There might be times when your Zoom audio is not working which might lead to other issues as well. Zoom has made its way through online meeting platforms over the years. Since it is one of the most popular ones, people tend to use it more often.
However, when there are times when either you can’t hear other people or vice versa. Apart from that, you might be hearing distorted audio, or people on the other end might be hearing the same.
Why is Zoom audio not working
There may be several reasons why the zoom audio is not working. A majority of the time, there might be simple causes for it, but you can always double-check whether or not those are the reasons.
Some of the major causes could be that your mic is on or off, the mic’s hardware is not functioning, and the device driver is outdated. The wrong mic or speaker is activated on Zoom or for some other reason.
However, a few easy solutions can help you resolve this issue without having any technical knowledge per se.
How to fix Zoom audio not working
- Restart the device
- Check the Speaker
- Restart the Zoom application
- Connect the headphones
- Turn off Bluetooth
- Reinstall Zoom
- Check Advanced audio settings
- Clear cache
- Use an Alternate Audio Device
1. Restart the Device
This is one of the most simple and easy methods to solve the issue of Zoom audio not working. Regardless of the device that you are using, you can try and restart it if the audio is not working for you.
If you are using your PC, you can try and shut down all the application and restart it. However, if you are using your phone, you can do the same to resolve the issue. For your PC, instead of clicking on Shut Down, you can click on Restart so that there is no need for you to turn on your system again manually.
After your device gets turned on again, you can try joining the meet and check whether the audio is working or not. If it is still not working, you can go through some other methods or alternatives to fix the issue.
2. Check the Speaker
You will have to ensure that your speaker is working, especially if you are not able to hear the audio. This usually happens when you are using your smartphone as well. The speaker output should also be unmuted for you to hear the rest of the participants in the meeting.
If you are using a PC and have an external speaker, you can check whether it is working. You will also have to ensure that your speaker is plugged into the system and functioning properly if the audio is not working for you.
You can also manually enable the speaker from the application itself. On your smartphone, there is a speaker icon on the top right. If there is an x next to it, that would mean the speaker is disabled.
Tap on the speaker again so that the x next to it disappears. You can check whether you are able to hear the rest of the participants or not after you do this.
3. Restart the Zoom application
If you do not want to restart your device and go through the hassle. You can merely restart the Zoom application and join the meet again. Most of the time, there are a lot of background applications running, especially if you are using your smartphone.
Hence, in order to get a fresh start, you can close all the unnecessary background applications on your phone and then restart the Zoom application. Once you join the meet, you can check the Speakers icon and make sure that the x is not there.
Most of the time, this method works perfectly, and due to the overload of several applications, certain features do not work. Hence, you can also try this method and see whether it works for you or not.
4. Connect the headphones
Sometimes due to faulty speakers, you may not be able to hear the audio of the meeting. During those times, you can try and plug in your headphones and check whether it is a hardware issue or not.
If you are able to hear the audio on your headphones, most likely it is because there is something wrong with the hardware of the speaker. If you can still not hear the audio even when you connect the headphones, you can try restarting the application or the device itself.
5. Turn off Bluetooth
If you had recently connected your system to a Bluetooth device, then the chances are that it is one of the reasons why your audio is not working. Hence, make sure that the Bluetooth is off for the device that you are using.
It is possible to be connected to either your Bluetooth headphones or speakers, so check your device’s volume once you turn that off.
6. Reinstall Zoom
Another simple way of resolving this issue could be by uninstalling the application. There might be a few bugs or glitches in the application. Hence, if you update the application or reinstall it, the bugs and other glitches will be fixed, which will also help in resolving the issue.
You can long-press the icon on your screen and click on “Uninstall” to remove the application from your device. After that, you can visit the App Store or Google Play to install it again. Log in to your account and join or start a meeting to check whether the audio is working or not.
7. Check Advanced Audio Settings
The advanced audio settings in the application are for canceling out the noise and other disturbances in the audio. However, sometimes these settings might hinder you from hearing the audio of the meeting.
You can check the settings by going through these steps.
- Select the Audio Settings
- Click on the Audio tab
- Select Advanced from the menu.
- Click Auto on the drop-down menus that are available on the screen.
After you do this, you can go back to the meet and check whether the audio is working for you or not.
8. Clear Cache
This method works best if you are using the application on your Android phone. A majority of the time, clearing cache from your device will allow you to run other applications smoothly. Hence, it is also considered one of the easiest methods to resolve several issues while you are using Android.
You will have to navigate to the Settings, go to Apps, and search for Zoom. Then tap the Clear cache option, and all the data will be cleared. This will also mean that you will have to re-enter all your log-in details since the previously saved information will get deleted.
9. Use an Alternate Audio Device
This method is similar to that of using your headphones. However, if that is not working for you either, you can try connecting it to a Bluetooth speaker or earphones as well. Due to some technical or hardware issues, you might be able to hear the audio. Hence using an alternate audio device might help you address the issue.
Conclusion
Unless the host of the Zoom meeting has been muting everyone, the audio not working can be frustrating. Hence, when you are trying to join audio on the Zoom app and facing several audio problems, there are a few ways that we can resolve it.
You can test the speaker or the computer audio before checking the application or other software. Make sure that the internet connection is stable and the audio input is also functioning.
Apart from that, you can also try restarting the device or application. Since clearing the cache is not possible on the iPhone, you can check the system preferences or the zoom settings for the audio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Can’t I Hear My Zoom Meeting On My Computer?
If you are not able to hear your Zoom meeting, make sure that everyone has to unmute themselves. You also have to join the audio button and check the input level of the audio devices in case you are using any.
The microphone privacy settings should also be checked along with the settings app so that all the output for the audio is functioning. You can try updating the application or restarting the device to resolve the issue.
Why Did My Sound Stop Working On Zoom?
The sound might stop working on Zoom if you have an unstable internet connection. Along with that, if your external mic or laptop speaker is not working, you may stop hearing the audio in your meetings.
Make sure you check all the hardware issues and then address the software issues. Most people tend to overlook the hardware issues while trying to fix issues such as these.
How Do I Get My Sound Back On Zoom?
You will have to go to the settings menu and allow the application to access both your mic and speakers to hear the audio on both ends.
