8 Quick Fixes: Mic Not Working on Discord

So you’re on a voice call with a friend on Discord, but what’s this? For some reason, your mic isn’t working on Discord. Today we’ll be discussing the various causes and solutions to this rather annoying issue.

Even though Discord is renowned for its VoIP services, as it is with most software, there still are some bugs that you could encounter. Sometimes the Discord app isn’t even to blame. This error can also occur due to issues with: 

  • Your Operating System
  • Your Physical Microphone
  • Outdated Drivers

So before you try any of the solutions below, make sure your microphone is not damaged.  

To do this, you can plug the mic into another device and check if it works there. There are other ways you can check the integrity of your microphone, but this is the simplest way. 

Once you’re sure the issue is software-based and not hardware-based, you should continue reading! 

How to Fix the Microphone Is Not Working Problem on Discord

Without further ado, here are eight easy ways to fix the microphone is not working problem on Discord: 

Solution 1 – Ensure You’ve Selected Your Mic in Discord Voice Settings.

First and foremost, you should make sure to select the proper audio input and output devices in the Discord voice settings. 

Sometimes, when there are multiple audio input devices in a pc Discord could accidentally select the incorrect one. You can go to the voice settings to fix this error.  

Follow these steps to select the proper audio input device and fix the mic not working on Discord error: 

  1. Open Discord. 
  1. Click on the Cogwheel to access the User Settings. 
Ensure You've Selected Your Mic in Discord Voice Settings 1
  1. Under App Settings, go to Voice & Video. 
  1. Select the proper Input & Output device. 
Ensure You've Selected Your Mic in Discord Voice Settings 2

Once you’ve selected the proper devices, rejoin the Discord call and see if the mic is working. 

Solution 2 – Enable Automatic Audio Input Sensitivity in Discord

Another reason why your mic might not work on Discord is if automatic audio input sensitivity is disabled. 

The manual audio input sensitivity might be too low, and because of that, Discord might not be able to pick up any audio input. The low audio input sensitivity can make it feel like your mic is not working on Discord. 

Follow these steps to enable automatic audio input sensitivity in Discord: 

  1. Open Discord. 
  1. Click on the Cogwheel to access the User Settings. 
Enable Automatic Audio Input Sensitivity in Discord 1
  1. Under App Settings, go to Voice & Video. 
  1. Under Input Sensitivity, enable “Automatically determine input sensitivity.” 
Enable Automatic Audio Input Sensitivity in Discord 2

After this, join a Discord call and check to see if your mic is working. If this doesn’t solve your issue, don’t worry! We still have 6 solutions you can try. 

Solution 3 – Reset Your Voice Settings in Discord

Sometimes a change in the Discord Voice & Video settings can lead to problems with your microphone’s audio input.  

Instead of tweaking every single thing, you can simply reset all the audio settings to default. This can help if the microphone had been working in the past, and only recently stopped working.  

Resetting your voice settings in Discord is quite simple, follow these steps to do so: 

  1. Open Discord. 
  1. Click on the Cogwheel to access the User Settings. 
Reset Your Voice Settings in Discord 1
  1. Under App Settings, go to Voice & Video. 
  1. Scroll to the bottom and click on Reset Voice Settings.  
Reset Your Voice Settings in Discord 2
  1. Discord will then prompt you to ask for confirmation. Simply click on Okay to reset your voice/audio settings.
Reset Your Voice Settings in Discord 3

This should get rid of any settings that might be causing problems with your microphone on Discord. 

Solution 4 – Relaunch Discord as an Administrator

Sometimes Windows can interfere with Discord’s functions. Windows might not grant Discord access to the proper permissions, which can lead to your mic not working on Discord. 

The fix to this problem is pretty straightforward. Launching Discord as an administrator should give it the permissions needed to work properly. 

Before you launch Discord as an Administrator, you have to exit out of Discord. Follow these steps to do so: 

  1. Click on the arrow at the bottom right of the Taskbar to show the hidden icons.  
  1. Right-click on the Discord icon and then click on Quit Discord. 
Relaunch Discord as an Administrator 1

Once you’ve exited out of Discord, you can relaunch it as an administrator. 

  1. Press the Windows key to access the start menu. 
  1. Type in “Discord” and then click on Run as administrator. 
Relaunch Discord as an Administrator 2

Solution 5 – Allow Discord to Use Your Microphone

You might have accidentally denied Discord permission to access your microphone. This has been the solution to most user’s issues. 

To grant Discord access to your mic, you have to go into privacy settings and allow apps to access your mic. 

