How to Fix Discord Push to Talk Not Working?

When Discord’s Push to Talk (PPT) feature remains inactive even after pressing the designated hotkey, Discord is not transmitting voice communications. There are several reasons behind this issue, such as a faulty keybind setup, setting problems within the Discord app, or problems within your computer’s operating system.

The most common causes are either that PPT isn’t enabled in Discord’s ‘Voice & Video’ settings or there are administrative permissions are getting in the way. For instance, if the game or application you’re using with Discord requires elevated access tiers, try running Discord as an administrator. This step often solves the problem, especially if another app with administrative permissions is already operational.

Moreover, your audio device settings might be wrong, or your audio drivers may be outdated. Ensure your drivers are up-to-date and that the correct microphone is selected in Discord’s ‘Voice & Video’ settings.

In this guide, we will examine various methods to fix this issue.

1. Run as Administrator

Insufficient permissions could result in a non-functional push-to-talk setting. Games run with administrative rights have more abilities than Discord. Granting Discord the same access as the game could resolve this problem.

1. Search for Discord in the Search bar and run it as Administrator.
   

2. Update Audio Drivers and Check Microphone Settings

Outdated audio drivers could cause the microphone to not function as intended. Updating them can often resolve this problem.

1. Click on the Search bar, type Device Manager, and open it.
   
2. Right-click on the microphone driver and choose Update Driver.
   

Don’t forget to select the microphone you’re currently using in Discord’s ‘Voice & Video‘ settings.

3. Rebind Push to Talk Key

Sometimes the keybind glitches and doesn’t work. Setting an alternative keybind for push to talk lets you use the backup key if the original becomes bugged.

1. Open Discord and go to User Settings.
   
2. Go to Keybinds and click on Add a Keybind.
   
3. In the Action field, select Push to Talk (Normal), and assign any key.
   

4. Third-party Programs

Third-party applications like certain mouse software may interfere with Discord’s push-to-talk, particularly if you’re using mouse buttons as a keybind. Shutting down this software can prevent conflicts and allow better communication between the buttons and Discord. Open Task Manager and close any third-party programs that are running.

5. Check Role Permissions (For Servers)

Misconfigured role settings can create this problem and prevent you from using your microphone in voice chat. You can verify whether the permissions setting is correct by going to server settings. 

1. Right-click on the server, proceed to Server Settings and then  Roles.
   
2. Click on the role, and make sure ‘Speak‘ is enabled.
   

6. Clean Install Discord

If none of the above solutions work, reinstalling Discord can help. Corrupted files can often cause issues, and reinstalling the program removes corrupted files and installs a fresh version, which hopefully resolves the problem.

1. Press Windows + R, type each of the following commands separately, and press Enter.

   %AppData%

   %LocalAppData%

   

2. Find the Discord folder, select it and press the Delete key.
   
3. Restart your computer.
4. Once it’s up and running again, download and install Discord from their official site.