How to change microphone volume on Windows 10
The volume keys on your keyboard are for the speakers on your PC. In fact, all the volume controls that are easy to access on your system are for your speakers. The same goes for the mute button. A PC doesn’t just have an audio output device i.e., speakers, it also has an input device i.e., a mic, and there are no simple, direct ways to control it. If you find you’ve been video chatting a lot lately, or you have to join audio calls a lot, you may be looking for a way to mute the mic or change its volume.
Change microphone volume
There are several ways to change the microphone volume, some are convenient to use, others aren’t.
Settings App – Sound
You can set the microphone volume from the Settings app.
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to System>Sound.
- Scroll down to Input and click Device Properties.
- On the Device Properties screen, you will see a volume slider. Use it to set the volume.
Control Panel – Sound settings
The Control Panel also lets you change the volume of your microphone.
- Open Control Panel.
- Go to Hardware and Sound and select Sound.
- Go to the Recording tab, and double-click your microphone.
- In the window that opens, go to the Levels tab.
- Use the Microphone slider to set the volume.
Sound management app
Some laptops/PCs come with apps installed by the manufacturer for controlling the volume. Dell and HP both have apps like that on their laptops.
- Open the volume app by searching for it in Windows Search or check under Hardware and Sound in Control Panel.
- Go to the Microphone settings, and there should be a volume control there. Use it to change the volume for the connected device.
App volume
Apps that work with the mic, e.g., Skype or Audacity, have their own settings for both audio input and output devices. If you want to control the volume for the mic in an app, access its settings. Look for audio settings where you can select the input device, and there should be a volume control slider there.
Mute mic
All the above options allow you to change the volume of the microphone but, if you want a quick way to mute/unmute it, use MicMute. It’s a free app that you can set up to use with a keyboard shortcut to quickly mute and unmute the mic. You can read about how the app works and how to set it up here.
