When playing PC video games, gamers frequently face two challenges: how to communicate with one another and how to assemble players long enough to get a game started.
Discord is the most recent in a long series of apps aiming to address this issue. Discord has been the leading VOIP service for gamers for several years.
The free platform, which combines the familiar chat UI seen in applications like Slack with video and audio chat like Skype, has swiftly become one of the most popular, with 250 million members and 14 million daily logins.
Discord is fantastic for communicating with pals while playing games, but it’s also good for creating areas where people can congregate, meet up to find new gamers, and socialize.
Discord, on the other hand, is not without flaws. Today, we’ll address the age-old issue of not being able to hear anybody on Discord. Many people have had it, and most have been able to cure it, but for those who haven’t, don’t worry. This is a simple approach to resolving the problem once and for all!
Why is Discord voice chat not working?
This issue is most likely caused by an outdated, inaccurate, or missing audio driver. You may resolve this issue by upgrading the audio driver.
It is also possible that wrong Discord language settings are at blame (input mode, OpenSL SE, etc.). Furthermore, this problem might be generated by an out-of-date Discord program.
When attempting to contact a contact, the impacted user receives an error. The issue is not restricted to a single operating system. In other circumstances, the issue arose after around 2-3 minutes of audio connection.
How to fix Discord voice chat not working
We’ve compiled a list of easy remedies for you. Continue reading to find out what they are…
Solutions To Fix Discord Voice Chat Not Working
- Change the input mode in the Discord app to voice activity
- Turn on the “Force calls to use OpenSL ES” option in the Discord settings
- Update the Discord app to the latest version/beta version
- First Discord Settings to Check
- Desktop Troubleshooting
- Browser Troubleshooting
- Mobile Troubleshooting
- Turn On The Legacy Audio Subsystem
Change the input mode in the Discord app to voice activity
If your Discord app audio/entry mode settings are incorrect, you may be experiencing issues with voice chat. In this case, adjusting the input mode in the Discord/Call settings to voice activity may alleviate the problem.
- Open the Discord app and go to the settings.
- Now select Voice and Video.
- Then switch to voice activity as the input mode.
- When you make a call, ensure the input mode is also set to voice activity.
- Then, restart your phone, and see whether the voice chat issue in Discord has been addressed.
Turn on the “Force calls to use OpenSL ES” option in the Discord settings
Several new features have been introduced to Discord to increase its functioning. The Open Sound Library for Embedded Systems API (OpenSL ES) is one such functionality that tackles many audio issues in the Discord application. Switching to this API may be able to solve your voice chat issue.
- Open the Discord app and go to the settings. Now select Voice and Video from the drop-down menu.
- Then, underneath Low Latency Hardware Acceleration, pick the Force OpenSL ES calls option.
- Then, close the Discord app.
- Now, go to your phone’s settings and launch the app manager.
- Then launch Discord and hit the Force Stop button.
- Confirm that you wish to force close the Discord app.
- Now launch the Discord app and see whether the voice chat issue has been repaired.
Update the Discord app to the latest version/beta version
Discord is updated regularly to solve known faults and introduce new features depending on user feedback. An out-of-date app might lead to issues with voice chat in the app.
In this case, upgrading the Discord app to the most recent beta version may resolve the issue. We’ll guide you through the process of upgrading your Android phone to demonstrate our argument.
- Open the Google Play Store and then select the hamburger symbol.
- Then select My apps and games.
- Go to the Installed tab and choose Discord.
- Now, press the Update button.
- See whether the problem has been solved after updating the app.
- If not, follow steps 1-3 again to launch Discord from the Play Store.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Join (under Join Beta).
- Then, indicate that you want to be a part of the beta program (keep in mind that betas can be unstable).
- Now, you must wait for your account to be accepted into the Discord beta program.
- Reboot your phone, and then update the Discord app if an update is available (repeat steps 1–4), and hopefully, the Discord problem will be resolved.
First Discord Settings to Check
Before troubleshooting for any voice/audio/video difficulties listed below, double-check these settings before troubleshooting for your specific problem.
If you cannot hear a specific user in the server or direct call, you may have changed the volume settings for an individual user! On Desktop or Browser, you can right-click the user’s icon and change the User Volume using the volume slider in the menu.
On mobile, when you’re in a voice channel/voice call, you can tap on the user’s icon and change the Volume Settings directly.
Sometimes, if you discover these problems early on, you won’t need to take any more action!
Channel/Role Permissions
Is this voice/audio/video problem present on all servers or only on a certain channel or server?
