Zoom microphone not working: how to fix it on Windows 11

Applies to: the Zoom Workplace desktop app on Windows 11, with a built-in, USB, 3.5 mm or Bluetooth microphone. If no app on the PC can hear the microphone, not only Zoom, start with our general microphone not working guide instead; this page covers the Zoom side and repeats only the Windows steps Zoom depends on.

Match your symptom

The table is general guidance to help you skip ahead; the fixes below say which steps come from Zoom or Microsoft.

What you see	Start with
Mic icon in the meeting controls has a red line through it	Quick checks
Zoom’s microphone test shows no level	Fix 1, then Fix 3
Your microphone is missing from Zoom’s list	Fix 2, then Fix 8
Mic works in other apps but not in Zoom	Fix 2, Fix 4 and Fix 6
Voice cuts out or sounds strange in Zoom only	Fix 5
Headset works on a phone but not with Zoom on the PC	Fix 7

Quick checks: mute, cable and connection

Zoom’s speaker and microphone troubleshooting article starts with these checks:

• Look at the audio icon in the meeting controls. If it shows you as muted, select it to unmute.
• If the host muted you when you joined, send the host a chat message and ask to be unmuted.
• Check for a physical mute switch on the headset or microphone.
• Make sure the cable is fully plugged into the correct port. If Zoom doesn’t detect the microphone, unplug it and plug it back in.
• For a Bluetooth headset, confirm it’s powered on and connected.

As general guidance, the mute button on a headset and the mute button in Zoom are separate. A headset muted in hardware sends silence even when Zoom shows you as unmuted, so check both.

Fix 1: Pick and test the microphone in Zoom

Zoom has its own microphone setting, separate from the Windows default. Zoom’s steps for the desktop app:

1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop app, select your profile picture and open Settings.
2. Go to the Audio tab.
3. Under Microphone, choose your microphone from the drop-down menu, run the test and adjust the volume slider.

During a meeting, Zoom says to select the up arrow next to the Mute button to switch to another microphone. As general guidance, a new headset, dock or webcam can add a microphone with an unfamiliar name; if you aren’t sure which entry is yours, unplug the device and see which one disappears from the list.

If your microphone doesn’t appear in Zoom at all, Zoom’s article says Zoom may not have permission to use it. That’s Fix 2.

Fix 2: Allow microphone access in Windows 11

Both Zoom and Microsoft point to the Windows privacy settings. Microsoft’s Fix microphone problems page gives these steps:

1. Go to Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone.
2. Make sure Microphone access is on.
3. Turn on Let apps access your microphone.
4. Turn on Let desktop apps access your microphone.

The last switch matters for Zoom: the Zoom desktop app is a desktop app, and Microsoft notes that desktop apps don’t appear in the per-app list, so you won’t find a separate Zoom switch there. Microsoft also says that if your camera has a built-in microphone, you should check the camera privacy settings too. After you change a switch, quit Zoom fully and open it again; that restart is general guidance rather than a step from either page.

Fix 3: Check the Windows input device and volume

Microsoft’s microphone page uses Sound settings to choose and test the input:

1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound.
2. Under Input, choose the microphone you want to use.
3. Open that device’s properties, start the microphone test, speak, then stop the test and play back the sample.
4. Use the Input volume slider to raise the level if it’s low.

If the microphone records in this Windows test but not in Zoom, the device works and the problem sits in Zoom’s settings or permissions (Fix 1, Fix 2, Fix 4). If the Windows test is silent too, the problem is below Zoom, and the general Windows microphone guide goes further.

Fix 4: Close other apps that use the microphone

Zoom’s general audio troubleshooting article says to make sure no other application is using the microphone at the same time. As general guidance, look for other call and meeting apps, voice recorders, dictation tools and game chat apps, and quit them from the system tray as well as their windows. If you also use Teams and hit the same problem there, our Teams microphone guide covers the Teams settings.

Fix 5: Turn off Windows signal processing in Zoom

Zoom’s desktop troubleshooting article says that on Windows you can try turning off the Windows signal processing option in Zoom’s advanced audio settings. As general guidance, you’ll find the advanced options from the Audio tab of Zoom’s Settings.

As general guidance, Zoom’s noise suppression and similar audio processing options can also make a quiet or distant voice cut out. If your voice drops in and out rather than being silent the whole time, try a lower suppression level, test again and put the setting back if nothing changes. Option names can differ between Zoom versions.

Fix 6: Check your antivirus

Zoom’s general audio article notes that some antivirus programs, naming Kaspersky as an example, may block microphone access, so confirm Zoom is allowed. Where that setting lives depends on the antivirus; look for a webcam, microphone or privacy protection section in its settings. Don’t turn the antivirus off entirely to test; allow Zoom in its settings instead.

Fix 7: USB and Bluetooth headsets

Zoom’s desktop article says to use a USB device that Zoom supports: devices not on Zoom’s list may still work, but listed devices are less likely to cause audio issues. For Bluetooth, it repeats that the device must be powered on and connected.

As general guidance, a Bluetooth headset can connect to only one device at a time on some models, so disconnect it from your phone before a meeting. Some headsets also show up as two separate devices in Windows, one for music and one for calls, and only the call (hands-free) entry carries the microphone. If the headset won’t pair or connect at all, see our Bluetooth not working guide; if Windows doesn’t detect the headset, our headphones not detected guide covers that.

Fix 8: Run the troubleshooter and reinstall the audio driver

Microsoft’s microphone page includes a troubleshooter: go to Settings > System > Sound, scroll to Advanced, open the troubleshooter for common sound problems and choose Input devices.

If Windows doesn’t detect the microphone, the same page says to reinstall the audio drivers:

1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Right-click each audio device, select Uninstall device, select the checkbox to remove the driver, and confirm.
4. Restart the PC so Windows reinstalls the devices. If it doesn’t, use Scan for hardware changes in Device Manager.
5. Right-click your audio driver and select Update driver.

Fix 9: Update or reinstall Zoom and Windows

Zoom’s general audio article ends with these fixes: install the latest Zoom version, uninstall and reinstall the app, check for operating system updates and restart your device. For Windows, go to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates.

As general guidance, the Zoom desktop app can also check for its own updates from the profile picture menu, and reinstalling from Zoom’s download page replaces damaged app files. Uninstall Zoom from Settings > Apps > Installed apps and restart before you install it again.

Known issues

Zoom publishes the state of its services on its service status page and lists changes and fixes in its release notes on Zoom’s support site. If the microphone stopped working right after a Zoom or Windows update and the fixes above don’t help, check those pages, and Microsoft’s Windows release health pages for Windows 11.

Related guides

• Microphone not working in Windows 11: how to fix it
• Teams microphone not working: how to fix it on Windows 11
• Bluetooth not working in Windows 11: how to fix it
• Headphones not detected: how to fix it on Windows 11
• How to update drivers in Windows 11 (and when not to)

Official sources

• Zoom Support: Troubleshooting speaker or microphone issues in the desktop app
• Zoom Support: Troubleshooting audio issues
• Microsoft Support: Fix microphone problems