Imagine this: you got a new pair of headphones with a built-in microphone. So, you excitedly plug them into your PC to start your day full of online classes, calls, or game chat. But no matter what you do, no one can hear you! No one likes having their communications interrupted, especially when you really need to be heard. There’s no denying how frustrating it is when instructions aren’t getting through to the other side. This is especially agonizing when the issue only happens when you use your headphones with your PC. Don’t worry! Even with the best headphones, you won’t get the best mic input experience till you’ve set it up properly. So, before you make any hasty decisions, here’s a guide for a few quick solutions you can do to use headphones with a built-in mic on your Windows 10 PC.
How to Use Headphones With Built-in Mic on Windows 10 PC
With working-from-home becoming the default practice, headsets with built-in mics have become a necessity. But not all headsets are plug-and-play; sometimes, you may need to do some settings tweaks to make them work properly. This is especially so for Windows 10 PCs. With Windows 10, you can configure multiple devices simultaneously and customize your sound settings for different events. However, this sometimes causes your PC to be confused with which device to use for certain settings: like the mic input. That’s why, if your headphones’ microphone isn’t working, it’s most probably because your Windows PC doesn’t recognize it as the default input device. Here’s how you can set your headset as the default device:
How to Enable/Disable Your Headset Mic in Windows 10
If your headphones are already set as your default input device but it still doesn’t work, it may be because it’s disabled in your sound settings. You can do this in two ways:
Using the Device properties – For enabling and disabling your headphone mic if it’s currently set as your default input device. Using the ‘Manage sound devices’ option – For when you want to enable/disable one or more mics.
Using the Device properties
Using the ‘Manage sound devices’ option
If you want to enable or disable one or more mics, you can use these steps:
How to Adjust the Headset Microphone Volume on Windows 10 PC
Of course, the default mic settings on your Windows PC may not be enough to please everyone. That’s why Windows allows users to finetune the mic volume manually. This is great for when the headphones are working, but your teammates still can’t hear you properly. If you wish to tweak the current microphone input volume, follow these steps:
How to Test Your Headset Microphone on Windows PC
Don’t be too quick to pass judgment on your headset just because the mic doesn’t seem to work properly on your Windows PC. There are other factors to consider (e.g., headphones compatibility, hardware issues, connectivity, etc.). You wouldn’t want to throw them away prematurely. That’s where testing your headphones’ microphone plays a key role. There are three main methods you use to test your headphone microphone on Windows 10 PC:
Windows mic test Sound recording test Mic monitoring
Windows mic test
The Windows mic test is the most straightforward solution to testing your microphone issue. This can help you check if the headphone mic set up is configured correctly. It’s exceptionally useful when multiple devices are connected to the Windows PC. You can isolate your input device and test them out.
Sound recording test
Sound recordings are a good indicator for measuring the clarity and amplitude of the sound recorded from the microphone. Based on the quality of the recording, you can make the adjustments to your PC settings accordingly.
Mic monitoring
Mic Monitoring is one of the oldest features around for Windows that allows you to hear yourself accurately. Most gamers and gaming brands use this to develop their devices. However, most people are unaware of this feature. Here’s how to enable Mic Monitoring on PC for headphones with in-built mics:
Troubleshooting Headphones Mic Issues on Windows PC
Now, if you find that your headset mic is unsatisfactory after the mentioned tests, you can take more advanced routes to troubleshoot your headset mic on Windows 10.
Allow apps to access your microphone Update sound driver Use the Windows Troubleshooter Try a different headset
Allow apps to access your microphone
Your default privacy settings can prevent your apps from automatically accessing the built-in mic. Hence, some settings modifications are required to grant microphone access to your system and apps:
Update sound driver
Most drivers for Windows 10 are automatically downloaded and updated through the periodic Windows Updates. However, you can still manually update your sound driver to be sure:
Use the Windows troubleshooter
The Windows Troubleshooter is your trusted aide whenever you encounter issues with Windows 10 PCs – especially for sound/mic-related problems.
Try a different headset
If you’ve exhausted all our abovementioned suggestions, it could be a hardware issue. However, before jumping to the conclusion that you have a faulty headset, make sure you test them first (to be safe). To do this, you can connect other sets of headphones to your computer to confirm that it’s a headphone issue. Or, try the same pair of headphones on a different device.
Conclusion
Being able to use your headphones with built-in mic on your Windows 10 PC can have a great impact on the quality of your online meetings or even gaming. With your headset mic properly working, you can now go through your daily online tasks with ease. Which of these suggestions solved your headset mic issue? Are there any other solutions you can think of? Tell us more via the comments section below.
