If you cannot hear anyone on Discord, the problem is usually caused by an incorrect audio output device, muted settings, corrupted voice configuration, missing permissions, or a conflict with your operating system’s sound settings. The good news is that most Discord audio issues can be fixed without reinstalling everything or changing your hardware. This guide walks through the most reliable fixes in a careful order, starting with the simplest checks and moving toward more advanced troubleshooting.
TLDR: First, make sure Discord is not muted and that the correct output device is selected in both Discord and your system sound settings. Then reset Discord’s voice settings, check your server and user volume controls, and restart the app. If the issue continues, update your audio drivers, disable conflicting audio enhancements, and test Discord in a browser or on another device to narrow down the cause.
1. Confirm That the Problem Is Really Discord
Before changing settings, determine whether the issue happens only in Discord or across your entire computer or phone. Try playing audio from another app, such as YouTube, Spotify, or a local video file. If you cannot hear sound anywhere, the issue is probably with your device, headset, speakers, or operating system rather than Discord itself.
If audio works everywhere except Discord, focus on Discord’s audio settings, voice channel settings, and app permissions. This distinction can save a lot of time because it prevents you from changing unrelated system settings unnecessarily.
- If no apps have sound: check your speaker connection, headset cable, Bluetooth pairing, and system volume.
- If only Discord has no sound: check Discord’s output device, user volume, and voice settings.
- If only one person is silent: you may have muted them, lowered their volume, or they may have microphone problems.
2. Check Discord’s Output Device
One of the most common reasons you cannot hear anyone on Discord is that the app is sending audio to the wrong device. For example, Discord may be using a monitor speaker, a disconnected headset, a virtual audio cable, or a Bluetooth device that is no longer active.
To check this on desktop:
- Open Discord.
- Click the User Settings gear icon near your username.
- Go to Voice & Video.
- Find Output Device.
- Select the headset or speakers you actually want to use.
- Adjust the Output Volume slider to a reasonable level.
Avoid leaving the output device on Default if your computer frequently switches between speakers, headphones, docks, and Bluetooth devices. Selecting the exact device is often more reliable.
3. Check Your System Sound Output
Discord’s settings are only one part of the audio path. Your operating system also has its own sound output settings. If Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS is routing audio to the wrong place, Discord may appear broken even though the app is working normally.
On Windows, right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and open Sound settings. Confirm that the correct output device is selected. Then open the volume mixer and make sure Discord is not muted or set very low.
On macOS, open System Settings, go to Sound, and check the Output tab. Select the device you want to use and verify that the output volume is not muted.
On mobile devices, check the physical volume buttons, Bluetooth connection status, silent mode settings, and whether audio is being routed to earbuds, car audio, or another paired device.
4. Make Sure You Are Not Deafened or Muted
Discord has several audio controls that can prevent you from hearing people. The most obvious is Deafen, which disables incoming voice audio. If you are deafened, you will not hear anyone in the voice channel.
Look near the bottom-left corner of the Discord window, close to your username. If the headphones icon indicates you are deafened, click it to undeafen. Also check whether you muted Discord in your system volume mixer or lowered the app’s volume through a headset control wheel or keyboard shortcut.
It is also possible to mute or lower the volume of individual users. Right-click a person in the voice channel and check their User Volume. If it is set to zero, increase it. If they are muted on your end, unmute them.
5. Leave and Rejoin the Voice Channel
Sometimes the issue is a temporary voice connection problem. Discord voice sessions rely on servers, network routing, and local audio initialization. A small glitch can cause you to stop hearing people, even though you still appear connected.
Try these quick actions:
- Leave the voice channel and join again.
- Switch to another voice channel, then return.
- Restart Discord completely.
- Restart your computer or phone if the problem persists.
On desktop, make sure Discord is fully closed, not just minimized to the system tray. In Windows, you may need to right-click the Discord icon in the system tray and choose Quit Discord.
6. Reset Discord Voice Settings
If you have changed several audio settings over time, one of them may now be causing the issue. Discord includes a reset option that restores voice settings to their defaults. This is a safe and often effective fix.
To reset voice settings:
- Open User Settings.
- Go to Voice & Video.
- Scroll to the bottom.
- Click Reset Voice Settings.
- Confirm the reset.
After resetting, reselect your preferred input and output devices. Then join a voice channel and test again. This step can fix problems caused by noise suppression, audio subsystem changes, sensitivity settings, or incorrect device selection.
7. Change the Audio Subsystem
Discord offers different audio subsystem options, and one may work better with your hardware than another. This is especially relevant if you use older headsets, external USB sound cards, audio interfaces, or specialized gaming audio software.
Go to User Settings, then Voice & Video, and look for Audio Subsystem. Try switching between available options such as Standard and Legacy, then restart Discord and test voice chat again.
If you recently updated Discord, Windows, macOS, or your audio drivers, a subsystem change can sometimes restore compatibility. Use this as a practical troubleshooting step rather than a permanent assumption that one mode is always best.
