Troubleshooting Microphone Privacy Settings: Windows 10 & 11

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What to do if privacy settings stop your microphone from working

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: September 2, 2026 Fact Checked

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Windows 11

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Windows 10

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Troubleshooting

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If your microphone suddenly stops working, it may be due to your microphone privacy settings, especially if it only stops working in one app. In this article, we'll cover how to troubleshoot your microphone privacy settings in Windows 11 and Windows 10. We also go over some other troubleshooting tips you can try if changing your privacy settings doesn't work. Keep reading to learn more.

Windows Microphone Privacy Settings

If your microphone isn't working, it is likely an issue with your microphone privacy settings. In both Windows 10 and Windows 11, open your Settings app. Then, click the Privacy (Windows 10)/Privacy & security (Windows 11) option. Click Microphone, then toggle on microphone access.

Section 1 of 3:

Windows 11

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The easiest way to do this is to press ⊞ Win+I.
It has a shield icon and is near the bottom of the menu.

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It's under the "App permissions" header. You'll have to scroll down to find this option.
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Toggle on "Microphone access." It's at the top of the screen. If the toggle is highlighted and says "On," then microphone access is already enabled.
- If this option is switched off, your computer won't be able to use your microphone. This is a common issue when your microphone suddenly stops working.
- If you're still experiencing issues with your microphone, check out this in-depth wikiHow article that covers several fixes for a microphone that won't work in Windows 11.
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Toggle on "Let apps access your microphone." In this section, you can choose which system apps can access your microphone (such as Camera, Copilot, Teams, Snipping Tool, and Sound Recorder).
- You must toggle this option on to also allow desktop apps, like your web browser or Discord, to use your microphone.
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Toggle on "Let desktop apps access your microphone." Any desktop apps that use your microphone, like your web browser, Discord, video games, and more, won't be able to access it unless you turn this option on.^{[1]
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- You won't be able to turn this option on unless "Let apps access your microphone" is also turned on.

Section 2 of 3:

Windows 10

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The easiest way to do this is to press ⊞ Win+I.
It's the last tile in the grid of options. You'll have to scroll to find it. The Privacy option has an icon of a lock.
It's under the "App permissions" header, so you'll have to scroll a little bit to find it. It has a microphone icon.
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Click the Change button. Near the top of the screen, you'll see a line of text that says "Microphone access for this device is [on/off]." If this line says "off," continue with this step. If the line says "on," your microphone access is allowed.
- If you're still experiencing issues with your microphone even though the privacy permissions are enabled, check out this in-depth wikiHow article to fix audio issues in Windows 10.
When the toggle is turned on, it'll be highlighted blue.^{[2]
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This will allow apps on your PC to use your microphone; even if microphone access is enabled, you must enable this option so your apps (like Camera, Discord, your browser, etc.) can use your mic input.^{[3]
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Section 3 of 3:

Troubleshooting

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Other people still can't hear me. If you're trying to do a voice or video chat and other participants still can't hear you, try these fixes:
- Make sure your microphone isn't muted, either by using a physical mute button or the mute button in the program you're using.
- Ensure your microphone is properly connected, if it's wired. Unplug and plug the microphone back in, making sure the plug is fully seated in the port or jack (but don't force it in).
- Open your sound settings and make sure your microphone is the default input device for your computer. You may also need to change your input device settings in the program you're using.^{[4]
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How you do this depends on your browser, but all browsers are pretty similar. Open your browser settings and search for "microphone," then click on the microphone settings. You may need to toggle on microphone permissions for specific sites. To always allow your microphone on certain websites, add them to the "allowed" list.
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Windows isn't detecting my microphone. You can try to fix this by reinstalling your microphone's drivers. Here's how to do it:
- Open the Device Manager. To do this, right-click the Windows icon in your taskbar and click Device Manager.
- Expand the Sound, video and game controllers section.
- Locate your microphone in this section. For example, if you have a Blue Yeti microphone, you'll see "Yeti Stereo Microphone."
  - If you don't see any microphones listed, look for an unknown device in this section. Your microphone may not be recognized by Windows at all due to errors during installation.
- Right-click your microphone and click Uninstall device. Make sure "Delete the driver software for this device" is checked to also erase the drivers.
- Restart your computer.
- Plug in your device (if it's not already plugged in). Windows will try to reinstall the drivers for this device.
  - If Windows doesn't automatically recognize your device, open Device Manager, right-click Sound, video and game controllers, and click Scan for hardware changes.
- Update your device's drivers. In Device Manager, right-click your microphone and click Update driver. Select the option to search for and install new drivers automatically, or download the latest driver from the manufacturer’s website first and then choose the option to browse for it on your computer.^{[5]
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You may need to adjust the privacy settings for your camera. To do this, go to Settings > Privacy & security (Windows 11)/Privacy (Windows 10) > Camera and toggle on camera access.