Microphone not working on Counter Strike: Global? Try these fixes

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is one of those games where communication with other players is key. The inability to speak with others is deemed as game-breaking for many, so when some users in recent days and weeks began to complain about their microphone failing to work accordingly, then you know things are not well. Our investigation shows that there are times when out of nowhere the microphone becomes unresponsive in CS:GO. This is a huge problem, of course, but nothing that cannot be fixed.

How to fix microphone problems in CS:GO

To fix the microphone problems plaguing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, make use of the following solutions:

Set mic as Default Device
Change the settings in CS:GO
Update the audio driver
Check to see if CS:GO has access to your mic
Disable Xbox Game Bar along with the Capture option
Verify the integrity of CS:GO file via Steam

1] Set mic as Default Device

In some cases, the input device setting is linked to the wrong source, and as such, the system will fail to hear anything from the connected microphone. With that in mind, then, we need to check the input settings and make changes where necessary.

Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog box.
From within that box, type Control Panel, then hit Enter.
Switch the view of the Control Panel to Large icons.
From there, select the Sound option.
Next, you must click on the Recording tab.
Find the input device you want to use, then right-click on it.
After that, please choose Set as Default Device via the context menu.
Finally, click on Apply > OK.

Check now to see if you’re still having mic problems where CS:GO is concerned.

2] Change the settings in CS:GO

Maybe the mic feature is not enabled in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. If that is the case, then we need to fix that right now.

Launch CS:GO promptly.
From there, you must click on the Gear icon located on the left panel.
Once that is done, please select the Audio tab.
Look for Enable Voice, then select from the dropdown menu how you want it to work.
Go to the Keyboard / Mouse tab, then look out for the option that reads, Use Mic.
Ensure the Use Mic feature is enabled correctly since there are times the assigned key can be deleted automatically for unknown reasons.
Restart the CS:GO game to fully initiate the new changes, then check to see if the problem is still hanging around.

3] Update the audio driver

If the audio driver requires an update, then you’ll notice that other applications outside of CS:GO are also affected. Things such as cracking sound, poor sound quality, mic fails to work, etc, are quite common when the audio driver is outdated.

So update your Audio driver. After you’ve accomplished the above task, please restart your computer, then check to see if Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is working as it should where the microphone is concerned.

4] Check to see if CS:GO has access to your mic

Is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive allowed to access your microphone? If you’re not sure, then it is time for us to take a look and make changes if necessary.

Press the Windows key + I to fire up the Settings menu.
Navigate to Privacy & Security located via the left panel.
The next step, then, is to click on Microphone under App Permissions.
Click the toggle button next to Let apps access your microphone.
Finally, look for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on the list, then check to see if the mic is currently in use, or when was the last time it was used.

5] Disable Xbox Game Bar along with the Capture option

It is long known that overlays tend to affect games in more ways than one. In a situation like this, we cannot bypass the Xbox Game Bar since it is an overlay, so what to do? Well, the plan here is to turn off the Game Bar and disable all Capture features.

Again, we need to launch the Settings app. Do this by clicking on the Windows key + I.
From the left panel, select Gaming.
Choose the option that reads, Xbox Game Bar.
Look for Open Xbox Game bar using this button.
Toggle the slider button to turn it off.
Return to the Gaming window.
Select Captures right after.
Look for Record what happened and Capture audio when recording a game.
Disable it promptly.

Finally, you must open CS:GO to see if this fixes the microphone problem once and for all.

6] Verify the integrity of CS:GO file via Steam

From time to time, Steam game files can experience corruption, so the best thing to do here is to make use of the verification tool. It will look for corrupted files, and if any are detected, the tool will move to replace them. This post will show you how to verify the Integrity of the Game files on your PC.

How do you test if CS:GO mic is working?

In order to test if the mic is working on Steam, you must navigate to Friends & Chat. From there, click on the Gear icon located at the upper right. Next, you must click on the button that reads, Start Microphone Test. Wait for the test to complete to find out if the mic is working in the way it should.

READ: CS GO keeps crashing, freezing or displays a black screen

Why can’t people hear me in CS:GO?

The reason why some folks are unable to hear others in-game could be down to the possibility that the mic device is not set to the correct one. Also, ensure the Push to Talk key is set to the right one. Furthermore, enter the Audio Settings area of the game to see if things are in the right order.