Featured Article

Discord Mic Not Working? Troubleshooting Guide

Fix your Discord Audio Problem

Updated April 23, 2020

Share on:

Start Here:

  • 1

    Verify if your headset is working by using the tool to the right (Note: Not compatible with Safari)

  • 2

    Scroll down for general audio troubleshooting help specific to Discord.

  • 3

    Good luck, and happy Discording!

Assess Your Input Device:

Waiting for microphone...

Your Privacy Is Important To Us


All our tests run on the "client side" - which means that we do not and can not record your voice or any other information.

    Discord continues to be one of the best applications for connecting with teams and pals in the gaming world. Despite being a consistently reliable app, it still has its occasional glitches, one being periodic failure to pick up the mic.

    This often happens while using the desktop app. Not an ideal situation when you’re trying to lock down that next level and your squad goes dark.

    This guide will walk you through the easiest solutions if your mic isn't working in Discord. We researched LOTS of comments and other tutorials to see what actually works, and get you back to it. Because you don’t want to be reading this, right? (unless you are my very supportive mother… thanks mom.) You just want your mic to do its job.

    Ok, here we go!

    Solution 1: General Audio Connection Troubleshooting (All Operating Systems)

    Before jumping into specific solutions for Discord, it doesn't hurt to try a few simple, general solutions first. Don't fix the transmission if all it needs is an oil change, so to speak. Here are some steps you can take to cross off the possibility your issue is something generally wrong with the hardware, connection, or system settings.

    Step 1: See if your microphone is connected to the correct(normally pink) socket in your computer. If it's a mic with a USB connector just make sure it is properly connected to the USB socket (you will not use the pink microphone in this case).

    Step 2: Make sure your microphone is not muted - sometimes the mic has a mute button on it or on the wire that is connected to it.

    Step 3: Check that the volume on the microphone is not turned all the way down.

    Step 4: If you are still having problems, see our technical guides on the top left side of the page, and choose the article appropriate for your operating system.

    If your mic is functioning properly but you are still experiencing issues with your mic while using Discord, keep reading below for our troubleshooting guide.

    Solution 2: Reset Voice Settings ( All Operating Systems)

    Try starting fresh in Discord by Resetting the Voice Settings.Often this will clear any unknown audio changes, and allow Discord to pick up your mic.

    Step 1: Open Discord.

    Under App Settings, go to Voice and Video.

    Step 2: Scroll all the way down and hit "Reset Voice Settings" in red letters.

    Step 3: Quit Discord and re-open.

    Step 4: Send an audio message to a friend to see if your audio is functioning properly within Discord.

    Solution 3: Quit Discord and Rerun as Administrator (PC only)

    Running Discord as an Administrator can clear some unwanted audio connection issues. Many times problems arise between conflicting agendas or settings in the OS and the Discord app. Making this adjustment often takes care of this glitch and gets things back to normal.

    Step 1: Right click on the Discord desktop icon and click on Run as Administrator.

    Step 2: Make sure and hit "Yes" when prompted by User Account Control.

    Step 3: Scroll up to the top of this page and use our mic test tool to make sure your mic is functioning.

    Solution 4: Disable Exclusive Mode in Windows (PC only)

    Sometimes the issue is not with Discord but in the default settings you may not be aware of in your OS. To see if this is keeping your mic from working properly within Discord, follow these steps to Disable Exclusive Mode.

    Step 1: Right click on the speaker icon in the windows taskbar

    Step 2: Choose your device and click on "Device Properties", then "Additional Device Properties".

    Step 3: Go to "Advanced"

    Step 4: Under Exclusive Mode, untick the boxes next to:

    (1)"allow applications to take control of the device", and,

    (2)"give exclusive mode applications priority.

    Save all settings and assess if the problem is fixed within Discord. It is a good idea to always close and re-open an app whenever you make changes, to make sure the changes have been applied.

    Solution 5: Select Correct Input Device

    Making sure you have the right device selected is obviously important. One thing to remember if you are using Linux, is Linux will sometimes automatically set the computer speakers and mic as the default, so disabling the built-in components frees up your headset to become the "Default" device.

    Step 1: Open Discord.

    Step 2: Go to App Settings, then Voice Settings

    Step 3: Click on the dropdown bar under "Input Device"

    Step 4: Make sure your device is showing up and select your device from the list.

    Step 5: If it is not showing up, you may have a hardware connectivity issue or an issue with your OS settings.

    Step 6: Send an audio message in Discord or use the built in test within Discord to see if your audio is functioning.

    Solution 6: Adjust Automatic Sensitivity Settings

    If you have changed your voice settings before, it is possible you have unchecked the option to automatically determine input sensitivity. If unchecked, this may cause the slider to move all the way to the left, keeping Discord from picking up your mic’s input. Here is how to quickly determine if this is happening and fix the problem.

    Step 1: Go to "User Settings" in the bottom right of the options menu.

    Step 2: Click on "Voice and Video" and scroll down to "Input Sensitivity"

    Step 3: Make sure the toggle is switched to "ON".

    Step 4: Speak into the device and see if the bar lights up green. If it doesn't light up, toggle the switch "OFF", and adjust the bar to the middle.

    If the green and yellow bar lights up, it means your mic is now working in Discord.