If your Discord mic is not working, then it can be irritating to figure out what the cause of the problem is. We’re going to teach you how to fix your microphone if you can’t get it working in Discord. If you’re interesting in gaming, it’s likely you’re familiar with Discord. It’s the most popular platform for voice chat (VOIP), among a whole range of other uses – such as streaming – and it’s appeal has broadened to outside of just gamers.

The development team behind the application is great and Discord frequently updates with regular bug fixes. Unfortunately, there are a few bugs that haven’t vanished just yet and there are a number of external factors that could be causing it. Discord mic not working is a common issue that a lot of users have experienced on more than one occasion. There are a bunch of reasons why this could be.

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The bug often leaves you hearing your friends but unable to communicate back and it can be highly frustrating as it always seems to happen out of the blue. The issue largely seems to be with the desktop application for computer users and is less common with the online app.

Microphone issues happen to all of us and in this article, we are going to provide a few step-by-step tutorials to try and get you communicating again in Discord.

Discord mic not working – first things to try

Before we get into any setting changes there are a few simple things that you can do to fix the issue. These fixes are for users that have already set up discord but it has unfortunately stopped working.

Completely close down Discord and try re-opening the software. This will sometimes fix the issue but not always by doing this alone.
Try the above and also unplug your audio/mic jack or USB and plug back in then re-open Discord.
If both the above options didn’t work a complete restart of your computer should bring back the use of your mic.

If the problem persists you can try logging out of Discord instead of closing it down. To log out you just click the small cogwheel down the bottom called ‘User Settings’. Log back in and see if this has worked.

Alternatively, close the application down and run it as an administrator. If you haven’t run something as administrator before don’t worry it is easy just right-click the Discord icon and select’ Run as administrator’.

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VIDEO: How to fix microphone not working in Discord

Step-by-step guide on how to fix microphone not working in Discord

Make sure Discord is using the correct mic

If the above hasn’t brought any success then it is worth checking that Discord is the correct mic. It isn’t that common but sometimes the wrong device can be selected resulting in no mic being detected.

Here’s how to make sure Discord is using the correct mic:

Navigate to ‘User Settings’ near the bottom of the app (looks like a cogwheel).

Next, Click ‘Voice & Video’ which is located underneath the ‘App Settings’ header.

Near the top, you will see a box with ‘Input Device’. Click this and use the drop-down menu to select your device, making sure it’s using the correct mic.

Finally, you should make sure the ‘Input Volume’ slider located underneath this drop-down is maxed out fully (should be the default setting).

Reset your voice settings

The next fix involves resetting your voice settings. Yet again, we’ll be taking a look at the Voice & Video settings within Discord.

First, start by navigating to the ‘User Settings’ located near the bottom (looks like a cogwheel).

Next, Go to ‘Voice & Video’ which is underneath the ‘App Settings’ header.

If you scroll all the way down to the bottom of this you will see ‘Reset Voice Settings’ in red and in a separate box.

Click the button and hit ‘Okay’ – then reconnect and check to see if it has worked.

Try Automatic Input Sensitivity

Sometimes the mic can stop working in Discord if the ‘Automatic Input Sensitivity’ is disabled.

This basically stops Discord automatically detecting input from your microphone and it is very simple to change:

Navigate to ‘User Settings’ (the cog icon) and click on ‘Voice & Video’ which appears underneath the ‘App Settings’.

You should see a dual colour bar with the header ‘Input Sensitivity’. Turn on the switch to the right to get it to automatically detect Input.

Try Push to Talk

Some gamers have Discord set to push-to-talk at all times however if you are one that doesn’t and none of the above have worked it’s time to try this alternative to voice activation.

Just in case you have never used this before it is worth noting you will have to press the button you set whenever you want to communicate in the application. It may seem like an inconvenience but you will get used to it after a short while.

First, Navigate to your ‘User Settings’

Then we click on ‘Voice & Video’ on the left underneath the ‘App Settings’ header.

