Fix · Zoom

Zoom audio not working: they cannot hear you, or you cannot hear them

In Zoom, silence is usually a mute somewhere — yours, the host’s or a button on the headset — a microphone Zoom was never given permission to use, or the wrong device picked in the audio menu.

What you are seeing

You are in a Zoom meeting and people keep saying they cannot hear you, or everyone else has gone quiet for you, even though the meeting is clearly going on.

The likely causes, most common first

Work down the list; most people find theirs in the first two.

1. The host muted you

  1. Many hosts mute everybody as they join. If clicking the microphone does nothing, the host is holding the mute — send them a chat message asking to be unmuted.

Zoom: “If you are still muted, the host may have muted you upon entering the meeting.” — support.zoom.com/hc/en/article

2. A button on the headset is muting you

  1. Look at the headset cable and earcups for a mute switch, and push any flip-up microphone arm down. Zoom cannot unmute hardware.

Zoom: “Some microphones or headphones have a physical mute button” — support.zoom.com/hc/en/article

3. Zoom is not allowed to use the microphone

  1. If your microphone is missing from Zoom’s list, the computer is blocking it. On a Mac: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone, then switch zoom.us on. On Windows: Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone, and allow desktop apps.
  2. Quit Zoom fully and reopen it after changing the setting.

Zoom: “If your audio device does not appear within Zoom, it’s possible that Zoom has not been given permissions to access it.” — support.zoom.com/hc/en/article

4. Zoom picked a different microphone or speaker

  1. Click the small arrow next to the microphone icon in the meeting and choose the microphone and the speaker you are actually using — not the monitor, the dock or the webcam.

Zoom: “Select the microphone you want to use in the drop-down menu.” — support.zoom.com/hc/en/article

5. The computer’s own volume is down

  1. Zoom can be at full volume while the laptop itself is muted. Turn the volume up with the keys or the menu bar.

Zoom: “Even if the speaker is turned on in Zoom, your device's volume might be set to mute or vibrate only.” — support.zoom.com/hc/en/article

6. The Bluetooth headset is off or connected elsewhere

  1. Earbuds that are flat, or still connected to your phone, will not carry the call. Charge them, disconnect them from the other device, and reconnect.

Zoom: “If it’s a bluetooth device, ensure that it is turned on and connected properly.” — support.zoom.com/hc/en/article

7. Zoom lost track of a plugged-in microphone

  1. Pull out the USB or audio cable and plug it back in firmly, then pick it again in Zoom’s audio menu.

Zoom: “If Zoom fails to detect your microphone, unplug the device and plug it back in.” — support.zoom.com/hc/en/article

Every quote above is from Zoom’s own help pages, read on 10 November 2026. Something changed? Tell us.

The longer guide, with more detail →

Other Zoom problems

Transcript missingZoom only writes an audio transcript for a meeting recorded to the cloud, on a paid account with the transcript setting on — and it arrives a while after the recording, in the host’s web portal.Recording missingA Zoom cloud recording belongs to the host and needs a paid licence; a computer recording only exists once it has converted on the computer that made it.Meeting ended after 40 minutesZoom ends meetings hosted on a free (Basic) licence at 40 minutes. When a paid account still cuts off at 40, the licence usually is not reaching the person hosting.Breakout rooms missingZoom breakout rooms have to be switched on for the account, can only be run by the host or a co-host from the desktop app, and are never caught by a cloud recording.Camera not workingWhen Zoom shows no video, it has usually picked the wrong camera, been blocked by the computer or by security software, or needs a clean reinstall.Cannot join the meetingMost people who cannot get into a Zoom meeting have a link that will not open, a missing passcode, an out-of-date meeting ID, or a browser or app that needs replacing.

Every fix →

Try Meetful

Meetings that take their own notes

Free video meetings in the browser: every line of the transcript under the name of who said it, and the summary and action items when you hang up. Nothing to install — guests just open the link.

Try Meetful freeSee what it does