Share this article

This article is translated in

Improve this guide

Fix: Microphone is Not Working in Windows 11

Running the Troubleshooter will fix any audio-related issues

5 min. read

Updated onOctober 30, 2024

updated onOctober 30, 2024

Share this article

This article is translated in

Improve this guide

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more

Key notes

Windows 11 comes up with some great new features and improved capabilities. However, like any other software piece, it can sometimes get into trouble.

This time, we choose to talk about a popular issue. Some users claim that their microphone is not working inWindows 11, which can be related to various reasons.

It can happen for internal and external microphones, but the manifestations are similar. Fortunately, it is not uncommon to encounter that, so plenty of options exist to fix this annoying issue.

But first, let’s look at a series of microphone problems. Make sure you read it to find where your situation fits in.

The most common microphone issues:

What can I do if the microphone is not working in Windows 11?

1. Verify the connection

The first way to make your microphone work in Windows 11 is by checking its connection. If it happens to use an external device, but you’re unable to access it on apps, it could be due to loose connections.

You should reconnect the microphone and verify if it works. If it doesn’t, connect the microphone to another device and check it again.

If your microphone is still not working, it’s probably faulty, and you need to repair or replace it.

If it works on another PC, the problem is related to your device. In this situation, check out the other solutions.

2. Check if Windows 11 microphone is enabled

Some users might forget about this essential aspect, so make sure you’re not one of them.

If it happens to be already enabled, you will find the Disable device option instead of Enable device. In this situation, you should keep on reading our solutions.

3. Check the default device

This option would help if you have connected multiple microphones to your computer or Windows may have selected the wrong microphone.

To solve this, ensure the same microphone has been selected as the default system microphone.

4. Inspect Privacy Settings

5. Run the audio troubleshooter

1. Press theWindows Keyand typesettingsin the search box.

2. Click on the result to open theSettingsmenu.

3. In theSettingsmenu, chooseSystemfrom the list of options.

4. Scroll down to theTroubleshootsection, and click on it.

5.SelectOther troubleshooters.

6.Scroll down to theRecording Audiosection, then click on theRunbutton.

7.Your system will now automatically run and scan for any issue that’s making the microphone not working in Windows 11.

8.If any troubles are found, some instructions will be displayed to resolve them and close the troubleshooter.

9. If there are no problems found, try another solution from our guide.

If your Windows 11 microphone is not working, you should use the built-in Troubleshooter to scan your device for any audio issues. This is a safe and easy to use tool which can find and solve problems that prevent your microphone from functioning properly.

6. Update related drivers

If Windows 11 can’t find any driver updates, it’s still likely that an update exists on the manufacturer’s website, or you can usespecialized driver updating softwarethat scans your PC for missing or outdated drivers and asks you which ones to update.

How to prevent your Windows 11 microphone from not working?

Because you’ve seen the most common microphone problems and how you can solve each of them, we consider properly showing you some interesting tips to prevent your device from getting into trouble.

So, after conducting a series of researches, we found out that these solutions are the best to try if your microphone is not working in Windows 11.

If you are not using Windows 11 yet and are curious about itssystem requirements, we have an article to enlighten you on this subject.

For a more personalized and dynamic digital environment, explore some greatvoice changer software tools for Windows. We also have a great guide on what to do ifmicrophone is not showing up in Device Manager, so don’t miss it.

Also, make sure you share your thoughts and opinions with us by leaving a comment in the section below.

More about the topics:Microphone issues,Windows 11

Loredana Harsana

Windows Software Expert

Loredana is a passionate writer with a keen interest in PC software and technology. She started off writing about mobile phones back when Samsung Galaxy S II was on top of the world and she fell in love with tech of all sorts.

Whenever she’s not at her work desk, you’ll find her enjoying refreshing tea flavors, spilling stories on paper, and listening to the radio.

User forum

8 messages

Sort by:LatestOldestMost Votes

Comment*

Name*

Email*

Commenting as.Not you?

Save information for future comments

Comment

Δ

Loredana Harsana

Windows Software Expert

Loredana is a tech enthusiast who tackles mobility, privacy, and networking in easy-to follow guides for everyone.

Reviewed byVlad Turiceanu

Coming from a solid background in PC building and software development, he’s a Windows 11 Privacy & Security expert.More about Vlad ›