How to Change the Default Microphone in Windows 11

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Last Updated: August 29, 2024

If you are a power user, content creator, or a user of multiple microphones, for example the one integrated in your device and a virtual one, it can often become a hassle switching between them. You may find yourself having to manually switch back to the integrated microphone if the virtual one is set as default. In this wikiHow, you'll learn how to set your preferred microphone as default in just a few simple clicks, to save yourself the nuisance of switching back-and-forth between them.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Settings

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1
Open the Settings app. To do this, navigate to the Start menu. Click the Windows icon in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen, or press the Windows icon (⊞ Win) on your keyboard. Click into the search bar and search for "Settings". Then, click Open.
- Pressing ⊞ Win+i also works for opening Settings.
2
Click System to open up the "System" tab. It is the second option in the left-hand pane.

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3
Click Sounds to open up the sound settings menu. It is the second option down in the right-hand pane.
4
Scroll down to the "Input" section.
5
Look for "Choose a device for speaking or recording" and expand the dropdown.
- You can expand the dropdown by clicking on the "V" symbol on the right.
6
Select your preferred microphone from the list.
- The selected microphone will be set as the default microphone.
- You can also adjust the volume of your selected microphone here by toggling the slider next to "Volume."

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Control Panel

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1
Open the Control Panel by navigating to the Start menu. Click the Windows icon in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen, or press the Windows icon (⊞ Win) on your keyboard. Click into the search bar and search for "Control Panel." Then, click Open.
- Alternatively, press ⊞ Win+R keys on your keyboard and enter "control". Then click Ok.
2
Click on the search bar at the top right of the Control Panel interface. Search for "manage audio devices" and hit ↵ Enter on your keyboard.
3
From the search results that appear, click the blue text that reads Manage audio devices under "Sound". This will be the first result that comes up.
4
Click on the Recording tab from the top of the window that appears. It is the second tab, located in between the "Playback" and "Sounds" tabs.
5
Select your preferred microphone from the list of recording devices that appears.
6
Click Set Default. When you are done, click OK.
- The selected microphone will be set as the default microphone.

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Tips

Instead of directly searching manage audio devices in the Control Panel and clicking the first option under "Sound", you can also navigate through to the option (Hardware and Sound > Sound > Manage audio devices).

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