Why isn't My Headset Mic Working & How do I Fix it? – Windows & Software Settings

Why isn't My Headset Mic Working & How do I Fix it? – Windows & Software Settings

Having trouble getting your headset mic working on your PC? Between hardware and software there is a lot of different things that could be causing the problem but in my experience the main reason microphones won’t work is due to some simple Windows software settings that need to be properly configured. In this video I go over the most common settings and show you how to properly configure them. Usually you just need to adjust a few things in the Sounds settings in Windows Control Panel or in the Realtek HD Audio Manager (aka Realtek Audio Console) to get your mic working. Sometimes you’ll need to grant permission in the Windows Privacy settings or simply switch the input device and output device settings in your games or other applications. I’ll walk you through all of these in this video and with any luck one of these tips will get your headset mic working so you can game, stream and voice chat to you hearts content. Cheers! πŸ™‚

Here’s the link to my video where I show how to change the Windows Privacy settings to get your mic working – https://youtu.be/u5wjtoDWDQ0

Want to know the difference between a 3 pin TRS and a 4 pin TRRS 3.5mm audio connector? They’re both very common but there’s a difference between them and it’s very helpful to know and understand what that difference is. – https://youtu.be/6vCu5NvmnNc

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Wanna skip to a particular part of the video? Use the Time Stamps. πŸ™‚

Time Stamps

0:00 – Intro
0:39 – If this video doesn’t help check out my other videos
1:37 – Make sure you mic isn’t ‘Muted’
2:10 – Switching your audio device in the Windows task bar
2:54 – Assigning Headpones and Microphone for 3.5mm headsets
4:27 – Using the Realtek Audio Console (a.k.a. Reaktek HD Audio Manager)
6:15 – Adjusting Sounds settings in Windows Control Panel
8:43 – Granting Permission for applications to use your Microphone in the Windows Privacy Settings
9:39 – Switch input and output device in your applications, i.e. in your games and voice chat apps
10:06 – Conclusion
10:39 – Thanks for Watching! Like, Share, Comment & Subscribe! πŸ™‚

Music in this video –

“It’s All Happening” by Huma-Huma from the YouTube Creator Studio Music Library

“Nimbus” by Eveningland from the YouTube Creator Studio Music Library

50 Comments

  1. Vasian on February 3, 2023 at 3:59 am

    How to do this on Android?

  2. Joe on February 3, 2023 at 3:59 am

    My mic was muted πŸ˜€

  3. Kevin Kevin on February 3, 2023 at 4:00 am

    Is anybody having this issue but with a pc with an msi motherboard? I’m using earbuds that have mics but they don’t pick up any sound.

  4. Just me on February 3, 2023 at 4:02 am

    Next. video …..on .how to mute my wife🀣

  5. xSoull on February 3, 2023 at 4:05 am

    Thank you! My issue was that, on my laptop, it had the popup mentioned at 3:16. It was connecting my headphones only and not my mic, and it changed to mic and headphones when I switched the option to headset.

  6. Polat Kilic on February 3, 2023 at 4:10 am

    i plugged in my ps4 controller and my microphone stopped working for some reason. unplugging it did not fix the problem and I tried everything here but it did not help.

  7. Gopher on February 3, 2023 at 4:10 am

    At 7.56 when you test to see the mic I am not getting any input or sound from it even though it’s recognized and connected

  8. MMAJP182 on February 3, 2023 at 4:12 am

    Still not working dude my mic does not work when I play tarkov or he’ll let lose but if I tan out it works fine. All the privacy settings are good. I’m on windows 11. I have two different mics both do the same thing.

  9. Korki 011 on February 3, 2023 at 4:13 am

    My mic was muted after spending 1-2 hours trying to find the problem

  10. Andrei Logvin on February 3, 2023 at 4:13 am

    Using my headset with a pc splitter, and I sometimes can get it to play a very faint sound, but otherwise the sound and the mic just aren’t working, and I’ve tried everything in this vid. Any help greatly appreciated.

