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How do I turn on my microphone for WhatsApp on PC?

Being able to use your microphone on WhatsApp for PC can be very convenient for voice calling and sending voice messages. However, getting your microphone to work properly on WhatsApp desktop can sometimes be tricky. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through all the steps needed to get your microphone working on WhatsApp for PC.

Check Your Microphone Settings

The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure your microphone is set up correctly in your Windows settings. Here are the steps:

  1. Open the Start menu and select Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound.
  2. Go to the Recording tab and make sure your microphone is selected as the Default Device and the default communications device.
  3. Double click on your microphone and go to the Levels tab. Make sure the volume slider is around midway and not muted.
  4. Click Ok to save the settings.

This will configure your microphone system-wide in Windows. If you don’t see your microphone as an option in the Recording tab, you may need to install or reinstall your audio drivers.

Allow WhatsApp Microphone Access

Now that your microphone is set up properly in Windows, the next step is to make sure WhatsApp has permission to access the mic.

  1. Open WhatsApp desktop and click the menu button (three dots in top right) > Settings > Privacy.
  2. Under Allow Access to, make sure Microphone is enabled.
  3. Click Ok to save.

This will grant WhatsApp permission to use your microphone. If microphone access is not enabled here, WhatsApp will not be able to utilize your mic.

Check WhatsApp Microphone Settings

We also need to configure the microphone settings within WhatsApp itself:

  1. In WhatsApp desktop, go to Settings > Audio and Video.
  2. Under Microphone, select your desired microphone from the dropdown menu.
  3. Click Ok to save.

This ensures WhatsApp is set to use your preferred microphone for voice calls and recordings.

Allow WhatsApp Through Your Firewall

If you have a firewall or antivirus enabled, you may need to add an exception for WhatsApp to get your microphone working. Here’s how:

  1. Open your firewall or security software.
  2. Go to the settings and find the allow/block list.
  3. Make sure WhatsApp is added to the allow list.
  4. You may need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

This will stop your firewall from blocking WhatsApp’s access to critical resources like your microphone.

Update Your WhatsApp Desktop App

An outdated version of WhatsApp desktop could also cause microphone issues. Here’s how to update the app:

  1. Open WhatsApp desktop.
  2. Click the menu button (three dots) > Help > Check for Updates.
  3. If an update is available, it will download and install automatically.
  4. Restart WhatsApp desktop after the update completes.

Updating to the latest version helps resolve bugs and improves compatibility with your system and microphone.

Test Your Microphone in WhatsApp

After going through all the troubleshooting steps, we need to test the mic directly in WhatsApp:

  1. Open a chat in WhatsApp desktop.
  2. Click the attachments button and select Voice Message.
  3. Allow WhatsApp to access your mic if prompted.
  4. Speak into your microphone and record a short voice message.
  5. Play back the voice message to confirm the mic is working.

If your microphone works during this test, then it should function properly for voice calls as well. If it still doesn’t work, move on to the next solutions.

Close Other Programs Using the Microphone

If other apps are actively using your microphone, it can sometimes stop WhatsApp from accessing it. Try closing other programs that use your mic:

  • Exit any other apps like Skype, Zoom, recording software, etc.
  • Check the system tray for programs using the mic and close them.
  • Restart your computer for a clean slate if needed.

This eliminates conflicts from other programs hogging the microphone.

Use a Different Microphone

If your primary microphone isn’t working, try switching to another one:

  1. Plug in an external USB microphone or headset.
  2. Go to WhatsApp Settings > Audio and Video and select the new mic.
  3. Test it out with a voice message or call.

Alternatively, you can change your default Recording Device in Windows Sound settings to your backup mic. This will redirect all microphone input to your secondary device.

Reset Voice and Video Settings

Resetting the voice and video settings in WhatsApp may resolve microphone glitches:

  1. Go to WhatsApp Settings > Voice and Video Calls.
  2. Click Reset Voice and Video Settings.
  3. Restart WhatsApp desktop.

This clears out any corrupted data or settings that could be interfering with the mic.

Disable Exclusive Mode

“Exclusive Mode” grants WhatsApp exclusive access to your microphone for optimal performance. Try disabling it:

  1. Go to WhatsApp Settings > Audio and Video.
  2. Toggle off Exclusive Mode.
  3. Restart WhatsApp and check if your mic works now.

Disabling exclusive mode may resolve incompatibility issues with certain microphones.

Disable Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration uses your GPU to improve WhatsApp’s performance, but can sometimes cause microphone glitches. To disable:

  1. Close WhatsApp desktop.
  2. Right click the WhatsApp shortcut and select Properties.
  3. In the Shortcut tab, click Advanced Options.
  4. Uncheck the box next to Enable Hardware Acceleration.
  5. Click Ok and restart WhatsApp.

This reverts WhatsApp to standard CPU processing and may fix microphone issues tied to your graphics drivers.

Update Your Audio Drivers

Outdated, buggy or corrupted audio drivers can prevent WhatsApp from interfacing with your microphone properly. Updating them may help:

  1. Open Device Manager in Windows.
  2. Expand the Audio inputs and outputs section.
  3. Right click your microphone driver > Update driver.
  4. Search automatically for updated driver software.
  5. Restart your PC after the driver update completes.

Be sure to download drivers directly from your hardware manufacturer’s website for best results.

Uninstall Third-Party Antivirus

Some third party antivirus programs and firewalls are known to cause issues with microphones in desktop apps like WhatsApp. Try uninstalling your antivirus as a test:

  1. Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
  2. Select your antivirus application and click Uninstall.
  3. Restart your computer after it’s uninstalled.
  4. Test your mic in WhatsApp again to see if it works now.

You can always reinstall your antivirus later if removing it didn’t help. This is just to rule it out as a potential culprit.

Enable Your Mic in Windows Privacy Settings

Windows has its own microphone privacy settings that can interfere with desktop apps like WhatsApp:

  1. Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Microphone.
  2. Make sure Let apps access your microphone is turned On.
  3. Under Choose which apps can access your microphone, enable WhatsApp.
  4. Restart your PC and test your mic again.

This makes sure Windows is not blocking WhatsApp’s access to your microphone at the system level.

Conclusion

Getting your microphone to work properly in WhatsApp desktop can require some troubleshooting, but following these steps should help identify and resolve the issue:

  • Check your microphone privacy settings in Windows and WhatsApp.
  • Update drivers, the WhatsApp app, and your operating system.
  • Disable exclusive mode, hardware acceleration, and conflicting apps.
  • Switch to a different microphone if needed.
  • Reset voice and video settings within WhatsApp.

With the right combination of settings adjustments and troubleshooting, you should be able to get WhatsApp voice messages, calls and everything else working smoothly on your PC.