If discord no sound or mic not working is what brought you here, you’re not alone. You join a voice channel. Nobody can hear you. Or you can’t hear anyone else. You check the obvious things – headset plugged in, not muted – and still nothing. Meanwhile your call has already started.
Discord audio issues are one of the most common tech frustrations, and they’re almost never caused by broken hardware. In the vast majority of cases, the problem is a settings mismatch, a permissions issue, or a device conflict – all fixable in minutes.
This guide covers 10 fixes ranked by how often they actually solve the problem. Start at the top and work your way down.
Before anything else – check these in 30 seconds:
Are you muted? Check the mic icon at the bottom left of Discord – a slash through it means muted. Click to unmute.
Are you deafened? The headphone icon next to the mic – if it has a slash, you can’t hear anything. Click to undeafen.
Is the channel volume at zero? Right-click any user in the voice channel then check their volume slider.
Part 1: Discord No Sound – You Can’t Hear Anyone
Fix 1: Check Your Output Device in Discord Settings
This is the most common cause of no sound in Discord. When you plug in new headphones, update Windows, or change audio devices, Discord often switches to the wrong output without telling you.
- Click the gear icon at the bottom left of Discord (User Settings)
- Go to Voice & Video
- Under Output Device, check what’s selected
- If it shows “Default” or the wrong device, click the dropdown and select your actual headphones or speakers
- Adjust the Output Volume slider – make sure it’s not at zero
If this fixes it, you’re done. This solves the problem in about 60% of no-sound cases.
Fix 2: Check Windows Sound Settings
Discord might be outputting to the right device, but Windows might have that device set to low volume or muted.
- Right-click the speaker icon in the Windows taskbar then Open Volume Mixer
- Find Discord in the list and check its volume slider – make sure it’s not at zero or muted
- Also check that your output device (headphones/speakers) isn’t set to a very low system volume
Fix 3: Check if You’re Server-Deafened
Server administrators can deafen users at the server level – meaning even if you click the headphone icon yourself, you still can’t hear anyone. If you see a server-level deafen icon next to your name in the voice channel, contact the server admin or owner to have it removed.
Fix 4: Switch Audio Subsystem
Discord has two audio processing modes, and switching between them resolves audio issues for many users – especially after Discord or Windows updates.
- Discord Settings then Voice & Video
- Scroll down to Audio Subsystem
- If it’s set to Standard, switch to Legacy
- If it’s already on Legacy, switch to Standard
- Restart Discord
Part 2: Discord Mic Not Working – Nobody Can Hear You
Fix 5: Select the Correct Input Device
Exactly like the output device issue, Discord frequently picks the wrong microphone – especially if you have a webcam mic, a headset mic, and a laptop mic all connected at once.
- Discord Settings then Voice & Video
- Under Input Device, click the dropdown
- Select your actual microphone by name (not “Default”)
- Speak into your mic – the green bar below the dropdown should move if Discord is detecting audio
- Use the “Let’s Check” mic test button to confirm
Don’t leave it on “Default” if you have multiple audio devices. “Default” changes whenever Windows changes its default device – which happens every time you plug or unplug anything. Pick your specific mic by name.
Fix 6: Allow Microphone Permission in Windows
Windows 10 and 11 have privacy settings that can block Discord from accessing your microphone. This is one of the most common causes of mic issues that people miss.
- Press Windows + I to open Settings
- Go to Privacy & Security then Microphone
- Make sure Microphone access is toggled On
- Make sure Let apps access your microphone is On
- Scroll down and confirm Discord is toggled On in the app list
- Restart Discord
On Mac: System Settings then Privacy & Security then Microphone then make sure Discord has a checkmark.
Fix 7: Disable Push to Talk (or configure it correctly)
If Push to Talk is enabled, Discord will not transmit your voice unless you hold down the assigned key. Many users accidentally enable this and don’t realize it.
