How to Fix Discord not picking up Mic input

Discord has recently gained immense popularity for chatting, especially among the gaming community. Discord is a social communication app that allows users to converse via messaging, voice, or video call.

Players can communicate, share ideas and strategies, play together, and form communities over Discord. Moreover, it has revolutionized the gaming scenario by allowing users to live stream their game, share screens, etc.

Discord has users from different communities, students, gamers, for businesses that depend on the app for its features. Unfortunately, even though the Discord app developers often update the app with bug fixes, Discord sometimes faces inevitable glitches or shortcomings. One of which gamers complain about is that the Discord mic is not working.

This can be pretty frustrating. However, it has been observed that this problem arises mostly among the downloading desktop version users and not much with the app users.

When faced with issues like Discord not working, try these first-aid solutions. If it is a one-time thing, these fixes should take care of the Discord not detecting the mic problem.

• Close the Discord app, refresh the page and re-launch the Discord app. Now, check if the mic works.
• Quit Discord and unplug the headset and plug them back in. Now, relaunch Discord to check if the Discord mic is working.
• Remove another audio input device. If more than one mic is connected, Discord software may not work efficiently.

If the above fixes did not solve the Discord not picking the mic, let us consider solving the issue through system settings.

Here are some solutions that will help fix Discord’s microphone and other voice-related issues.

Fix#1- Restart your device

When your device faces any technical issues, your first response should be to shut down the app and restart the device.

Rebooting a device not only refreshes and reconfigures all the data on your system but also returns all the files to their source. Therefore, restarting your device can fix a wide range of issues.

Before you go deep into software and hardware fixes, try rebooting your device to see if this could solve the mic issues with Discord.

Fix#2- Log out of Discord

If the Discord mic not working error shows up out of the blue, try logging out of your Discord account and logging back in. This should do the trick if it is a minor glitch. Let us quickly see how to log out from the Discord desktop version.

Find and select the User Settings icon on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Select Log out and again Log out for confirmation.

Now, restart Discord and re-enter your credentials to log in. Next, open a chat with a friend and check if they can hear you.

If not, you know the drill; check the next fix.

Fix#3- Mic test

When using an external microphone as an input device, it is essential to test it. Check the microphone with other apps to ensure that the hardware is not faulty and is not the reason for the Discord mic error.

You may face this error if you use a mic that Discord does not identify.

Here are the steps to test if an audio input device is compatible.

Step#1– Click the Windows Start button and select Settings.

Or you can also raise the Settings window by using the keyboard shortcut, pressing the Windows icon key along with the letter I on the keyboard.

Step#2– Once the Settings window opens, click on System.

Step#3– On the left side panel, select Sound.

Now, you will see the Sound page open on the right side of the screen, Choose your input device from the drop-down under the Input section.

Then, under it, choose to Test your microphone.

If your mic fails the text, you can try Fix#5.

Fix#4- Run Discord as an Administrator

Discord uses UDP to transfer any data you want to share with other Discord users. However, it could be possible that the app does not have the required privileges to transfer voice over the internet.

You will need to run Discord with administrative privileges to remedy this. Here are the steps:

To run Discord as an administrator, right-click the Discord icon on the desktop.

From the context menu, click on the Run as Administrator option.

Fix#5- Update the Audio Drivers

The Discord mic not working issue could result from an old, defective, outdated audio driver or simply a corrupted file. First, try updating the driver to see if this solves the issue.

Here’s how to update the Audio Drivers:

Update the Audio driver manually

Updating the audio driver can be done manually.

Log onto the audio card manufacturer’s official website and find the recent driver. Once found, download the driver and run the driver installation file to Update Driver.

Make sure that this driver is compatible with your Windows operating system.

An automatic audio driver update

A third-party app- Driver Easy, can automatically recognize your system and find the correct driver for your audio card, which is also compatible with your Windows system.

Step#1– Download and install Driver Easy from its official website.

Step#2- Run the program and click Scan Now. This will scan your system for necessary details.

Step#3– Now, click the Update button. The program will download and install the correct version of the audio device driver. This is included in the free version of the app.

Here, you also get the Update All option. This option will enable a complete update of your system’s missing or outdated drivers. Again, this is a Paid feature that provides a thirty-day guarantee.

Step#4-Restart your PC and check if the microphone works with Discord now.

Fix#6- Reset Voice Settings on Discord

One way to fix the mic input not working on the Discord issue is to reset voice settings on Discord.

Step#1– On the home screen of Discord, navigate to the bottom of the interface, where you will find the User Settings. Click on it.

Step#2– To reset Discord voice settings, choose Voice & Videos from the list of options. You can find it under the Apps Setting header.

Step#3– Scroll down at the bottom of the screen; you will find the Reset Voice Settings button in a red box. Click on it.

Step#4– In the pop-up window that opens, click Okay.

Once you have successfully reset voice settings, close the app and re-open Discord. Once done, check if you are still facing the mic input issue.