If this problem only happens in one channel or server, you may have to contact the server owner or admins to ensure you have the proper role or channel rights and to activate the necessary voice permissions:
- Connect
- Speak
- Video
Mutes or Deafens
- First and foremost, See whether you have muted/deafened yourself or another person! You may verify this by checking whether the mic or headset icon has a slash across it.
- It’s also conceivable that you’ve been Server Muted or Deafened by an admin or Server Owner! In these circumstances, you will need to contact the server owner or admins to get the Server Mute or Deafen removed.
Volume Settings
- If you can’t hear a certain person in the server or direct call, it’s conceivable that you adjusted the volume settings for that user!
- On the desktop or browser, right-click the user’s icon and then use the volume slider in the menu to modify the User Volume.
- When you’re in a voice channel/voice call on mobile, you may alter the Volume Settings immediately by tapping on the user’s symbol.
Desktop Troubleshooting
For those who have installed our desktop client on your Mac or Windows desktop, here are some troubleshooting procedures that may be helpful!
Initial Steps for Desktop Users
- See if your operating system is compatible with the software! To find out more, follow this link!
- Check that your computer’s operating system is completely up to date! You may check this by following these instructions for Windows and MacOS
- See that your Discord app is completely up to date!
- You may refresh your client by typing Ctrl/CMD + r.
- You may need to terminate and stop the running Discord program before restarting Discord.
- Ensure your USB or input jack is firmly connected to your computer if you use a headset/headphones/webcam.
- Ensure your Discord app permissions and ensure both Microphone and Camera permissions are enabled for Windows and Mac
- Also, for PC/Windows users, ensure your sound/audio or webcam/video/graphic card drivers and firmware are up to date! Follow these official guides here for more information on how to update your drivers for your Windows and Camera support
Next Steps for Desktop Users
Check these settings in your Voice & Video Settings (by clicking on the cog icon in the bottom left corner and then selecting Voice & Video in the left sidebar)!
- Examine your input mode – Make sure you’re not in Push to Talk mode by accident.
- Check and change your input/output device in the Voice Settings section to your device!
- Examine your Volume Settings for your input and output modes!
- Try resetting your speech and audio settings by scrolling down and clicking “Reset Voice Settings.”
- Scroll down to the “Quality of Service” section and uncheck the “Ensure Quality of Service High Packet Priority” checkbox.
Advanced Steps for Desktop Users
- Reboot your computer or gadget!
- A restart might sometimes assist with upgrades that are required on your computer.
- Reinstall the Discord app fully.
- If you need the installation file again, here’s a link to the downloads page:link
- Plug your headset/headphones/webcam into all other USB or audio ports on your computer and see if a new port makes a difference.
- Turn off Krisp Noise Suppression.
- Navigate to User Settings > Voice & Video and scroll down to the Advanced section.
- Toggle the right-hand button to turn off Noise Suppression.
- More information regarding Krisp may be found in this Help Center article: Krisp FAQ.
- Scan your device for possible viruses and remove any that are discovered.
- Once the viruses and threats have been removed, restart your device and temporarily disable your antivirus scanner.
- Then reopen Discord to see whether it had any effect!
- Download the Discord beta version and give it a go.
- Finally, if none of the above work, please submit a ticket to support staff at Discord Support with the following information:
- A detailed explanation of your problem.
- The operating system and version you’re using (ex: Windows 10)
- Which clients are affected (browser, mobile, and/or desktop)?
- Screenshots showcasing all of your Voice and Video options.
- A list of the input and output devices that you use.
- A copy of your debug log (This option may be found by scrolling down in your Voice & Video options.)
PC/Window Users Only Troubleshooting Steps
- Try launching Discord as administrator on your PC/Windows device!
- To accomplish this, right-click the Discord shortcut and select “Run as administrator.”
- On your PC/Windows, try deactivating optional microphone enhancements.
- Go to the Sound Control Panel, pick the Recording tab, and right-click on the recording device you want to edit to select the Properties option from the drop-down menu. Select your recording device and then click Properties in the bottom right-hand corner.
- A driver/vendor-specific Enhancements tab may appear. You should also look at the Advanced tab.
- Deactivate all embellishments and sound effects.
- Scroll down to the Audio Subsystem options in the Voice & Video page to switch your system from Standard to Legacy (or vice versa)
- Specifically for Video Issues:
- Scroll down to the Video Codec area in the Voice & Video tab and try removing the H.264 Hardware Acceleration option.
- ·Disable the Hardware Acceleration option in the Appearance tab (on the left sidebar inside User Settings) to test whether it affects your video quality!
