Discord is a gamer’s best friend but when you’re on top of a mountain and you were shot because your teammate heard gibberish, instead of “Cover me!!1!”, then things can get pretty heated.
If your audio keeps cutting out during Discord calls and desperately looking for a quick solution then your search ends here.
In this article, we have covered all possible fixes to audio issues in Discord. The fixes included in our list are:
- Check your peripheral devices
- Restart your system
- Run Discord in the Administrative Mode
- Turn Down Voice Sensitivity in Discord
- Update and restart Discord
- Update Audio Drivers
- Check the status of the Discord Server
- Change Discord server region
- Check the Computer’s Audio Settings
- Re-install Discord
- Reset Discord audio settings
Table of Contents
Some Common Reasons for Discord Audio Issues
There are multiple reasons why one would face audio issues in Discord. Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons.
- Internet connection: if your internet speed is slow or too many devices are connected on the same network then issues with audio are common. The only solution is to connect to a network with high-speed internet or fewer users.
- Peripherals: if your peripherals (mic or headset) are broken or damaged then you will face disruptions with audio in Discord (and otherwise).
- Audio drivers: missing or outdated audio drivers can also result in issues with audio.
- Voice sensitivity: high or low voice sensitivity is also a common reason for voice issues in Discord. Adjust the voice sensitivity settings accordingly.
Fix 1: Switch off Echo Cancellation in Discord Settings
Use this if your mic is cutting out and your friends can’t hear you properly.
- To do this, find Echo Cancellation in your Discord Voice & Video settings. Just scroll down a bit and you should see it.
- If it’s turned on, then turn it off and talk with your friends and see if that works out. Keep in mind that it may not be enough to perform a mic test, you should actually test it while talking to someone.
Credit goes to this Reddit Comment
Fix 2: Turn Down Voice Sensitivity in Discord
A major reason for the voice cutting out in Discord happens because of the voice sensitivity settings. If voice sensitivity is the problem, then adjusting that will probably solve your issue.
To adjust voice sensitivity in Discord:
- Locate the settings icon at the bottom left corner in your Discord account
- On the settings page, navigate the voice and video settings and select to open them
- In the voice and video tab, unselect the Automatically determine input sensitivity.
- You will see a slider with orange and green partitions. Speak into your mic, if your voice is orange then it is not being sent through Discord. If it is green, then your voice is going through just fine.
- In the case of orange, move the slider towards the left and try again.
Now, Discord will probably pick up your voice.
On the other hand, if your voice sensitivity is set too high then it can also become a problem. Discord doesn’t pick your voice when you’re talking and the other person ends up not hearing anything. Turn down the voice sensitivity (as described above) and try again.
Fix 3: Update and Restart Discord
If your voice started cutting out in the middle of a call then it might be due to a new update in Discord. In which case, close the Discord application and relaunch it.
To close all running Discord processes completely and restart:
- Close your Discord application window
- Press CTRL + Shift + Esc keys (together) to launch the Task Manager
- In the task manager window, locate and right-click on Discord under Apps and select End task in the dropdown
- Now relaunch the Discord application
- Discord automatically checks for updates each time it is relaunched.
Once any new updates have been installed and Discord is running, check if the audio is still cutting out. If your problem remains then move on to the next solution.
Fix 4: Update Audio Drivers
Audio drivers are software that connects your computer hardware with the operating system. It’s one of the most important parts of your computer system.
Outdated or missing audio drivers will result in several issues with the computer’s audio. Updating the audio drivers will probably fix the audio issue.
To update audio drivers in Windows 10:
- Press Windows key + R, type “devmgt.msc” in the dialog box, and hit enter.
- This will open the Device Manager window, click on the Audio input and outputs toggle.
- Find and right-click on your specific audio device (in my case speakers) in the drop-down and select update driver.
Important: start with checking the audio inputs and outputs for any exclamation marks. If you can’t find any, then update all drivers under the option. - Click on Search automatically for updated audio driver software. It will automatically start looking for the driver updates. Wait for the process to complete and see if your problem is resolved.
If driver updates are not available then move on to the next fixes in the list.
Fix 5: Check the Status of Discord Servers
Issues with Discord servers can result in several issues (with audio and otherwise). Check the Discord status to see if all systems are operational.
