Adjusting Your Volume Balance Settings in Windows 11

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Fix left and right speaker balance and app volume in Windows 11

Written by Stan Kats | Edited by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: August 19, 2026 Fact Checked

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Speaker Volume Balance

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Application Volume Balance

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In Windows, there are 2 ways you can adjust your volume balance settings: You can change how loud the left and right speakers or headphones are, or you can balance your app volume if one app is way too loud. In this step-by-step article, we'll cover how to do both methods. Keep reading to learn more.

How to Adjust Volume Balance Settings in Windows

To balance your speakers, go to Settings > System > Sound > More sound settings, select your headphones or speakers, then click Properties > Levels > Balance. To balance your app volume, click on the volume icon in your taskbar, then click the button next to the volume slider and scroll down to "Volume mixer."

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Adjusting Left and Right Speaker Balance

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1
Open your Windows settings. The easiest way to do this is to press ⊞ Win+I, though you can also open your settings from the Start menu or the Power User menu.
- The steps in this article are written for Windows 11, but they will also work on Windows 10. However, some menu items may be in different locations or have different names.
It's in the left-hand sidebar, and it's the second option from the top. It has an icon of a computer screen.

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It's the second option in the menu and has a volume icon.
It's at the bottom of the menu, so you'll have to scroll to the bottom of the list to find it. It's under the "Advanced" header.
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Click on your speakers or headphones. Connected devices will have a green checkmark next to them. Disconnected devices will have a red arrow.
- If you have multiple connected devices, the one that says "Default Device" is likely the one you're using now. Otherwise, start playing some audio. A bar on the right-hand side of the screen will light up when you play audio through your connected device. The device with the lit-up bar is the one you want to adjust.
It's in the bottom-right corner of the little pop-up window.
It's at the top of the new "Headphones Properties" window.
It's under the "Headphones" header and to the right of the volume slider.
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Adjust the left and right balance. The "L" slider adjusts the left speaker or headphone, and the "R" slider adjusts the right speaker or headphone.
- Pull up a YouTube video or start playing a song on your computer to test the balance as you adjust it.
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Click OK to save your settings. You can then click OK in the Headphones Properties window and the Sound window.^{[1]
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- If you're still having problems with unbalanced volume between your speakers, try running the Audio Troubleshooter.^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Adjusting Application Volume Balance

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1
Click the volume icon in the taskbar. It's in the bottom-right corner of your screen. The volume icon looks like a speaker with lines showing how high your volume is set.^{[3]
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- The steps in this article are written for Windows 11, but they will also work on Windows 10. However, some menu items may be in different locations or have different names.
- There are other ways to access this menu, such as through Settings. The interface may look different, but the way to balance your app volume is the same.
The button looks like two sliders, and when you hover over it, the tooltip says, "Select a sound output."
It's at the bottom of this little pop-up menu.
4
Drag the sliders for each open application that's playing sound. For example, if you have your web browser, a video game, and the Spotify desktop app open, all of these apps will appear under "Volume mixer." To change the volume of your game, drag the slider next to the game icon (it's the same icon you see on your desktop).^{[4]
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- Click the app icon to mute the application entirely.
- Click the gear icon next to "Volume mixer" to open your volume mixer settings. You can also adjust individual app volumes here, as well as change your overall system volume, output device, and input device.