For the most part, Discord is an excellent app that allows audio and text chat with your friends while gaming. The app is heaven-sent to many gamers out there who have been looking for gaming-focused chatting apps as alternatives to apps like TeamSpeak and Skype.
However, as the numbers of subscribers increase on Discord, problems seem to be on the rise too. The most common issue involves Discord not picking up the mic, where one gamer won’t hear the other.
If Discord is not picking up the mic, it is mostly due to a recent windows privacy update that requires users to manually authorize applications to use their microphones and cameras.
The good thing is that the fix is easy as you will see in this guide. Other issues could be a lagging program or wrong voice settings that cause Discord not to detect the mic.
Now that you’ve known the reason behind the error, let’s get into working fixes. By now, I assume you have already tried all the basics like restarting your computer or the app.
If you haven’t, go ahead and give them a try –you can be surprised how simple solutions can solve such a problem. If the mic is still not working, follow the steps outlined below carefully.
How to fix a Discord mic that isn’t working
Follow this list of solutions with detailed explanations to fix Discord when it doesn’t pick up the mic:
1. Update Windows Privacy settings
A recent update in Windows OS requires that you grant access to apps that use your camera or microphone.
While this fix is essential to prevent hackers and unauthorized programs from spying on you, it could be the reason for your frustration with Discord.
Follow these steps to add an exception to Windows Privacy settings and fix the mic on Discord:
- Press the Windows Start button and click Settings (gear icon)
- Click Privacy on the window that appears
- On the left, scroll down to App Permissions
- Click Camera and toggle Allow apps to access your camera to the on
Close the Settings app and return to Discord. You might have to restart the app, unplug your headphones, or restart the computer for the settings to apply.
The above settings apply to Windows users. If you are on Mac, follow these steps to enable Discord to detect and access your microphone:
- Go to Menu > System Preferences on your Mac
- Open Security and Privacy
- Click Privacy and select Microphone
- Find Discord and make sure it is checked
By checking Discord, you are instructing your Mac to give the app access to your Mic. It should, therefore, start working. I
f it doesn’t, you should try out the next solution.
2. Change Automatically Determine Input Sensitivity settings
If you have changed your voice settings at some point, then you could have toggled the Input Sensitivity Settings on Discord and this can lead to the mic not working. Follow these steps to revert the settings:
- Open Discord and click User Settings (gear icon at the bottom left)
- Scroll to App Settings and select Voice & Video
- Scroll to Input Sensitivity and set the toggle OFF next to Automatically determine input sensitivity.
- Move the manual slider to the middle and ensure that it is showing some movements when you are talking.
If you’ve followed these steps, your voice settings should be okay and the mic should be working. If not, proceed to the next step.
3. Reset Voice Settings
Resetting Voice Settings on the Discord app can come in handy when voice is not working. These settings are essential in detecting the mic or headphones when they are connected to your computer.
To reset voice settings:
- Open your Discord app and click the Settings gear icon at the bottom next to your profile name
- On the left side of the App Settings screen that appears, select Voice & Video
- Scroll to the bottom and click Reset Voice Settings
You might have to restart the app if there’s still no voice when using the mic. This setting is also helpful when your Discord mobile app for Android or iPhone isn’t detecting voice.
4. Toggle Input Volume
If your Discord doesn’t pick up the mic after all these settings, then you could be facing an issue with the Input Volume.
When it is low or no device is connected, your voice activity wouldn’t be heard by the other party.
Follow these steps to fix Discord mic settings for input devices:
- Close Discord completely then right-click its icon on your desktop screen
- Select Run as Administrator and choose Yes on the popup that appears
- Go to User Settings and select Voice & Video, just under App Settings
- Ensure the right Input and Output Device is selected
- Set the Input Volume to the highest level
- Test your mic on Discord by clicking Let’s Check just under Mic Test
If your voice is now working, you should resume using the app as usual. However, if the issue persists, scroll down to Input Mode and ensure Voice Activity is checked.
5. Ensure your audio device is working
If you have reached this step and voice chat is still not working on Discord, the issue could be caused by a hardware problem.
Check your microphone or headphones by testing them on another phone or computer. If they aren’t working, switch to those that are working and try them out on your Discord.
If they are working fine, proceed with the steps below.
You can also troubleshoot the audio device by clicking on the Start button and navigating to Settings > Sound > Input.
While here, click Test your microphone and if it doesn’t work, click Troubleshoot.
Solution #6: Change your voice server channel location
Audio channels are rerouted to a voice server that you have chosen on Discord.
Changing your audio channels to the same location can fix the issue and Discord should start recognizing your microphone.
Follow these steps to fix the problem:
- Click the menu icon and select Server Settings
- Select Overview on the new window that appears
- Select Server Region and click Change
- From the list of location that appears, choose one that is closest to you.
Once you’ve applied these settings wait for your audio channel to be migrated to the new server.
I hope the fixes I have listed above have been helpful and that your system can grant Discord access to your microphone now.
Make sure to test the mic on Discord after every fix and stop the moment you reach a working fix.
If you haven’t found any working solution among these, then try contacting the Discord support.