. Uncheck ‘Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device’ in the Exclusive Mode settings.

6. Click Apply to save the changes.

Update Your Audio Drivers

It’s also possible that the issue is with the audio drivers. Outdated audio drivers can cause problems not only with Discord but with other apps as well. Symptoms such as blue or black screen errors, cracking voices, and poor-quality recordings are indicators of outdated driver files. To check your system’s audio drivers, you can follow these steps:

1. Use Windows Search to open Device Manager.
2. Go to Sound, video, and game controllers.
3. Open Intel (R) Display Audio >> Driver tab in the pop-up menu.
4. Click on Update Driver, then click on Search automatically for drivers and wait for the process to complete.

It’s worth noting that the name of the device and drivers may vary depending on the hardware you use.

Disable Quality of Service

Discord has a feature called Quality of Service High Packet Priority that signals the router to treat packets transmitted by Discord as high priority to ensure a smooth connection. However, depending on your internet service provider (ISP) and router, having this option enabled in Discord can cause issues. One of these issues can be Discord not picking up your microphone voice. To disable this option and see if it helps, follow these steps:

1. Go to Discord settings.

2. Under App Settings, select Voice & Video.

3. Scroll down and you will see the Quality of Service settings.

4. Toggle off Enable Quality of Service High Packet Priority

5. Relaunch Discord and check if your microphone works without any issues.

Run Speech Troubleshooter

The Speech troubleshooter is a tool that allows users to prepare their microphones and fix problems that may prevent Windows from detecting voice. If there is a software problem with the microphone, such as services not working or the driver being corrupted, this method may fix it. Here are the steps to run the Speech troubleshooter:

1. Right-click Start Menu and click Settings

2. Go to Update & Security

3. Click Troubleshoot, then click Additional Troubleshooters

4. Scroll down to the bottom and select Speech troubleshooter

5. Click Run The Troubleshooter

6. Once done, check if the microphone not working issue on Discord is fixed.

Adjust Your Input Sensitivity

Discord has a feature that automatically detects your voice activity and sets the correct input sensitivity. However, this feature may not work properly if there is a lot of background noise. To fix this, you can adjust the input sensitivity manually. To do this, follow these steps:

On Discord, go to Settings and select the Voice & Video tab.

Search and select Input Sensitivity to turn off ‘Automatically Determine Input Sensitivity’.

Adjust the slider until it covers the level of background noise.

Join another voice or video chat to check if your microphone is working.

Reinstall Discord

If none of the previous fixes have worked, you can try reinstalling the Discord app after uninstalling it. Corrupted files can prevent the app from functioning correctly. Implement these steps for uninstall and reinstall Discord:

1. Go to Control Panel >> Programs and Features.

2. In the app list, find Discord.

3. Left-click on it and select Uninstall.

4. Reinstall Discord from its official website.

Try installing a different version of Discord

Discord has three different versions available, two of which are intended for users interested in testing early or experimental features. These versions may not be as stable as the official release version, but they can be used as an alternative if you are unable to install Discord the traditional way. To get one of the beta versions of Discord, you can follow these steps:

1. Select the version of Discord you desire to download. The options are Discord, Discord Public Test Build (Discord PTB), and Discord Canary.
2. Download the installer for Windows and try launching the installer to see if it works. Suppose it doesn’t, try the other versions.
3. It’s worth noting that the most stable version is the official release version, and it’s recommended to use that for the most enjoyable experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, troubleshooting a microphone that is not working on Discord can be a frustrating experience. However, it is important to remember that there are several potential causes for this issue and a variety of fixes that can be attempted. It is also important to note that, in some cases, the problem may not be with Discord itself but with the device or system being used.

It’s important to approach the problem systematically and patiently by trying different fixes individually. It’s also important not to get discouraged if the first few fixes don’t work and to keep trying different methods until the problem is resolved. Additionally, it’s also important to document the steps you have taken so that you can refer to them later if the problem persists.