He also wrote the USA's most-saved article of 2021, according to Pocket.Ĭhris was a PCWorld columnist for two years. Beyond the web, his work has appeared in the print edition of The New York Times (September 9, 2019) and in PCWorld's print magazines, specifically in the August 2013 and July 2013 editions, where his story was on the cover. With over a decade of writing experience in the field of technology, Chris has written for a variety of publications including The New York Times, Reader's Digest, IDG's PCWorld, Digital Trends, and MakeUseOf. Chris has personally written over 2,000 articles that have been read more than one billion times-and that's just here at How-To Geek. If your microphone isn't working, head to Settings > Privacy > Microphone.Ĭhris Hoffman is the former Editor-in-Chief of How-To Geek. But the microphone and webcam options also affect desktop applications.
In general, the app permissions under Settings > Privacy only affect new applications from the Store, also known as Universal Windows Platform, or UWP, applications. If your webcam is disabled in Settings, even desktop applications can't receive microphone input.
Windows 10's Settings app has a few options that disable your microphone system-wide, in all applications. All the usual PC microphone troubleshooting steps are still important, but Windows 10 contains a system-wide option that completely disables microphone input in all applications. Windows 10 may not hear your microphone's audio for several reasons.
If that isn't the problem, confirm that your device is plugged in and not muted. If your microphone doesn't work on Windows 10, confirm that apps have access to your microphone in Settings > Privacy > Microphone.