Green Room

Fix · Discord on a Mac

Discord mic not working? Fix it on your Mac.

Discord's mic can pass its own test and still send nothing, because Push to Talk or input sensitivity decides when you're heard.

Quick check first: Try the free mic test. If the meter moves, your mic works and the fix is in Discord (steps 1 to 4). If not, start with the Mac checks.

Fix it in Discord

  1. Pick your mic, not Default.Click the gear next to your name at the bottom left to open User Settings, then Voice & Video. Set Input Device to your mic by name and run the Mic Test.
  2. Check Input Mode.Push to Talk only sends your voice while you hold the key. For calls, choose Voice Activity.
  3. Set input sensitivity.Discord says automatic sensitivity can clip the ends of sentences or miss you with background noise. Turn off Automatically determine input sensitivity and drag the marker so it lights up when you talk, not when you're quiet.
  4. Toggle the voice processing.Discord's troubleshooting guide says to try Noise Suppression, Echo Cancellation, and Automatic Gain Control off and on. Its Krisp FAQ warns that in a quiet room with a good mic, noise suppression can make you sound worse.

Server muted

If a red mic icon shows next to your name in a server and you didn't mute yourself, a moderator muted you in that server. Your settings can't override it.

Start over

If nothing helps, Discord suggests Reset Voice and Video Settings, found on the Debugging tab of Voice & Video.

Then check your Mac

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

  1. Allow Discord on your Mac.Choose Apple menu › System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, and turn on Discord. If it's already on, turn it off and on again. Quit and reopen Discord after.
  2. Check your Mac's input.Open System Settings › Sound and click Input. Select your mic, make sure the Input volume slider isn't at zero, and watch the level move when you talk.
  3. Check the mic itself.Look for a mute button, a mute light, or a gain knob turned all the way down. Unplug a USB mic and plug it back in, try another port, and skip the hub if you can.
  4. Watch for Bluetooth call mode.When Discord turns on the mic in AirPods or another Bluetooth headset, the headset switches to call mode and your voice drops to phone quality. If you sound muffled, use your Mac's mic or a USB mic, and keep the headset for listening.

Test it outside Discord

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

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

On a Mac? See which mic Discord is really using.

Discord keeps its own mic choice, so your Mac can look right while the call uses the wrong one. Green Room shows which app has each mic open, and warns you when Discord isn't using your setup. One click switches your Mac back, and it flags a mic that's muted, at zero, or silent. Free, with no account.

Download free See how it works

Questions

Why does the Discord mic test work but no one hears me?

Check Input Mode. On Push to Talk you're only heard while holding the key. On Voice Activity, lower the sensitivity marker so your normal voice crosses it.

Does Discord need mic permission on a Mac?

Yes. Open System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone and turn on Discord, then quit and reopen it.

Should I turn off Krisp noise suppression?

Try it. Discord's own FAQ says that in a quiet room with a high quality mic, noise suppression can lower your voice quality.

Why does my voice cut out on Discord?

Usually the input sensitivity is set too high. Turn off automatic sensitivity and set the marker by hand.

Other fixes

Discord camera not workingDiscord needs the Mac's camera permission and the right camera picked. Discord audio not workingWhen Discord goes quiet, check whether you're deafened, which Output Device it's using, and whether one person is turned down. Zoom microphone not workingWhen nobody can hear you, it's usually one of four things: Zoom never joined audio, it's using the wrong mic, you're muted, or macOS is blocking zoom.us. Teams microphone not workingTeams can be muted in three places at once: the meeting, your headset, and macOS. Google Meet mic not workingMeet hears your mic only if the site, the browser, and your Mac all allow it. FaceTime microphone not workingFaceTime has its own mic choice and its own Mic Mode.

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