If everything is working perfectly then you’ll see a green All Systems Operational status. In which case, try changing the origin of your Discord servers.
Fix 6: Change Discord Server Region
A (not so common) reason for audio issues can be caused due to your server region. If the server you’re using is overwhelmed then switching to another server will probably solve your issue.
To change your Discord server region:
- Run the Discord application as Administrator
- Click on the down arrow next to the server name and select server settings in the dropdown
- In the server settings, locate the Server Region and click on change
- Try different options and stick with the one that works best in your specific region
Important: if your team is facing the voice (or other) issue collectively, then try switching to the same servers for optimal result
Fix 7: Check the Computer’s Audio Settings
If none of the solutions so far have worked for you then check if the problem is specific to Discord. If you’re also facing this issue with other applications then the voice settings on your computer might not be properly configured.
If you sense an issue with the computer’s voice configurations then there are two things we need to check here:
- Which recording input device is selected
- Is Discord allowed proper access in the microphone settings
To configure your microphone settings:
- Press the Windows key and enter Microphone privacy settings in the search box.
- In the microphone settings, scroll down and toggle On apps to access your microphone settings and Allow desktop apps to access your microphone settings.
- Save and exit the settings.
Relaunch the Discord application to see if the problem has been resolved.
If your voice is still cutting out, then follow the instructions below to enable the right recording device.
- Press the Windows key and type change sound settings in the search bar and select it.
- In the Sound window, navigate to the recording tab and select your specific recording device.
- Save changes and exit.
Start another call to check if you’re still facing issues with voice.
Fix 8: Re-install Discord
If you’ve tried all solutions in the list and nothing worked then the problem might be that your Discord files are damaged or corrupt.
Re-installing Discord will probably resolve the issue. To do that, you must uninstall Discord first.
To uninstall Discord:
- Press Windows key + R, and type “appwiz.cpl” in the dialogue box and hit enter to open the control panel.
- In the control panel, press D to navigate to the Discord entry, right-click on it and select uninstall.
- Now, restart your computer.
- Go to Discord’s official website and click on download for Windows.
- Install the application and relaunch Discord.
Fix 9: Reset Discord Voice Settings
Making changes in the Discord audio settings can also result in disruptions during calls. If you’ve made any recent changes in the voice settings then that might be why your voice is cutting out.
To solve that, re-set the voice settings to default and try again.
To reset the default Discord voice settings:
- Launch the Discord application and click on the settings icon on the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Go to voice and video settings scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Reset voice settings.
- Click okay in the pop-up windows.
Check if resetting the voice settings to default solved the voice disruptions. If the problem remains, then move on to the next fix.
Fix 10: Check your Peripherals
Always check your peripherals if your voice keeps cutting out during a Discord call. The best courses to start with checking your hardware following the software.
If you haven’t already, then switch to a speaker or another pair of headphones/earphones and try again. Also, switch your microphone to check if it’s creating the issue.
Fix 11: Restart Your System
The good old fashioned restart is the holy grail of the computer world. When you’re running multiple applications on your system then one of them might be conflicting with the Discord app. Running multiple heavy programs can also result in different issues.
Restarting the computer will clear the current state of your computer and remove all data in the RAM and cache. Once you’ve restarted the computer, relaunch the Discord app and see if the problem has been resolved. If the problem remains, then move on to the next fix in the list.
Fix 12: Run Discord in the Administrative Mode
Another major reason for the voice cutting out during a Discord call might be due to certain access restrictions. Another application might be interfering during the Discord call. If that’s the case, then running Discord in the administrative mode might solve the issue.
To run Discord in the administrative mode:
- Press Windows + R and type “shell: AppsFolder” in the dialog box and hit enter.
- This will open a new window with all applications in your system
- Locate and right-click on the Discord application and select Run as administrator
- This will relaunch the Discord application in the administrator mode.
Start the call again, and check if your issue has been resolved. Try out the next method in the list if the issue remains.
One of the solutions must’ve fixed your issue. Let us know which one of the solutions worked for you.
Also, if you’re still facing the issue with voice cutting out then the problem might be with the hardware of your system. Make a call on another application like Skype to check if that’s the case.
Thanks for reading.
