How to Fix Mic Not Working on Discord

Is your mic not working on Discord?

Discord is one of the most popular communication platforms made for gamers. It offers voice and text functionality as well as the option to make and join servers. The platform also includes other features like file sharing, video calling, and screen sharing. 

Users can access Discord through a dedicated application or web browser. It also supports various operating systems, including Mac, Linux, Windows, iOS, and Android. 

Recently, users have been complaining about their mic not working on Discord. 

Depending on the situation, this problem could be due to faulty servers, outdated software, unstable networks, or improper permissions. 

To help you out, we have decided to make a guide on how to fix your mic if it’s not working on Discord. 

Let’s get right into it!

1. Check Discord Status. 

When you encounter issues on Discord, the first thing you should do is check the status of the servers. Since Discord is an online service, it relies on its servers to deliver content and other features. 

You can visit their dedicated status page to see if there’s something wrong with their services. 

Discord Status

Unfortunately, server-related problems can’t be resolved on your end. If the servers are down, the best thing you can do is wait. On the other hand, you can head to the next solution if Discord’s services are working fine. 

2. Restart Your Device. 

Before changing your configurations, we suggest restarting your device. This should ensure that there are no temporary bugs on your system and Discord’s resources are loaded correctly. 

For Windows: 

  1. First, open the Start Menu on your Taskbar
  2. After that, access the Power Options tab. 
  3. Lastly, choose Restart
Restart Windows

For macOS:

  1. On your Mac, access the Apple Menu on the top left corner of your screen. 
  2. Next, choose the Restart option. 
  3. Finally, confirm your action by clicking Restart on the dialog box. 
Restart Mac

Once done, go back to Discord and check if your mic works. 

3. Check Your Input Settings. 

If your mic is not working on Discord, the app may have selected the wrong input device on your system. To check this, go to your voice and video settings and manually choose the microphone you’re using. 

Here’s how you can check your input settings on Discord: 

  1. On the Discord app, click on the Gear icon near your Profile to access Settings
  2. Inside Settings, go to the Voice & Video tab. 
  3. Finally, click on the Input Device tab and choose the microphone you’re using. 
mic not working on discord

Once done, restart the Discord app and check if the problem is solved. 

4. Check Your Push to Talk Settings. 

You may have enabled push to talk on Discord and forgot about it. If this feature is enabled, your microphone won’t work unless you press the assigned key for your microphone. 

Follow the steps below to check your push-to-talk settings: 

  1. Access Discord’s settings on your computer. 
  2. Next, go to Voice & Video
  3. Finally, look for the Input Mode tab and choose the Voice Activity option. 
Push to Talk Settings

Try joining another channel afterward to check if your mic is working. 

5. Adjust Your Input Sensitivity. 

Discord has a feature that automatically detects your voice activity and determines the correct input sensitivity. However, there are times when the feature doesn’t work properly, especially if there’s a lot of noise in your background. 

To fix this, follow the steps below to adjust your input sensitivity manually: 

  1. On Discord, access Settings and go to the Voice & Video tab. 
  2. Now, look for the Input Sensitivity tab and turn off the ‘Automatically Determine Input Sensitivity’ option. 
  3. Finally, move the slider until it covers the level being picked up from your background noise. 
Discord Voice Activity

Once done, join another voice or video chat and check if your mic is working. 

6. Check Your System Permissions. 

Windows has a feature that lets you decide which applications can access your hardware. If your mic is not working on Discord, the app may not be allowed to use it. 

See the steps below to check your system settings: 

  1. First, press the Windows + I keys on your keyboard to access Windows Settings
  2. After that, go to the Privacy tab. 
  3. Next, click on Microphone from the side menu. 
  4. Lastly, enable the ‘Allow Desktop Apps to Access Your Microphone’ feature. 
Windows Microphone

Restart Discord afterward and check if your microphone is working. 

7. Update Your Drivers. 

Faulty device drivers could also be the reason your mic is not working on Discord. To confirm this, we recommend updating your microphone drivers to the latest version possible. 

You can update your drivers on Windows by doing the following: 

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows + X keys to access the Quick Menu
  2. Now, click on Device Manager
  3. After that, expand the Audio Inputs and Outputs tab. 
  4. Finally, right-click on your microphone and choose Update Driver
mic not working on discord

Reboot your system after the update and check if the problem is solved. 

8. Update Your System. 

The current version of Windows or macOS you’re using may have an issue that causes your microphone to malfunction. To rule this out, update your operating system to the latest version possible to patch bugs and glitches. 

For Windows: 

  1. First, open Windows Settings
  2. Next, go to Update & Security and click on Windows Update
  3. Lastly, click the Check for Update button and follow the prompts to download the latest version of Windows
mic not working on discord

For macOS: 

  1. Click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen to open the Apple Menu
  2. After that, click on Restart. Confirm your action by clicking the Restart button on the dialog box that appears. 
mic not working on discord

Once done, go back to Discord to check if your microphone is working. 

9. Check Your Microphone. 

If you still can’t get your microphone to work, it’s possible that you’re dealing with a hardware issue. Try to check your microphone’s cables for damage or exposed wires. You can also check the actual mic for any sign of damage. 

If you’re not sure, we suggest that you bring it to the nearest service center and have professionals take a look. 

mic not working on discord

You can also try using another microphone if you can get one and see if the problem goes away. If other microphones are working on Discord, it’s likely that your microphone is faulty.

That ends our guide on what to do if your mic is not working on Discord. If you have questions, please leave a comment below, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • Jake Kovoor

    Jake is the Editor-in-Chief of Saint and an independent software developer, with a Bachelors in Computer Science from Lancaster University, UK. He loves trying out various tech from the Flipper Zero to coding Raspberry Pis for automation. He started Saint back in 2016, having written over 100 posts, with the sole purpose of creating guides for software that had yet to exist back then to help users navigate around their technical problems.

10 comments
  1. Omg thank you why is this the only thing online that actually tells you to go into security preferences on mac I’ve been on like twelve sites thank you.

    1. I ditto this response. I went everywhere, all discord helps sites, tens of reddit posts and some dodgy helper sites that just tell you to reset your voice settings in discord. The tip to go in system preferences was the only thing I needed, you’re a god, thanks so much 🙂

  2. Discord does pick up my voice but it doesn’t send it to the people I’m calling help

  3. The only problem is that I dont have any earphones or mic connected to my laptop, I just speak without a mic or anything, just directly to the laptop. but no sound or voice is heard from my laptop. it used to work but not anymore once I tried a voice changer. any help?

  4. How about you fix this shit before you put a voip out there. And there is not much focus on what your app wants to do. Its a master of nothing allright!!! i hope we get something better soon, iam freaking annoyed with this program. Connection fails / microphone fails. robot voices everywhere without any reason. While if i use the good old teamspeak it all fine.
    Maybe you should get to work and learn to program!!

  5. You are the man! I was trying to help a friend get his mic working and I laughed at the title of your article and made a snarky comment but came here anyway. It was the FIRST thing!!! Thanks for the help!

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