Browser Troubleshooting
Follow these troubleshooting steps if you’re signing in to Discord and using the app on a browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to help you address your audio, voice, and video difficulties!
Initial Steps for Browser Users
- See whether your browser and version are compatible with the app! To find out more, follow this link!
- Check that you have granted Discord access to utilize your microphone and camera with the browser like Safari, Chrome, and Firefox
- Finally, try some of the procedures in the Desktop Users section that apply to your device and operating system!
- Ensure that your computer’s operating system is completely up to date!
- Ensure your USB or input jack is firmly connected to your computer if you use a headset/headphones/webcam.
- Ensure your sound/audio or webcam/video/graphic card drivers and software are up to date!
- Plug your headset/headphones/webcam into all other USB or audio ports on your computer and check whether a new port makes a difference!
- Scan your device for possible viruses and remove any that are discovered.
- Restart your computer or device!
Next Steps for Browser Users
- Check these settings in your Voice & Video tab (by clicking on the cog icon in the bottom left corner and selecting Voice & Video in the left sidebar)!
- Check your input mode to ensure you aren’t unintentionally in Push to Talk mode.
- Examine the volume settings for your input and output modes.
- Make sure to verify and switch your input device in the Voice Settings section to the precise device you’re using.
- You can also try resetting your voice and audio settings by scrolling down and hitting “Reset Voice Settings.”
- Finally, if none of the above work, please submit a ticket to the support staff at Discord Support with the following information:
- A detailed explanation of your problem.
- What browser and version are you using? (For example, Chrome 83.0.4103.106 (Official Build) (64-bit)).
- Which clients are affected (browser, mobile, and/or desktop)?
- Screenshots showcasing all of your Voice and Video options.
- A list of the input and output devices that you use.
Mobile Troubleshooting
If you use Discord on your phone, try the troubleshooting instructions below!
Initial Steps for Mobile Users
- Check to see if your operating system is compatible with the software!
- To find out more, follow this link.
- Check that your device’s operating system is completely up to date! You may check this by following these instructions for iOS and Android
- Check that your Discord app is completely up to date! You may update your app manually by following these steps for iOS and Android
- Check your Discord app permissions and ensure you have Microphone and Camera permissions enabled! Check out the following websites to learn how to enable certain permissions for iOS and Android
- Turn off your device’s battery-conserving mode. These techniques can assist you in checking, depending on the type of device you use such as iOS and Android
- To test whether there is a difference, try switching from Wi-Fi to data or data to Wi-Fi.
- iOS
- Android: Depending on your phone’s manufacturer, you can switch between data and Wi-Fi by going to Settings and then selecting Network & Internet!
- Examine your device’s volume settings. Check out these websites to learn how to access your volume settings for iOS and Android
Next Steps for Mobile Users
- Tap on your avatar in the lower right corner to access your User Settings, then scroll down to select Voice & Video.
- Check your input mode to ensure you aren’t unintentionally in Push to Talk mode.
- Examine the volume settings for your input and output modes.
- Try activating and removing the following options to determine if there is a difference and if it is affecting your voice/audio.
- Auto Sensitivity
- Noise Suppression
- Echo Cancellation
- Noise Reduction
- Automatic Gain Control
- For Android users, try the following steps. Switch your Low Latency Hardware Acceleration mode between the three options listed below:
- Let my Operating System Decide
- Force calls to use OpenSL ES
- Force calls not to use OpenSL ES
- Finally, if none of the above work, please submit a ticket to the support staff at Discord Support with the following information:
- A detailed explanation of your problem
- What device and operating system are you using? (For example, Pixel 3, Android Version 10)
- The version of the Discord software you’re using (ex: Version 26.1)
- Which clients are affected (browser, mobile, and/or desktop)?
- Screenshots showcasing all of your Voice and Video options.
- (If applicable) A list of the input and output devices that you use.
Turn On The Legacy Audio Subsystem
In some circumstances, users cannot use Discord’s newest audio subsystem, resulting in various voice chat difficulties. You must use your operating system’s legacy audio system to resolve this. The steps are as follows:
- Launch your Discord client
- Click on the User Settings (gear icon) button, located in the screen’s bottom-left corner, directly next to your user details.
- Using the left side pane menu, navigate to the Voice & Video tab. Scroll down to find the Audio Subsystem section.
- From the drop-down option, select Legacy.
- To make the changes, click Okay when prompted.
- You may close the settings window by pressing the Esc button in the top right corner. Join a voice conversation and check if you can hear what others are saying.