How to Fix a Microphone Not Working on Windows 11
Do you have any microphone issues on windows 11? After updating to Windows 11, a ton of users have reported that their internal or external microphones have stopped working. Although the microphone appears to be active, it is not capturing any audio, and there is no error message to go along with it.
Why Is the Windows 11 Microphone Not Working?
Many reasons cause this issue, and the most common include:
- Your microphone is not connected or loosely connected.
- Your microphone is turned off.
- Audio input is muted on your Windows 11 PC.
- Audio input is muted on your headset or microphone.
- The incorrect microphone is selected in Windows.
- Outdated or corrupted device drivers.
- Problematic microphone hardware.
Now that we learn about the most common reasons, let’s read on and see how can we address this problem.
01 Check the Microphone Jack and Cable
It might be worth a shot to check the physical connection of the microphone before we proceed with the system-related troubleshooting techniques. Before making changes to your PC’s settings, it is a good idea to perform a hardware check to rule out any obvious problems.
Double-check that the microphone is plugged into a functioning jack. To be sure that the problem is not hardware-related, try plugging your headphones or earphones into another gadget. Additionally, we advise changing your sitting position and testing the microphone. If you are seated too far away in some instances, the microphone might not be able to pick up your voice and record it.
Additionally, you can attempt using the microphone on your smartphone with Windows.
02 Update the Driver
It’s not uncommon to deal with this issue if you’ve just finished the upgrading process to Windows 11 and your operating system has not yet updated the recording driver. Most Windows 10 recording drivers are compatible with Windows 11, some aren’t.
If you find yourself in a scenario where you’re stuck with an outdated recording driver that’s partially incompatible, you should be able to fix the issue by installing the latest compatible driver version.
Follow the instructions below for step-by-step instructions on how to do this:
1) First of all, you can download and install Driver Talent on your PC.
2) Open Driver Talent and click on Scan. Then it will search for your computer with any missing, outdated or corrupted drivers.
3) Click on Install All to get all out-of-date drivers updated.
You will then see Driver Talent update all of your outdated and corrupted drivers for your computer fast and efficiently, potentially resolving the issue.
4) Reboot your computer and check if the error is fixed.
03 Allow Your Computer to Access Your Microphone
By default, some applications and programs on your computer are allowed to access the microphone and camera on your Windows device while some are not. If you are trying to use the microphone on an application that is not allowed to access it in the first place, you will run into errors like the one at hand. In situations like this, you can manually provide microphone access to the application via Windows Settings.
Here is how you can do that:
1. Press Win + I together to open Windows Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & Security.
3. Choose Microphone on the right side of the window.
4. Turn the toggle on for Microphone access.
5. In the same window, turn the toggle on for Let apps access your microphone.
6. Expand Let apps access your microphone and make sure that the toggle for your targeted application is turned on as well.
04 Run the Recording Audio Troubleshooter
The ideal way to start this troubleshooting guide is to run an automated utility that is capable of diagnosing and automatically fixing (in some cases) the underlying cause of the system’s inability to use the microphone.
Microsoft has convenably included an automated troubleshooter specifically for microphone issues on Windows 11. It’s called the Recording Audio Troubleshooter and it contains a selection of automated repair strategies that your OS will be able to apply automatically in case a recognizable scenario is identified.
Note: This method is not guaranteed to fix your microphone issues, but it’s a great place to start if you’re troubleshooting and hoping for the easiest resolution.
Follow the instructions below to run the Recording Audio Troubleshooter on your Windows 11 computer and see if this allows you to resolve the issue:
1. Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Next, type ‘ms-settings:troubleshoot‘ inside the text box, then press Enter to open up the Troubleshooting tab.
2. Once you’re inside the Troubleshoot window, move over to the right-hand section and click on Other Troubleshooters.
3. Next, once you see the list of troubleshooters, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on the Run button associated with Recording Audio.
Once you open the Recording Audio Troubleshooter, wait until the initial scan is complete.
4. Next, when asked which device you want to troubleshoot, make sure to select the microphone that you’re actually using (Current Default Device) and not one that is currently inactive before hitting the Next button.
5. If a viable fix is identified, click on Apply this fix from the prompt that just appeared, then wait until the automated fix is applied.
6. Restart your computer and check if the issue is now fixed.
Bottom Line
Having followed these methods, you are super likely to fix the microphone. If you are still confused, your comments and questions are welcome.