How to Fix Microphone Keeps Muting on Windows 10

If you are experiencing issues with your microphone on Windows 11,10,7 such as it keeps muting or not working at all, you are not alone. This can be an extremely frustrating problem, especially if you rely on your microphone for work or personal use. However, there are several ways to fix this issue and get your microphone working properly again. In this article, we will discuss some of the most effective solutions to the problem of microphone keeps muting on Windows 10.

Microphone issues occur rarely but they can be very annoying, especially if they are important for attending online interviews or online gaming session and webinars.

Method 1. Check Microphone Settings

The first thing you should do is check your microphone settings to ensure that everything is set up correctly. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click on the “Start” button and type “sound” in the search box.
2. Click on “Sound settings” from the search results.
3. Under the “Input” section, select your microphone and click on “Device properties“.
4. Ensure that the “Enable audio enhancements” checkbox is unchecked.
5. Under the “Additional device properties” section, go to the “Levels” tab and make sure that the microphone volume is set to an appropriate level.
6. Finally, go to the “Advanced” tab and make sure that the “Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device” checkbox is unchecked.
7. Update Audio Driver

Method 2. Update Device Drivers

If your microphone is still not working properly, it may be due to an outdated or corrupt audio driver. To update your audio driver, follow these steps:

1. Click on the “Start” button and type “Device Manager” in the search box.
2. Click on “Device Manager” from the search results.
3. Expand the “Audio inputs and outputs” category.
4. Right-click on your microphone and select “Update driver“.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to update your driver.
6. Disable Exclusive Mode

Method 3. Modify microphone’s settings

1. Right-click on the speaker icon placed next to the taskbar (near date/time).
2. Select Recording Devices.
3. When the Sound control window opens, select the Communications tab.
4. When the question When Windows detects communication activity emerges, select Do nothing.
5. Then click Apply. After that, check your microphone if it stopped muting itself. If the problem did not stop, please do the following:
6. Open the Recording tab on the Sounds window again.
7. Right-click on the microphone and select Properties.

7. Click the Advanced tab on the new window.
8. Uncheck the Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device option.
9. Click Apply to save the changes.

Method 4. Disable Exclusive Mode

Sometimes, certain applications may take exclusive control of your microphone, causing it to mute or not work properly. To disable exclusive mode, follow these steps:

1. Click on the “Start” button and type “sound” in the search box.
2. Click on “Sound settings” from the search results.
3. Under the “Input” section, select your microphone and click on “Device properties“.
4. Go to the “Advanced” tab and uncheck the “Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device” checkbox.
5. Click “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.
6. Check Privacy Settings

Method 5. Change the format of the Microphone

1. Right-click on the speaker icon placed next to the taskbar (near date/time).
2. Select Recording Devices and double-click on the microphone that you are currently using.
3. Open the Advanced tab and select any of the 16-bit options on the list.

Method 6: Performing a Clean Boot

1. Log in to the computer with an Administrator account.
2. Press “Windows” + “R” to open up the “RUN” prompt.
3. Type in “MSConfig” and press “Enter“.
4. Click on the “Services” option and uncheck the “Hide all Microsoft Services” button. Click on the “Disable All” option and then on “OK“.
5. Click on the “Startup” tab and click on the “Open Task Manager” option.
6. Click on the “Startup” button in the task manager.
7. Click on any application in the list that has “Enabled” written next to it and select the “Disable” option.
8. Repeat this process for all applications in the list and restart your computer.
9. Now your computer has been booted in the “Clean Boot” state.
10. Use the computer in this state and check to see if the issue goes away.
11. If the issue goes away, repeat the above process and enable one service at a time.
12. Identify the service by enabling which the issue comes back and keep it disabled to fix the issue.

Method 7. Check and Adjust Your Privacy Settings

Another reason why your microphone may be muting on Windows 10 is due to privacy settings. Follow these steps to check and adjust your privacy settings:

1. Click on the “Start” button and select “Settings“.
2. Click on “Privacy” from the settings menu.
3. Scroll down to the “Microphone” section and ensure that the “Allow apps to access your microphone” option is turned on.
4. Under the “Choose which apps can access your microphone” section, make sure that the apps you want to use with your microphone are turned on.
5. Finally, restart your computer and check if your microphone is working properly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you are experiencing issues with your microphone keeps muting on Windows 10, there are several solutions that you can try. These include checking your microphone settings, updating your audio driver, disabling exclusive mode, and adjusting your privacy settings. By following these steps, you should be able to get your microphone working properly again and avoid the frustration of having to deal with a constantly muting microphone.