Green Room

Fix · Discord on a Mac

Discord audio not working? Hear people again.

When Discord goes quiet, check whether you're deafened, which Output Device it's using, and whether one person is turned down.

Quick check first: Play a tone on the free speaker test. If you hear it, your speakers work and the fix is in Discord (steps 1 to 3). If not, start with the Mac checks.

Fix it in Discord

  1. Undeafen.If the headphones icon next to your name at the bottom left has a line through it, you're deafened and hear nothing. Click it.
  2. Pick the Output Device.Open User Settings › Voice & Video and set Output Device to your headphones or speakers by name. Raise Output Volume.
  3. Check one person's volume.If you can't hear just one person, right click their name and check User Volume. It may be at zero, or you may have muted them.

Start over

If audio still won't play, Discord suggests Reset Voice and Video Settings on the Debugging tab of Voice & Video.

Muffled on AirPods

When Discord turns on the AirPods' mic, they switch to call mode and everything sounds like a phone call. Use your Mac's mic as Discord's Input Device and keep the AirPods for listening.

Then check your Mac

If Discord looks right and the sound still doesn't work, go through these in order.

  1. Check your Mac's output.Open System Settings › Sound and click Output. Select the speakers or headphones you're listening on, raise the Output volume, and make sure Mute is off.
  2. Reconnect Bluetooth headphones.AirPods can switch to your iPhone or iPad when you use it. Connect them to this Mac from the Sound section of Control Center or Bluetooth settings, then pick them again.
  3. Reconnect wired speakers.Unplug USB speakers or a headset and plug them back in, or try another port. A display with speakers can take over the sound when you plug it in.

Test it outside Discord

The free speaker test runs in your browser, with nothing to install. If your sound works there, your Mac and the hardware are fine, and the fix is in Discord's settings above.

Speaker testLeft, right, and a sweep to check every speaker. Webcam testLive preview, resolution, frame rate, and lighting. Microphone testLive meter, then hear yourself back.

On a Mac? See where Discord's sound is really going.

Green Room shows which app has each speaker open, and warns you when Discord is playing somewhere that isn't your setup. When AirPods drop into call mode, it tells you and offers your Mac's own mic so the sound comes back. One click puts your setup back. Free, with no account.

Download free See how it works

Questions

Why can't I hear anyone on Discord?

Check you aren't deafened (the headphones icon), then make sure Output Device in Voice & Video is the one you're listening on.

Why can't I hear just one person on Discord?

Right click their name and check User Volume, or whether you muted them. It may also be their mic.

Why does Discord sound bad on Bluetooth headphones?

Using the headset's mic switches it to call mode. Pick another mic as Input Device and the sound returns to full quality.

Other fixes

Discord mic not workingDiscord's mic can pass its own test and still send nothing, because Push to Talk or input sensitivity decides when you're heard. Discord camera not workingDiscord needs the Mac's camera permission and the right camera picked. Zoom audio not workingIf the meeting is silent, Zoom either hasn't joined audio or is playing it somewhere you aren't listening, like a monitor or AirPods in another room. Teams audio not workingSilence in a Teams meeting usually means Teams is playing to a different speaker than the one you're listening on. Google Meet audio not workingIf Meet is quiet, the sound is usually going to a speaker you aren't using, or the browser tab is muted. FaceTime audio not workingFaceTime can play to its own output, separate from the rest of your Mac.

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