One of the most common issues users face while using Zoom is the audio issue. Almost every Zoom user at some point has had some issue with audio, either their mic is not working or they are not able to hear the others.
There are a bunch of reasons why this happens and pinpointing the root of the problem is not exactly possible in most cases. If your audio is not working on Zoom, keep reading this article for viable solutions.
Reasons for Zoom Audio Is Not Working
As mentioned earlier, there are a number of reasons why your Zoom audio is not working. Below listed are some of the most common roots of the problem.
- Mic/speaker is turned off on Zoom
- Loose audio jack connection
- Outdated audio driver
- Incompatible device sound settings
- Outdated Operating System
Fixes for Zoom Audio Not Working
As much as there are reasons for Zoom audio not working, there is an equal number of solutions as well. If one of them fails to work in your particular case, you may try another until the issue is solved.
Check Your Zoom Audio Settings
Before you try any of the other solutions, we suggest that you should take a look at your audio settings in the Zoom app. If you are in a meeting at the moment, follow these steps.
For Mobile Devices
- Open the Zoom app.
- Tap on the three dots in the bottom left corner.
- Tap on Meetings.
- Turn off the Mute My Microphone option.
For PC
- Click on the Join Audio tab on the left bottom corner.
- Click on the Test speaker and Microphone option.
This built-in feature will test if your audio devices are running properly, particularly, this option will test your speaker and microphone.
Moreover, you should also check if your speaker and microphone are detected/recognized by Zoom. To check if your audio devices are recognized by Zoom, follow these steps.
- Open the Zoom app.
- Go to Settings.
- Go to Audio.
- Check if your audio devices are recognized under ‘Speaker’ and ‘Microphone.’
If neither of the audio devices is recognized by your PC, try this next method.
Re-plugin Your Audio Cables
Sometimes all it takes for the audio issue to solve is to re-plugin your audio cables. Also, make sure that the connections are not being hindered by dust or any other particles. While on it, you should also check if the cables are broken somewhere, usually audio cables tend to break near the connector.
Make Sure Your Audio Devices Are Not Defective
Over time audio devices tend to develop problems, one moment they are working just fine while the next you may not hear anything. However, even if your audio devices are fairly new, a seamless function is not guaranteed. You can test your mic and speaker on one of the many audio testing websites available.
Update Your Audio Driver
Older versions of the audio driver may be incompatible with the updated version of Zoom. This can cause different audio issues users frequently face while using the app. To update your audio driver follow these steps.
To update your speaker driver follow these steps.
- Search for ‘Device Manager’ from the search bar in the taskbar.
- Double click on Audio input and outputs.
- Right-click on Speakers and select Update Driver.
- Click on Search automatically for drivers.
To update your microphone driver follow these steps.
- Search for ‘Device Manager’ from the search bar in the taskbar.
- Double click on Audio input and outputs.
- Right-click on Microphone or Micand select Update driver.
- Click on Search automatically for drivers.
Adjust Your Device’s Audio Settings
Improper device audio settings could also be the cause of the Zoom audio not working issue. To fix this, follow these steps.
For PC
- Press the Windows and R keys simultaneously.
- Type ‘control’ in the search bar and hit enter.
- Go to Hardware and Sound.
- Click on Sound.
- Double click on Speakers.
- Head over to the Enhancements tab.
- Checkmark the ‘Disable all enhancements’ option.
Moreover, you should also check the volume of your device for the Zoom app. To do so, follow these steps.
- Right-click on the volume icon on the right-hand side of the taskbar.
- Click on Open Volume Mixer.
- Adjust Zoom’s volume to your preference.
Additionally, you can also check if your microphone is turned on. To do so, follow these steps.
- On the search bar on the taskbar, search for Microphone.
- Click on Microphone Privacy settings.
- Make sure the access is turned on.
For Mobile Devices
- Go to Settings.
- Go to Apps.
- Tap on Zoom.
- Tap on Permissions.
- Tap on Microphone.
- Make sure Zoom has access to the Microphone.
Update Zoom
Updating Zoom app can fix various underlying issues such as video issues, texting issues as well as audio issues. With every update, Zoom tries to fix the issue of the previous versions. To update Zoom, follow these steps.
For PC
- Open Zoom.
- Click on the Profile icon on the top right side of the window.
- Click on Check for updates.
- Click on Install.
For Mobile Devices
- Go to Play Store or App Store.
- Search for Zoom.
- Tap on Zoom.
- Click on Update.
Update Your Windows
Updating Windows might just help you get rid of the audio issue you are facing at the moment. Using an older version of Windows can be buggy as third-party apps keep updating and optimizing their app to suit the recent version of Windows.
To update your Windows, follow these steps.
- Click on the start menu.
- Go to Settings.
- Go to Update and Security.
- Click on the ‘Check for updates‘ button.