Follow these steps: 

  1. Press the Windows key to access the start menu. 
  1. Type in “Microphone Privacy Settings” and press Enter. 
Allow Discord to Use Your Microphone 1
  1. Turn on “Allow apps to access your microphone.” 
Allow Discord to Use Your Microphone 2

Relaunch Discord and see if your mic is still not working. 

Solution 6 – Disable Exclusive Microphone Control in Windows Settings

Sometimes your mic can stop working due to Windows granting specific applications exclusive control over the microphone. Exclusive mode allows any application to take exclusive control of your audio input device. This can lead to your microphone not working on Discord.  

To fix this problem, you have to go to advanced microphone properties and manually disable exclusive mode. It’s buried a bit deep in the settings, so you could have some trouble finding it on your own. 

Fortunately for you, I’ll guide you through each step. 

  1. Right-Click on the Speaker icon at the bottom right of the Taskbar. 
  1. Click on Open Sound Settings. 
Disable Exclusive Microphone Control in Windows Settings 1
  1. Click on Device Properties under Input 
Disable Exclusive Microphone Control in Windows Settings 2
  1. Click on Additional device properties under Related Settings. 
Disable Exclusive Microphone Control in Windows Settings 3
  1. Go to the Advanced tab and uncheck “Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.” 
Disable Exclusive Microphone Control in Windows Settings 4
  1. Click on Apply.

Restart your pc after you’ve made the changes. Launch Discord to test if your mic is now working. 

Solution 7 – Disable Quality of Service High Packet Priority in Discord

The quality of service high packet priority setting in Discord hints to your router that the packets Discord is transmitting to the router are high priority.  

Now, this sounds good and all but some routers or Internet Service Providers might misbehave due to this setting. This might lead to your voice not transmitting properly (or at all) over Discord. And this will make it feel as if your mic is not working on Discord. 

The fix to this problem is straightforward. Simply disable this setting and relaunch Discord. Follow these steps: 

  1. Open Discord.
  1. Click on the Cogwheel to access the User Settings.
Disable Quality of Service High Packet Priority in Discord 1
  1. Under App Settings, go to Voice & Video.
  1. Under Quality of Service, Disable Quality of Service High Packet Priority.
Disable Quality of Service High Packet Priority in Discord 2

After this, relaunch Discord as an administrator and join a call to see if the mic is now working. 

Solution 8 – Make Sure Drivers for Your Microphone Are up to Date

This is probably the least likely to work. But as it goes with most computer hardware, sometimes errors could be caused due to outdated drivers. 

If drivers for your microphone are outdated, Discord might have trouble recognizing the device. You can simply use the device manager built-in Windows to see if there are any driver updates available. 

  1. Press the Windows key to access the start menu. 
  1. Type in “Device Manager” and press Enter. 
Make Sure Drivers for Your Microphone Are up to Date 1
  1. Expand Audio inputs and outputs. 
  1. Right-Click on your microphone and click on Update driver. 
Make Sure Drivers for Your Microphone Are up to Date 2
  1. Click on Search automatically for updated driver software.
Make Sure Drivers for Your Microphone Are up to Date 3

Even though this solution is the least likely to work, it is definitely worth trying!

Discord Mic Is Not Working FAQs

Why Is My Mic Not Working on Discord?

Your mic might not be working on Discord due to:

– Damaged microphone hardware
– Error in Discord’s settings
– Error in Windows settings
– Outdated Microphone drivers

These are some of the few probable causes for this error. We’ve already discussed the various solutions to these problems.

How Do I Enable Mic in Discord?

Unless you’re in a server where a mod has muted you, you can simply click on the unmute button to unmute yourself while in a call. 

How Do I Enable Mic in Discord on Android and iPhone?

Unless you’re in a server where a mod has muted you, enabling your microphone in Discord on Android/iPhone is as easy as it is on a PC.

Simply tap the unmute button to enable your mic.

Why Can’t I Unmute My Mic in a Discord Server?

This happens when a Discord server mod has muted you, or the role you are assigned. You can ask another moderator to unmute you.

Is Your Mic on Discord Working Yet?

If you’ve reached the end of this article, I hope your microphone is now working on Discord. If for some reason, the solutions in this article aren’t working for you, you can contact Discord directly through their Twitter handle. 

You can either tweet at them, or shoot a direct message. 

If you’re someone who uses Discord frequently, you might want to check out our in-detail guide on Discord Markdown Formatting to make your messages look a tad better!

If you have any questions, or if you’ve found a solution that isn’t discussed in this article, you can let us know in the comment section below. 

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