If your Discord mic suddenly shows zero input, your voice meter won’t move, or your friends say you’re muted—even though your headset “looks fine” (sometimes it’s just paired but not connected)—don’t start reinstalling stuff yet.
Most Discord mic problems come from one of three places:
-
Windows blocked microphone access
-
Discord is listening to the wrong input device
-
Push-to-Talk / sensitivity settings are blocking detection
Step 0) Quick split (10–30 seconds)
A) Does your mic work anywhere else?
-
Works in Voice Recorder / Zoom / in-game chat → likely a Discord settings issue (go Step 2–3)
-
Fails everywhere → start at Step 1 (Windows permissions)
⚡ Quick sanity check (Web vs App)
Open Discord in your browser and test the mic there:
📍 Path: discord.com → Log in → join a voice channel and test
-
Works in browser but not the Discord app → the Discord app is the problem (reinstall or reset voice settings; Step 2–3)
-
Fails in browser too → it’s a Windows / hardware / permissions issue (start at Step 1)
If the browser test can’t access your mic, follow Discord’s official Chrome mic permission steps.
Step 1) Check Windows microphone permissions (most common)
Windows can block mic access globally—especially after updates or privacy changes.
📍 Path: Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone
Make sure these are ON:
-
Microphone access
-
Let apps access your microphone
-
Let desktop apps access your microphone (Discord is a desktop app for most users)
Official Windows guide: [Microsoft: Turn on app permissions for your microphone in Windows]
Extra background (desktop apps vs toggles): [Microsoft: Windows camera, microphone, and privacy]
✅ After changing permissions, do a clean Restart once.
Step 2) In Discord, manually pick the correct input device (don’t trust “Default”)
Discord often grabs the wrong mic—webcam mic, laptop mic, a virtual device, etc.
📍 Path: Discord → User Settings (⚙️) → Voice & Video
-
Set Input Device to your actual microphone (not “Default”)
-
Use the mic test / input meter and confirm the bar moves when you speak
Discord’s official troubleshooting guides: [Voice and Video Troubleshooting]
Step 3) Fix sensitivity / input mode (the “it’s on but it won’t detect me” problem)
📍 Path: Discord → User Settings → Voice & Video
If you use Voice Activity
-
Toggle Automatically determine input sensitivity ON
-
If it still doesn’t detect your voice, turn it OFF and move the slider so normal speech triggers it
Discord’s input mode guide: [Voice Input Modes 101]
If you use Push to Talk
-
Confirm the keybind is correct and not being stolen by overlays/game hotkeys
-
Try changing the keybind once
💡 Pro Tip (Gamers ⭐): PTT stops working only inside the game? Run Discord as Admin
If your mic works on desktop but dies in-game (Valorant / LoL / PUBG), it’s often a permissions mismatch:
-
The game is running as Administrator
-
Discord is running as a normal user
→ Discord can’t reliably capture your Push-to-Talk key press.
Fix:
-
Close Discord completely
-
Right-click Discord → Run as administrator
-
Test Push-to-Talk again in-game
(This isn’t a “broken mic”—it’s a permissions conflict, and it’s extremely common for gamers.)
Bonus) Still broken? Reset Discord voice settings (fastest cleanup)
📍 Path: User Settings → Voice & Video → Reset Voice Settings (or Reset Voice & Video)
Discord recommends resets as part of their voice troubleshooting.
Wrap-up
Discord mic issues usually aren’t hardware failures. They’re almost always Windows mic permissions, Discord listening to the wrong input device, or sensitivity/PTT settings blocking your voice.
For gamers, don’t forget the hidden killer: Run Discord as Administrator when the game is running as Admin—otherwise Push-to-Talk can go dead in-game.
If you’re still stuck, the browser test (discord.com) tells you instantly whether the App or Windows is the real culprit.