How to Fix if Microphone Not Working in Windows 10 

Microphones are valuable equipment; without that, you are not able to converse with your family or colleagues on a video call. Most devices come with in-built microphones. After the new update from Windows 10, users are complaining that microphones are not working on their Windows 10 devices. 

The complaints are mostly about low sound, audio issues, and the microphone refusing to work at all. If you are one of those users who can’t figure out what is wrong with the microphones of their Windows 10 devices, then you are in the right place. Continue reading to know how you can solve this issue. 

What is causing this issue? 

There can be many reasons for your microphone, not working properly. There may be any hardware issues, or you may have incorrect audio drivers. It’s possible that the application, you are trying to use, has no permission to use the microphone. No matter what the reason is, we have tried our best to give you various solutions so that you can fix this issue as quickly as possible. 

Solutions to Fix Microphone on Windows 10: 

Solution 1: Give permission to your Microphone from the Privacy option 

If after the new update of Windows 10 your Microsoft stops working, then the chances are that your microphone is disabled from the settings. To enable the microphone, follow these steps. 

• Go to the Settings. 
• Choose Privacy. 
• Under the Privacy menu section, select the Microphone option. 
• You will find an option which says “Microphone access for this device is on.” 
• If it is not, then click on the “Change” option. 
• Now, you can enable the microphone access for your device. 
• Choose another option that says “Allow apps to access your microphone”. 
• Switch on this option. 
• You can choose which apps can access your microphone. And then close the settings window. 
• Check if the microphone is working properly. 

 Note: Sometimes when the webcam is off, then you can’t play your microphone. In this situation, you can follow these similar steps to reach the Privacy settings. Choose the “Webcam” option and permit it. 

Solution 2: Check if your Microphone is on Mute 

You can check if your microphone is set on mute or the sound is set at too low. Follow these simple steps. 

• To find the Recording devices, right-click on the speaker icon which is, present on the Taskbar. 
• Go to “Properties” and then choose “Levels“. 
• If it is muted or the bar is set at low then make necessary changes here. 
• Click on Apply and press OK. 

Check if your microphone is working well. If it is showing problems again, go to the next solution.

Solution 3: Enable your Microphone 

If you have BIOS or UEFI settings on your computer, then the chances are that you have previously disabled your microphone. Go to the BIOS or UEFI settings, and enable the in-built microphone. 

You can also go to the Device Manager, to enable the in-built microphone. 

Solution 4: Voice Communication Apps

You can check the sound settings in whatever voice communication apps you were trying to use. Go to the app’s Settings and choose the “Audio tab” option. If your app doesn’t have a standalone settings option, then you can Google “How to change microphone in x application (Insert the name of your application). 

Solution 5: Update Audio drivers 

If there is any problem in the sound system, then you should check that the audio drivers are up to date. To do that you can go to your computer’s manufacturer’s website and download the latest audio drivers present for your Windows 10 computer.  After the installation of the new audio driver’s update gets completed, check the microphone. 

Solution 6: Fix any hardware issues 

To check if you have any hardware issue on your system, unplug your microphone and then plug it back in your system. Now, navigate to the Start menu > Device Manager > Audio inputs and outputs section. If everything is alright with your microphone, then the microphone’s name should appear in the Audio inputs and outputs section.

 In case, the name doesn’t appear you can try with another microphone. If this new microphone works, then the problem was with your previous microphone. Use a different one to use the microphone features. If the microphone is working well in another system, then the problem is with your system’s audio jack. You have to get it fixed. 

Solution 7: Set the microphone you want to use as the default microphone 

If you are using Windows 10 operating system on a laptop, then you need to follow this step. Laptops have their built-in microphones. If you are having any microphone trouble, then the best thing is to set your microphone as the default microphone. You only have to follow these steps. 

• Right-click on the Sound icon present on the Taskbar. 
• Go to the Recording devices. 
• You will find the name of your microphone here. 
• Now, right-click on it to choose the “Set as Default” option. 
• If you want to use one microphone, select the “Set as Default Communication Device” option too. 

Solution 8: Microphone issue in Skype 

What you did with the settings in the solution: 7 that may or may not apply to different apps. To solve the microphone issue in the Skype application, follow these steps. 

• Go to Skype’s menu. 
• Choose the Settings option. 
• Select the Audio & Video option. 
• Now, you can select your preferred microphone’s name and set it as the default communication device. 

Solution 9: Test your Microphone in the Windows 10 

If even after setting your microphone as the default microphone, you are not able to fix the issue. Try following these steps and check if Windows can hear you or not. 

• Go to the Start menu. 
• Choose the Settings option. 
• Here, you can find the settings for System. Click on it and go to the Sound option. 
• You have to click on the “Choose your input device” and select your microphone. 
• Now, in the Test, your microphone section, check if Windows is listening when you speak into your microphone. 

Solution 10: Troubleshoot the Recording Audio 

In case, none of those mentioned above solutions worked for you; you can still run the in-built troubleshooter application to fix your microphone. Follow these steps given below. 

• From the Start menu, choose Settings. 
• Go to Update & Security. 
• Now, choose the Troubleshoot option. 
• Select the “Recording Audio” and click on the box with the Run the Troubleshooter option. 
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete this troubleshooting process. 

 A microphone is using for many purposes, and if it does not work correctly, it will be irritating. Instead of wasting more time on finding different solutions, you should go through the solutions we have provided above. 

We have looked into different reasons that can cause your microphone not to work properly. Take your time and try the solutions one by one. We hope this article comes into your use. If you have any queries or feedback, please write down the comment in the below comment box.