Now click ‘Push to Talk’ to tick/check the box.

You will see the ‘Input Sensitivity’ bar change to a ‘Shortcut’ box.

If you hover over this box it will allow you to click and ‘Edit Keybind’.

It will ‘Start Recording’ which is your signal to click the mouse button or keyboard button you wish to be your push to talk key.

Click ‘Stop Recording’ and you’re finished.

Discord mic not working FAQs

Why Can No One Hear Me on Discord?

Apart from these occasional audio blackouts, Discord is a highly respected communicative platform for gamers. Unfortunately, though, there could be a number of reasons why your teammates can’t hear you.

It may just be a bug in the system. In this case, the fix can be as simple as restarting the Discord software. Another common reason for this infuriating radio silence is that your audio driver is outdated, or the wrong mic is selected in Discord. It may even be that the correct mic is selected, but the input volume is set too low.

Input audio may also drop out if the ‘Automatic Input Sensitivity’ option isn’t enabled in the ‘Voice and Video’ section of the ‘User Settings’ menu.

One final reason for the unwarranted muting is that you have discord calibrated for ‘Push-and-Talk’. This means that to trigger your mic, you’ll have to push an allocated button.

How Do I Enable Microphone on Discord?

Discord should automatically register your mic in the list of input options found via ‘User Settings’ / ‘App Settings’ / ‘Voice and Video’ / ‘Input Device’. A dropdown menu will appear with all the audio options, including your chosen mic.

If your mic hasn’t been registered by Discord, there are a few things you should try sequentially.

Try restarting the software.
Failing that, shut down Discord, unplug your mic jack or USB, plug it back in again, then restart Discord.
Restart your computer.
Still no luck? Try signing out of your Discord account and then signing back in again.

If none of these quick fixes work, give your microphone a once over. Check if it’s charged or if there seem to be any problems with the wiring/wireless connection. See if other programs do register your mic. If they don’t pick it up either, it’s likely the problem is on your end, but before you trash that expensive mic, contact Discord directly. They’ll do everything they can to get you connected.

How Do You Fix Mic Input on Discord?

Almost more irritating than Discord not picking up your mic at all is when it does, but you still can’t get it to send and/or receive audio. Don’t worry though, Discorder, your problem can probably be solved by either:

Diming the volume fader – You’ve probably already considered this, but it’s a good first base to cover. The input volume fader can be found underneath the ‘Input Device’ dropdown menu.
Resetting your voice settings – To do this, find the ‘User Settings’ cogwheel, then hit ‘App Settings’, then ‘Video and Voice’. Scroll to the bottom of the page and in a separate box you’ll see the red ‘Reset Voice Settings’ option.
Run Discord as administrator – Sometimes if you quit Discord, right-click the Discord thumbnail, and choose ‘Open as Administrator’, it will fix the volume bug.

Why is My Mic So Quiet on Discord?

So, you’ve used your mic for other applications, and it’s loud and clear, but when you hunker down for some gaming with buds via Discord, the signal fades to basically nothing. Here’s what you can do.

Check the Discord Volume Fader – Make sure it’s set all the way to the right. You’d be surprised how often that’s the issue.
Get your VC party to max your volume – Increasing your audio output through their computers by maxing the volume bar beside your name, your voice should be loud enough for clear communication.

Set ‘Audio Subsystem’ to ‘Standard’ – Sometimes, if the audio subsystem is set to ‘Experimental’, it can affect mic volume. ‘User Settings’ / ‘App Settings’ / ‘Voice and ‘Video’ / ‘Advanced’ / ‘Audio Subsystem’ / ‘Standard’ / restart Discord.

Discord mic not working – final word

If you are at this point and have found none of these solutions fixed your issue then try completely removing the Discord app from your PC and reinstall it again. Lastly, if a complete reinstall doesn’t do the job get in contact with Discord themselves who will be happy to further assist.

If you have any additional queries relating to Discord, take a look at our How To Use Discord page for a full list of all our articles on the subject, grouped by category.

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