8. Check Server Region and Voice Connection Quality
If you can hear people sometimes but audio cuts out, robotizes, or disappears, the problem may be voice connection quality rather than volume. Discord usually manages voice regions automatically, but server settings and network conditions can still affect performance.
If you have permission, try changing the voice channel’s region override or ask a server administrator to test another region. You can also check whether other users in the same channel are experiencing similar problems. If everyone is affected, the issue is more likely related to the server, region, or Discord’s service status.
You should also test your own internet connection. Voice chat can suffer if you are on unstable Wi-Fi, using a congested network, or running downloads in the background. Switch to a wired connection if possible, move closer to your router, or pause bandwidth-heavy activity while testing.
9. Disable Conflicting Audio Enhancements
Audio enhancement features can improve sound in some situations, but they can also interfere with Discord. Spatial sound, surround virtualization, exclusive mode, headset software, and equalizer tools may alter or block Discord’s voice output.
On Windows, open Sound settings, select your output device, and check its properties. Disable enhancements, spatial audio, or exclusive mode temporarily. Then restart Discord and test again.
Common software that may affect Discord audio includes:
- Gaming headset control panels
- Virtual surround sound applications
- Voice changers and virtual audio cable tools
- Streaming or recording software
- Audio interface management software
You do not necessarily need to uninstall these tools. Start by disabling them temporarily so you can identify whether one is causing the conflict.
10. Update or Reinstall Audio Drivers
Outdated or corrupted audio drivers can prevent Discord from using your headset or speakers correctly. This is more common after major operating system updates, hardware changes, or driver crashes.
On Windows, open Device Manager, expand Sound, video and game controllers, right-click your audio device, and choose Update driver. You can also visit the manufacturer’s website for your motherboard, laptop, headset, or audio interface and download the latest official driver.
If updating does not help, uninstall the device from Device Manager and restart the computer. Windows will usually reinstall a basic working driver. For specialized devices, reinstall the manufacturer’s driver afterward.
For macOS, audio drivers are typically handled through system updates, but external audio interfaces may still require manufacturer software. Check for updates from the device maker if you use professional or USB audio equipment.
11. Test Discord in a Browser or Another Device
A useful way to isolate the issue is to test Discord in a different environment. If the desktop app has no audio, open Discord in a web browser and join the same voice channel. If browser audio works, the desktop app’s settings, cache, or installation may be the issue.
You can also test from your phone or another computer. If you can hear people on another device, your account and the server are probably fine. The issue is likely local to the original device.
If Discord fails everywhere, check whether you are joining the correct voice channel, whether you have permission to hear audio, and whether the other participants are actually speaking with working microphones.
12. Clear Discord Cache or Reinstall the App
If none of the earlier fixes work, Discord’s local files may be damaged. Clearing the cache or reinstalling the app can resolve persistent problems caused by corrupted data.
Before reinstalling, fully quit Discord. On Windows, you can uninstall it from Apps & Features, then download the latest version from Discord’s official website. After reinstalling, sign in, select the correct audio devices, and test voice chat before changing advanced settings.
On mobile, update Discord through the App Store or Google Play. If necessary, uninstall and reinstall the app. Make sure the app has the required permissions and that your phone is not routing audio to a Bluetooth device you are not using.
13. Check Permissions and Roles
In some servers, roles and channel permissions can affect how users interact in voice channels. While permission problems more commonly prevent speaking or joining, it is still worth checking if the issue happens only in one server.
Ask a moderator or administrator whether your role has normal access to the voice channel. Also check whether you are in a stage channel, audience mode, or a restricted channel setup. If the problem does not happen in other servers or private calls, the server configuration may be involved.
14. When to Suspect Hardware Failure
If you have tried Discord settings, system audio settings, driver updates, and multiple apps, the remaining possibility is hardware. Headsets, USB ports, audio jacks, Bluetooth adapters, and external sound cards can fail or behave inconsistently.
Test your headset on another device. Try another headset on the original device. If one headset fails everywhere, it is likely defective. If every headset fails only on one computer, focus on that computer’s port, drivers, or sound hardware.
Final Checklist
If you still cannot hear anyone on Discord, work through this final checklist carefully:
- Discord output device: set to the correct headset or speakers.
- System output device: matches the device you want to use.
- Discord volume: not muted or set too low.
- User volume: individual speakers are not muted or lowered.
- Deafen: turned off.
- Voice settings: reset and retested.
- Audio subsystem: changed and tested.
- Drivers: updated or reinstalled.
- Other apps: checked for audio conflicts.
- Browser or second device: tested to isolate the problem.
Most Discord hearing problems are caused by routing or configuration issues rather than serious failures. Start with the output device, volume controls, and deafen status, then move to resets, drivers, and reinstalling only if necessary. A methodical approach will usually reveal whether the cause is Discord, the operating system, the network, or the audio hardware itself.