Step 1: Check if You're Muted
Sounds obvious, but this is the #1 reason:
- Look at the bottom-left of the Zoom window for the microphone icon
- If there's a red line through it, you're muted — click it to unmute
- The host may have muted you — click "Unmute" or ask the host
- Keyboard shortcut: Alt + A (Windows) or ⌘ + Shift + A (Mac) to toggle mute
Step 2: Select the Right Microphone in Zoom
- In a Zoom meeting, click the ^ arrow next to the Mute button
- Under "Select a Microphone", choose your correct mic
- If you see multiple options, try each one
- Or go to Settings → Audio before a meeting to test
Step 3: Test Audio in Zoom Settings
- Open Zoom → click your profile picture → Settings
- Go to Audio
- Click "Test Mic" — speak and check if the input level bar moves
- If it doesn't move, select a different mic from the dropdown
- Uncheck "Automatically adjust microphone volume" if your volume keeps dropping
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Step 4: Join with Computer Audio
A common issue: you joined the meeting but didn't select an audio source.
- When joining a meeting, always click "Join with Computer Audio"
- If you missed it, click "Join Audio" at the bottom-left of the meeting window
- Make sure you're not accidentally joined via "Phone Call" audio
Step 5: Check OS Permissions
- Windows: Settings → Privacy → Microphone → Make sure Zoom has access. Full Windows guide
- Mac: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone → Enable Zoom. Full Mac guide
Step 6: Update Zoom
- Open Zoom → click your profile picture → "Check for Updates"
- Install any available updates
- Audio bugs are frequently fixed in updates
Step 7: Reinstall Zoom
If nothing else works:
- Uninstall Zoom completely
- Download the latest version from zoom.us/download
- Install and sign in again
- This resets all audio settings to defaults