- Discord Settings then Voice & Video
- Under Input Mode, check if Push to Talk is selected
- If you don’t want Push to Talk, switch to Voice Activity
- If you want to keep Push to Talk, make sure a keybind is set and you’re holding it when speaking
Fix 8: Turn Off Microphone Enhancements (Windows)
Windows audio enhancements are designed to improve mic quality but frequently conflict with Discord – especially with USB headsets.
- Right-click the speaker icon then Sounds
- Go to the Recording tab
- Right-click your microphone then Properties
- Go to the Enhancements tab
- Check Disable all enhancements then Apply then OK
- Restart Discord and test
Part 3: Discord No Sound or Mic Not Working – Fixes for Both
Fix 9: Reset Discord Voice Settings
If you’ve changed multiple settings and things have gotten worse, resetting everything to defaults is often the fastest path to a working state.
- Discord Settings then Voice & Video
- Scroll all the way down
- Click Reset Voice Settings
- Confirm the reset
- Re-select your input and output devices manually
Fix 10: Run Discord as Administrator / Reinstall
If nothing else has worked, two last options remain.
Run as administrator:
- Fully quit Discord (right-click the taskbar icon then Quit Discord)
- Find the Discord shortcut on your desktop
- Right-click then Run as administrator
- Click Yes when prompted
Reinstall Discord (last resort):
- Uninstall Discord via Windows Settings then Apps
- Delete the remaining Discord folder: Press Windows + R then type
%appdata%then delete the Discord folder - Download the latest version from discord.com/download
- Install and sign in
A full reinstall fixes more Discord audio issues than people expect. The cache and configuration files that Discord stores locally can become corrupted over time, especially after major Windows updates.
Discord No Sound / Mic Not Working – Summary of All 10 Fixes
| # | Fix | Problem | Time needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check output device in Discord | No sound | 30 seconds |
| 2 | Check Windows Volume Mixer | No sound | 1 minute |
| 3 | Check server deafen status | No sound | 30 seconds |
| 4 | Switch audio subsystem | No sound | 1 minute |
| 5 | Select correct input device | Mic not working | 1 minute |
| 6 | Allow mic permission in Windows | Mic not working | 2 minutes |
| 7 | Disable Push to Talk | Mic not working | 30 seconds |
| 8 | Turn off mic enhancements | Mic not working | 2 minutes |
| 9 | Reset voice settings | Both | 1 minute |
| 10 | Run as admin / Reinstall | Both | 5-10 minutes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Discord have no sound after a Windows update?
Windows updates frequently reset audio device settings or change the default playback device. After any Windows update, go to Discord Settings then Voice & Video and re-select your output and input devices manually. Also try switching the Audio Subsystem from Standard to Legacy (Fix 4).
Why can I hear some people but not others on Discord?
Right-click the person you can’t hear in the voice channel and check their individual volume slider – it may have been accidentally set to zero. Also check if that specific user is muted at the server level.
Discord says my mic is working but nobody can hear me – why?
The most likely cause is Push to Talk mode being enabled (Fix 7). If that’s not it, check that Discord has microphone permission in Windows Privacy Settings (Fix 6), and that the correct input device is selected (Fix 5).
My mic works in every other app but not Discord – what’s wrong?
This usually means Discord either doesn’t have microphone permission (Fix 6) or has the wrong input device selected (Fix 5). Turning off microphone enhancements (Fix 8) also helps when a mic works elsewhere but not in Discord specifically.
How do I test my mic in Discord without being in a call?
Discord Settings then Voice & Video then scroll to Input Device then click the “Let’s Check” button. Speak into your mic – you’ll hear your own voice played back if Discord is detecting it correctly.
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s discord no sound or mic not working, the underlying cause is almost always the same category of problem – a device setting, not a device failure.
Discord no sound or mic not working is almost always a settings problem, not a hardware one. Work through the fixes in order – most people find their solution within the first five. If you’ve tried everything and nothing works, a full reinstall (Fix 10) resolves the majority of cases that survive everything else.
Haven’t installed Discord yet, or setting it up on a new device? Our guide on downloading and setting up Discord covers the full process from scratch.
Tested on: Windows 11 25H2 · Windows 10 22H2 · Updated August 2026
