How to fix headset mic not working on Windows

Headset microphone not capturing your voice? This is one of the most common problems encountered by headset users.

Several factors can cause the headset microphone to stop working; you may have muted your device, plugged it in the wrong jack, set it up incorrectly when connecting it to your device, forgot to set it as the default microphone, restricted an app's access to the microphone, or set incorrect audio device preferences in a game or app.

If you want to do basic troubleshooting and get your headset's microphone working, here are some steps you can take.

1. Do some preliminary checks

Start the troubleshooting process by applying the following preliminary fixes as they may resolve the issue immediately:

1. Disconnect the headset and then try connecting again; this will rule out temporary problems with it.
2. If you have problems with the USB headset, connect it to another port on the device to ensure that the port is not faulty.
3. If you are using a wireless headset, make sure the headset and receiver are free of interference.
4. If you have multiple audio input devices connected to your device, disconnect all of them except the headset.
5. Run the Recording Audio troubleshooter to allow Windows to automatically identify and fix microphone problems.

If none of the above checks and fixes work, apply the rest of the fixes.

2. Make sure the microphone is not muted

Most headsets usually have a button that allows you to mute the microphone. This control allows the user to mute themselves when not participating in the conversation. If your headset also has such a button, make sure you don't accidentally turn it off.

Also, make sure your microphone is not muted on the device. You can test that in many ways, but this is the simplest one:

1. Open the Realtek Audio Console (or Realtek Audio Control ) application by searching for it in Windows Search.
2. Then click on Headset Microphone under Recording Devices .
3. Make sure the box next to Mute is unchecked. If yes, deselect it by clicking.
4. Also, if Main Volume is too low, increase it closer to 100 .

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Note : If you don't have Realtek Audio Console installed on your device, you can download it from the Microsoft Store.

3. Make sure the microphone is plugged in properly

If your headset has a 3.5mm audio cable, plug it into the microphone jack. When you plug it in, you may also need to select the microphone and speaker option from the window that appears on your screen. So be careful when you do that.

If your headset uses a two-pin cable, you need to carefully plug them into the microphone and speaker jacks. You may also have to select the type of device you plugged in first and second from the pop-ups on your screen.

Note : You may not see any pop-ups when connecting the headset to the laptop; just make sure you've plugged in the headset properly.

4. Make sure the headset microphone is not faulty

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Is your headset unmute and plugged in properly? If that's the case, make sure your microphone isn't faulty, which could be the reason why it's not picking up your voice. The easiest way to find that out is to connect your headset to another device and see if it works.

If the headset microphone also doesn't work on your other device, that device may be faulty. If that's the case, you should have your hardware checked by a technician. However, if the other device detects the microphone, your hardware is not at fault; perhaps misconfigured OS settings are the cause.

5. Choose the right microphone and test it

To use the headset's microphone as the primary audio input device, you must select it correctly in the sound settings. Make sure the headset's microphone is selected there, especially if you have multiple audio input devices connected to your device.

To see which microphone you're using, open the Settings app and navigate to System > Sound . Here, select the headset's microphone and click on it to open its settings.

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Then test the microphone by clicking the Start test button . If your microphone successfully captures sound, the headset is now correctly configured.

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6. Make the headset microphone the default audio input device

To set your headset microphone as the default audio input device, navigate to Settings > System > Sound and click More sound settings .

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In the sound settings, go to the Recording tab , right-click your headset's microphone, and select Set as Default Device .

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If you don't see the headset's microphone in the list of recording devices, it may be disabled. In such a case, right-click anywhere in the Recording tab and select Show Disabled Devices .

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Then, set the headset's microphone as the default audio input device.

7. Change app permissions for microphone

If your headset's microphone is set as default but doesn't work in a certain app, check if that app has permission to access the microphone. Follow these steps to check:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Navigate to the Privacy and security tab in the left sidebar.

3. Click Microphone under App permissions .

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4. Turn on the button next to Microphone access .

5. Then locate the app where the headset microphone isn't working and toggle the switch next to that app.

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8. Select the correct microphone in the app's settings

If the headset's microphone still doesn't work after following the steps above, it's possible that the app where the microphone isn't working isn't selecting the correct microphone in its settings.

Therefore, make sure that the headset's microphone is selected as the primary audio input device in the app's settings. Also, check to make sure that the microphone is not muted there and that the microphone volume is not too low.

Kareem Winters

Update 24 July 2023