Fix#7- Make sure Discord is using the right mic

If the above solutions do not work for you, try this fix. The microphone not working with Discord is not a commonly occurring issue. However, you should check if you are using a Discord-preferred microphone.

Here’s how to check this:

Step#1– On the Discord app home page, select the User Settings gear icon on the screen’s bottom.

Step#2- Here, you will find App Settings. Under the App settings sections, select Voice & Video option.

Step#3– On the next page, click the drop-down menu under the Input device section and select your microphone device.

Also, check if the input volume slider has been placed at max, i.e., at the end of the bar.

Fix#8- Give Discord permission for microphone access

This is a simple fix, yet often ignored. Check that microphone access is enabled on your PC. Here’s how to make sure of this:

Step#1– Press the Windows icon key along with the letter I on the keyboard to quick-access the Windows Settings window.

Step#2– From the options, select Privacy.

Step#3- From the next screen’s left side, select Microphone.

Now, the Microphone page will open on the right side of the screen. Here under the Allow apps to access your microphone header, turn the toggle On.

Fix#9- Change the Input Mode to Push to talk

If the above fixes have failed to fix the issue with the Discord mic not working, you can try changing the input mode to Push to talk and see if this solves the matter.

For some people, Push to talk may be an inconvenience to press button, and for some, Push to talk may be a fun walkie-talkie experience.

Let us see how to activate Push to talk on Discord.

Step#1– Navigate to the Discord screens bottom and click on the cogwheel icon to launch the User Settings.

Step#2– You will find App Settings on the User Settings page. Under the App, Settings header, select the Voice & Video option.

Step#3– On the Voice & Video page, from the INPUT MODE section, select Push to Talk instead of Voice Activity. Here, you can set a Shortcut Key to initiate Push to Talk and even set a button release delay.

Step#4- Now, open a chat to perform a mic test on Discord.

Here you can use a mouse or keyboard button as the talk key.

Fix#10- Tweak the automatic input sensitivity settings

In case the Automatic input sensitivity is disabled in Discord’s User Settings, there may be a chance this is causing the mic not to perform.

If there is an empty box next to Automatically determine input sensitivity and if this option is disabled, your microphone will not be able to pick up any sounds. This automated input sensitivity is called buggy.

Here’s how to fix it:

Step#1– On the Discord home page, select the User Settings icon from the bottom right corner of the screen.

Step#2– Click Voice & Video option from the list of options.

Step#3- Now, scroll down and select Input sensitivity.

Turn on the toggle switch next to Automatic input sensitivity if it isn’t already enabled.

Step#4– Now check if the mic works. Talk into your headset and see if the bar lights up towards the end, showing a solid green color.

Step#5- Change the voice settings, disable the toggle, and position the bar slider in the middle. This will optimize the voice level.

Fix#11- Disable Exclusive Mode in Windows settings

If some settings related to Exclusive Mode are enabled, this may also be responsible for your Discord mic completely quieting down.

Let us see how to disable this.

Step#1– Right-click on the bottom right corner of your desktop screen, where you see the sound/voice icons.

Select Recording devices.

Step#2– Now, choose Microphone and select Properties.

Step#3– From the top panel, select the Advanced tab and uncheck the box beside Allow appliance to take exclusive control of this device.

Step#4- Select OK. Now restart your device. Launch Discord and check if the mic is working.

Fix#12- Check for External Factors

There may be a possibility that the Discord mic not working could be related to the microphone or the headset you are using.

Here is a comprehensive list to check with the computer’s mic input problem.

#1- Check the connection

Check with the computer connection; ensure that the mic’s USB is secured.

#2- Update headset driver

Check if the drivers of the correct mic or headset are updated.

#3- Change headset

Sometimes using the wrong headset can cause a mic error; try changing the microphone or the headset and then check if the mic issue persists.

Fix#13- Reinstall the Discord app

When none of the above solutions can fix the Discord-detecting mic issue, the next resolution is to uninstall the app and reinstall Discord on your system afresh.

Here are the steps to uninstall Discord and reinstall it.

Step#1- Type Control Panel in the search box beside the Windows Start button and click Open.

Step#2- Select Programs from the list of options on the Control Panel page.

Step#3- From the Programs screen, select the option under Programs and Features- Uninstall a program.

Step#4- The list of Programs will open, locate and click the Discord folder and then click Uninstall.

This will uninstall the Discord application from your system. Also, delete the Discord desktop icon.

Now you need to reinstall Discord.

Step#1- With your preferred browser, log onto the Discord website and Download Discord.

Step#2- Patiently wait till the app has been entirely installed.

Now, Open Discord, log in and start a chat to check if the issue with the Discord microphone has been resolved.

Conclusion

Discord is an addictive app because of its features. When faced with an error such as the Discord mic not working, these elaborately explained Fixes discussed in this article are sure to help you, and you can return to enjoying your gaming experience.