Learning how to fix the microphone on Zoom can save you a lot of trouble. Imagine you are in an important meeting, but your microphone suddenly stops working. Sounds frustrating, right? Well, after reading our guide, you will have learned different methods that can help you make the problem go away quickly.
If your microphone is not working on Zoom, you need to allow your device access to it. To do this, go to the Windows Settings and access the “Privacy” settings. Then, click on the microphone to enable it.
When the coronavirus outbreak happened, almost every office worldwide was forced to adapt to work-from-home. Because of this, meetings started taking place on online platforms such as Google Meet and Zoom. However, although things have improved and people have returned to their offices, many meetings are still online through Zoom.
During a meeting, you can not afford to mess up anything, especially when you are the one who will be talking most of the time. In such situations, the worst thing that can happen is your microphone not working when the meeting starts. Or worse, it stops working during the middle of it.
How To Fix the Microphone on Zoom
Many Zoom users have complained about their microphones not working during a meeting. Multiple things can cause this to happen, and you must learn about all of them along with their fixes.
Give Your Apps Access to the Microphone
The most common reason why your microphone is not working on Zoom is that you haven’t granted your apps access to it. Many people forget to do this and later complain about the problem.
- Click on the Windows icon that can be found in the bottom left corner.
- In the Windows search bar, type “Settings” and then click on the first app that appears.
- Click on “Privacy.”
- Click on the “Microphone” option in the left menu, and turn on the option “Allow apps to access your microphone”.
After following the steps mentioned above, try using your microphone on Zoom again. Hopefully, others will now be able to hear you.
Ask the Host To Unmute You
During a meeting, the host has complete freedom to mute anyone. Hosts often mute everyone during the meeting to prevent others from creating any excessive noise. In such cases, if the host asks you to speak but later complains about not hearing you, you need to let them know that they have muted you. You can use the text chat feature in Zoom to inform them about the problem.
Join the Zoom Meeting With Audio
A big mistake people make is forgetting to join the Zoom meeting by clicking on “Join Audio”. This option appears before you join a meeting, and it is important to select the right option. Otherwise, others won’t be able to hear you.
To join a meeting with audio, you need to click on the headphones icon that can be found in the bottom left corner. Then, you need to click on “Join Audio”, after which everyone will be able to hear what you’re saying.
Update the Drivers
Outdated device drivers can also cause different issues, including preventing the microphone from working properly. Therefore, you need to install the latest drivers for your device to make the problem go away.
- In the Windows search bar, type “Device Manager” and open it.
- Click on “Audio Inputs and Outputs” to expand it.
- Right-click on your microphone and then select “Update Drivers”.
- Select “Search automatically for drivers” and wait for the process to finish.
After installing the latest drivers, your microphone should start working properly on Zoom.
Try a New Pair of Headphones
Finally, if you have tried everything but your microphone is still not working properly, you need to use another pair of headphones. If the other headphone microphone works flawlessly during a meeting, then you know what’s causing the issue.
But if the problem is still there even while using a new pair of headphones, you need to try reinstalling Zoom. Sometimes, a bug or glitch can cause the microphone to stop working properly, but this can get fixed by a quick reinstall.
Final Words
This was how to fix the microphone on Zoom. Your microphone can stop working for different reasons, but your boss isn’t going to accept any of them. But hopefully, thanks to our guide, you will be able to get your microphone working again in no time. However, if your microphone stops working frequently, you need to either replace your headphones or take your device to a repair shop to find the main problem.