  11. ross robichesu on February 3, 2023 at 4:14 am

    wow all time i try to fix this you fix one mint thanxz

  12. Dionisis Papachristopoulos on February 3, 2023 at 4:17 am

    Bro u saved me thank u sooo mutch

  13. Brad on February 3, 2023 at 4:18 am

    Mine was working then just stopped working mid talking, checked the wires nothing is wrong any info?

  14. Ron H on February 3, 2023 at 4:19 am

    Thanks so much. Realtek had assigned my headphone and mic jacks to both be β€œheadphone”. Grrr

  15. The Nicster on February 3, 2023 at 4:20 am

    My mic still isnt working and i dont know why. Its working fine on my phone, its a 3.5 mm jack and it worked 1 month ago just fine but now i cant make it work.

  16. Cece Pe on February 3, 2023 at 4:21 am

    Nope mine still doesnt work. It works fine on computer , but when im in game it doesnt work

  17. KING MIC on February 3, 2023 at 4:21 am

    not working bro

  18. Cory baucom on February 3, 2023 at 4:26 am

    i have a headset with a built-in mic and i can’t seem to get the in-game mic to work and mine is windows 11 so I don’t know what to do i tried everything known to man so if anyone can get back to me and help i would appreciate it πŸ˜€

  19. Smokeyy on February 3, 2023 at 4:27 am

    I don’t know why my headset mic isn’t picking up anymore. A popup menu used to pop up as soon as I plugged it in and headset and mic is what i used to click on and everything would work perfectly fine. now that popup menu doesn’t show up anymore. Ive re installed my realtek audio driver millions of times and it still wont work. im honestly just thinking of giving up on this thing because i bought this thing for chatting and playing smaller games that have gamechat but that does not work anymore. I dont know if you’ll ever see this again but if you do please help me out. I don’t really feel like buying another laptop.

  20. Golden on February 3, 2023 at 4:28 am

    basically for me, i get one pop up, i get to pick what i get, audio, or mic.

  21. Voxzyツ on February 3, 2023 at 4:30 am

    thank you so much man i love you

  22. SlinkLy on February 3, 2023 at 4:30 am

    Thanks man i can finaly communicate with my team hahahah

  23. maksonchik 260 on February 3, 2023 at 4:31 am

    Tysm bro you really helped me out there!

  24. Dusan Milosevic on February 3, 2023 at 4:32 am

    My microphone has not been working about 3-4 months, and i figured why. It was off.

  25. Anthony Sanchez on February 3, 2023 at 4:33 am

    ive ran into a problem where if i connect the audio output side of the adapter it works, but when i connect the mic side of it it ends up saying that the headset output is unplugged.. and sometimes its the other way around, do i need to buy a new adapter or is it my pc?

  26. KentusOP asd on February 3, 2023 at 4:33 am

    my microphone system isnt working and i tried everything

  27. Noel on February 3, 2023 at 4:36 am

    THANK YOU SO MUCH

  28. Hello#6397 on February 3, 2023 at 4:37 am

    THANKS CONTROL PANEl helped

  29. NAJID IZZUDDIN on February 3, 2023 at 4:40 am

    My mic still not working, help me

  30. Max Ramirez on February 3, 2023 at 4:42 am

    Bruh I looked down and saw my mic was muted shiz was embarrassing.

  31. Salvador Valente on February 3, 2023 at 4:42 am

    My mic works but it’s super low even on max sound and even after I reinstalled the drivers

  32. π–•π–šπ–•π–•π–Žπ–ˆπ–†π–™ on February 3, 2023 at 4:42 am

    DidnΒ΄t help me at all

  33. Donni Kubbitz on February 3, 2023 at 4:44 am

    Thanks. FUUUUUUUUCK!! I even had logitech help me so they sent me another, totally diff headset, NOTHING. F’n updates always screwing something up. I even changed USB port for this wireless hs and NOPE!!

