How to Fix Slack Not Detecting Microphone on Windows

Can’t figure out why Slack is not detecting your microphone on Windows?

Slack is a messaging platform that is focused on business and organization transactions. With this service, companies, employees, and team managers can easily chat with each other, initiate conference calls, and share files. 

Currently, Slack has an estimated 18 million active users. Having a large user base, Slack’s team makes it a point to keep the platform available and working. 

However, no app or software is perfect. 

Unfortunately, Slack can also suffer from downtimes and occasional errors. If you are here, we can assume that you are experiencing one. 

Slack not being able to detect your microphone is one of the most common issues of the app for Windows. This has been reported multiple times, and the reason behind it is mostly due to minor issues. 

Depending on the situation, the problem could be due to third-party apps using your microphone, system restrictions, or compatibility issues. 

Today, we will show you what to do if Slack is not detecting your microphone on Windows. 

Let’s begin!

1. Restart Your Computer. 

Before doing anything on your computer, we suggest restarting your system first if you encounter problems with Slack or any software. This should ensure that the issue is not caused by a temporary bug or glitch that may have occurred during use. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. On your computer, press the Windows key to open the Start Menu. 
2. From there, access the Power Options tab. 
3. Lastly, click on Restart to reboot your system. 

Once done, relaunch Slack and see if your microphone is being detected. 

2. Check Slack Servers. 

Being an online service, Slack relies on its servers to provide features. If you are having a hard time using any feature, it might indicate a problem with the servers. In this case, you might want to check the app’s status before performing any troubleshooting. 

You can head to Slack’s status page to confirm if there are any problems with the app or service. 

Sadly, server-related problems can only be resolved on Slack’s end. If the servers are down, the best thing you can do is wait for their team to fix the issue. On the other hand, you can head to the next step if the servers are running. 

3. Check Your Microphone. 

One of the most common reasons your microphone is not being detected by Slack is if it’s not connected properly. Before changing your configurations, double-check your microphone and ensure that it is connected. 

Check the back of your computer and see if your microphone’s jack is plugged in on the right port. Inspect the cables and make sure that there are no exposed or cut wires. You should also try disconnecting the mic and plugging it back in after a few seconds. 

Once done, head back to the app and see if it can now detect your microphone. 

4. Ensure Your Using the Correct Device. 

Windows allows users to switch between multiple audio devices. This way, you don’t have to disconnect your audio devices all the time when switching between them. However, this can cause issues if the wrong device is selected in the settings. 

If Slack is not detecting your microphone on Windows, try to check your settings and ensure that the correct device is selected. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. Access the Control Panel and go to Hardware and Sound > Sound. 
2. Now, click on Recording and look for your mic. 
3. Finally, select it and click on Set Default. 

Restart Slack afterward and check if the problem is solved. 

5. Update Your Drivers. 

Device drivers are a crucial part of Windows. Without it, your system won’t be able to control the hardware installed on your computer. If Slack can’t detect your microphone, there’s a good chance its drivers are outdated or corrupted. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. On your computer, access the Start Menu and look for Device Manager. 
2. Launch it and expand the Audio Inputs and Outputs tab. 
3. Now, look for your device. 
4. Finally, right-click on it and choose Update Driver. Follow the on-screen prompts to continue. 

Once done, restart your computer and check if your mic is working. 

6. Update Windows. 

The version of Windows you are using might not be compatible with Slack or has an issue that’s related to audio devices. To rule this out, update your operating system to the latest version possible. 

Follow the steps below to update Windows: 

1. First, open Windows Settings by pressing the Windows + I keys on your keyboard. 
2. After that, access the Update & Security tab. 
3. Lastly, click on Windows Update and choose Check for Updates. 

After updating your system, go back to the app and see if your microphone shows up. 

7. Check Permissions. 

Slack might not have permission to access your microphone, explaining why the app is not detecting it. If this is the case, you’ll need to check your permissions and ensure Slack is allowed to use your microphone. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. First, press the Windows + I keys on your keyboard to access Windows Settings. 
2. After that, click on the Privacy tab and go to the Microphone tab.
3. Now, enable ‘Allow Desktop Apps to Access Your Microphone.

4. Lastly, go to the Phone Calls tab and turn on ‘Allow Apps to Make Phone Calls’.

Go back to Slack after fixing your permissions and see if the app will detect your microphone. 

8. Reinstall Slack. 

At this point, the last thing you can do is reinstall the software on your computer. There might be some missing or broken resources in your storage that needs to be repaired. 

Here’s how you can uninstall Slack: 

1. Launch the Control Panel on your computer. 
2. Next, click on Uninstall a Program and locate Slack. 
3. Finally, right-click on it and choose Uninstall. 

Once done, go to Slack’s website to download the latest installer. 

That ends our guide on how to fix Slack if it’s not detecting your microphone on Windows. If you have questions or any other concerns, please let us know in the comment section, and we’ll do our best to answer them. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