Fix: Can’t Hear Anyone on Discord

If you cannot hear the sound of your friends in Discord, you are not alone, as the issue commonly arises due to Discord’s internal audio settings. It may also stem from Windows sound settings. If you can see a green outline on the user icon, that indicates that audio is being transmitted, but you cannot hear it for some reason.

When discussing the causes, there are several reasons that may contribute to this issue. Below, we have outlined some of the main ones:

• Discord Turned Off From Volume Mixer – Sometimes, the application is muted in the volume mixer. Therefore, check the volume mixer to ensure it is not turned off.
• Incompatible Sound Driver – If you recently installed the Discord application and are experiencing issues, the first thing you should check is the audio driver, as it may be outdated and incompatible with the latest Discord application.
• Incorrect Output Device Selected – Another cause that can trigger this issue is the wrong output device being selected. Occasionally this can happen, so make sure to check the voice and video settings.
• Improper Discord Voice Settings – If you have enabled some features that may cause audio to be lost while communicating with your friends on Discord, then you need to reset the settings to their default configuration.

1. Check Volume Mixer

The volume mixer is a feature that allows users to control the audio of specific applications. At times, an application’s audio gets disabled in the volume mixer. The first step we recommend is to check the volume mixer, as the Discord volume may be turned off.

1. To check the volume, right-click the speaker icon and select Open Volume Mixer.

   

2. If the volume is disabled, a red circle icon on the speaker will show. Click on it to enable the volume.

   

2. Use the Legacy Audio Subsystem

If you have an outdated driver or hardware that is old or unsupported, then use the legacy audio subsystem that Discord provides for old hardware. The legacy audio subsystem is not selected by default; you must manually select this option from the settings. Follow the instructions below:

1. Launch Discord and go to Settings.
2. Click Voice & Video from the left pane.
3. Scroll down to Audio Subsystem and change it to Legacy.

   

4. Once done, check for the issue.

3. Reset Voice Settings

Another solution for fixing the no-sound issue is to reset the voice settings, as they may cause problems with the sound configuration. Try the following steps:

1. Open Discord and navigate to Settings.
2. Click Voice and Video on the left.
3. Scroll down to the bottom and click Reset Voice Settings.

   

4. Once done, check if the issue is resolved.

4. Use the Web Version Instead of the Application

If the issue persists, try using the web version rather than the Discord application. If the problem does not occur in the browser version, it is likely due to a custom sound setting or an outdated and damaged driver.

5. Set the Speaker as the Default Communication Device

Setting the speaker as the default communication device means that the selected device will primarily be used for calls on the computer. If you have a single microphone and speaker, the computer will use these devices by default. However, if you have a laptop or another device with its own speaker apart from external headphones, you’ll need to select your speaker and mic as the default communication devices so that the application will utilize them for receiving calls. Below are the steps:

1. Right-click the speaker icon and select Sounds.

   

2. Click Playback at the top.
3. Right-click the speaker you are using and select Set As Default Communication Device.

   

4. Click Apply, then OK.

6. Update Audio Driver

Discord and other communication applications do not support very old drivers. Therefore, if you have not updated your audio drivers, we recommend attempting to update the audio driver as outdated drivers can prevent audio from functioning properly.

7. Use the Correct Output Device

Another reason for this issue is that the incorrect device is selected as the output. In some cases, the wrong device is selected, and you will have to manually re-select the actual device to resolve the problem.

1. To use the correct output device, go to Discord settings.
2. Navigate to Voice and Video.
3. Click the dropdown for the output device.
4. Select your Speaker Device and check if the issue is resolved.

   

8. Change Server Region

The no-sound issue can also be caused by the server region. Many users have resolved the issue by changing the region. It is unclear how this can cause a no-audio issue, but a ping or server lag may prevent you from hearing other users.

1. To change the region for the entire server, go to the server settings and select a different region.
2. If you want to change the region for a group call, click on the region dropdown and select a different region.

   

3. Once done, check if the issue is fixed.

9. Re-install Discord

If nothing else works, the issue is most likely caused by corrupted application data, which you can fix by reinstalling Discord cleanly. For this, you will need to delete the Discord folder from the AppData directory and then reinstall the Discord application from the official website.

Follow these steps:

1. Press Win + R to launch the Run Program.
2. Type appwiz.cpl and click OK.

   

3. Right-click Discord and select Uninstall.

   

4. Now, go to the following link and download and install Discord from the official website.