  34. Nick Ruppert on February 3, 2023 at 4:45 am

    I’ve spent hours trying to get my mic to work, and the first thing this guy tells me is, "make sure you’re not muted."

    I was muted… -_-

  35. Kryssan Rhule on February 3, 2023 at 4:45 am

    mine was muted, i feel like an idiot

  36. dropdtuned1 on February 3, 2023 at 4:46 am

    Thanks so much I didn’t even know there was a Realtek Audio Console. It defailted or somehow was set to "Generic" In the Environment window. I set it to <none> and I was no longer in a reverb echo chamber. Thanks so much!

  37. Olle Holmberg on February 3, 2023 at 4:46 am

    My microphone only picks up the sound that it self makes by switching the mute switch. Anybody else that also has had this problem and if so knows how to fix it?

  38. RYNLDio on February 3, 2023 at 4:47 am

    Hello can anyone help me? My apple earphones works fine in my phone, but when I plug it on my pc it doesnt work and sound so bad.

  39. kitariki on February 3, 2023 at 4:47 am

    1:46…
    fml…
    it took me 30 minutes for this… hit the button… fantastic.

  40. Brenda Saller - on February 3, 2023 at 4:48 am

    My computer doesn’t recognize the headset… I don’t know why

  41. UgandaMates_CZ on February 3, 2023 at 4:48 am

    Well, I tried everything but i have some issues that you dont have… In that Windown: "Which device did you plug in?" i pressed Mic in but it didnt shows up again. If i choose Mic in my mic isnt even working and i dont have any audio and when i choose headphones i dont have mic. Next in Hardware and Sound in that windown "sound" i can see my mic but it says its not pluged in! ( i am using Headphones with mic on it).
    And the problem isnt in my headset becouse on my old pc i plug in my headset and it works withnout any problem. If you have any time and wanted to help me i would be grateful. Thanks for help.

  42. LunchBaby8 on February 3, 2023 at 4:48 am

    Great video however my problom isnt listed here, My problem is that my sound only works when I plug it into my monitor and not my laptop, And when I plug it into my monitor the microphone is switched to the crappy microphone in my laptop, If anyone knows how to fix this please let me know, this is really infuriating

  43. WetLink009 on February 3, 2023 at 4:50 am

    Of COURSE it was muted by windows, SO annoying
    Thank you for the video, that solved the problem

  44. stager gamer on February 3, 2023 at 4:50 am

    my computer picks up that i have a microphone, everything i try doesnt work

  45. Tito 1984 on February 3, 2023 at 4:52 am

    Have Sennheisser GSP 500 and recently my mice volume was low…long story short been battleing with it over a month, asking people around with no clear solution.πŸ€” Than I have founded your video and my Microphone volume was too low in Sound–>Mic Properties….πŸ˜’ So yea, thank you very much! Its working now! πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘

  46. everyneed on February 3, 2023 at 4:53 am

    my headset is connected via USB and its on but it doesnt show up as an audio device so i cant do anything smh

  47. SirPugslo on February 3, 2023 at 4:54 am

    mine doesnt show up in anything its glowing meaning its on.

  48. Vi on February 3, 2023 at 4:54 am

    I’ve followed all the thing that you said.. but I still can’t get my mic to work πŸ™

  49. Fujiwara Crystal on February 3, 2023 at 4:55 am

    Before the control panel part helped me no problem ever since now that I got a new headset it keeps on disconnecting, unable to use mic on multiple app (ex. discord, GTA, basically any game that I played that uses mic) I’m on windows 11 (I think) idk what to do besides raging which is not helping, can you help me out?

  50. Manan Patel on February 3, 2023 at 4:56 am

    i have a strange problem, i use 3.5 jack headphone with splitter, what ever i hear gets also repeated from my microphone. its so annoying to play valorant where teammates hear all the sound repeating.

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