To change microphone sensitivity in Windows 11, open Settings > System > Sound, select your microphone under Input, and adjust Input volume. Move the slider right to make your voice louder or left to lower the level. These steps use Windows 11 menus, and additional controls depend on your microphone and its driver.
The short version
- Main adjustment: Select your microphone in Windows sound settings and move Input volume.
- Check the result: Use Start test, speak normally, select Stop test, then select Play.
- Extra amplification: Use Microphone Boost only on devices whose drivers provide it.
- App differences: Automatic leveling and voice activation settings can change how your microphone behaves in individual apps.
| Control or method | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Input volume | Adjusts microphone input level | Your voice is too quiet or loud |
| Windows microphone test | Records and plays your voice | You need to compare level changes |
| Classic Levels tab | Provides driver supported volume and mute controls | You need the classic recording controls |
| Microphone Boost | Adds amplification where supported | Your voice stays quiet after adjusting volume |
| Zoom manual microphone volume | Lets you adjust Zoom's input level | You want control over your call volume |
| Zoom automatic microphone volume | Lets Zoom manage the level | You prefer automatic adjustments |
| Discord Input Volume | Adjusts the input level | Your voice needs a volume change in Discord |
| Discord voice activation sensitivity | Controls when audio transmits | Noise triggers chat or quiet speech gets cut off |
| Windows Audio enhancements | Changes driver supplied processing | You want to compare processed and unprocessed audio |
| Voice focus | Filters background noise on compatible PCs | Background sound is the problem |
| Discord Krisp | Suppresses noise in Discord | Your voice level is suitable but noisy |
| Yeti GX gain wheel | Adjusts gain on the microphone | You use a Logitech Yeti GX |
| Arctis ClearCast placement | Positions the boom for voice pickup | You use a compatible SteelSeries headset |
| Windows microphone permissions | Allows apps to access input | An app cannot use your microphone |
| Windows audio troubleshooter | Diagnoses malfunctioning audio | Input still does not work |
Choose your microphone and adjust input volume
Open Start > Settings > System > Sound. Under Input, find Choose a device for speaking or recording and select the microphone you intend to use. Open that microphone to reach its properties, then find Input volume under Input settings.
Move Input volume right to increase the level or left to decrease it. There is no universal recommended percentage, so choose the level by listening to your normal speaking voice. Adjust the level, then test before making another change.
Check the selected device when your PC has a webcam, headset, or USB microphone connected. You can manage audio input devices in Windows to choose the input you actually want to adjust. For the current Windows 11 route, select the microphone itself under Input.
Test and listen to your voice
On the microphone properties page, select Start test and speak normally. Select Stop test, then select Play to hear the result. Adjust Input volume and repeat the test until the level suits your voice.
Keep your speaking level normal instead of raising your voice to compensate for a quiet microphone. After the Windows test sounds right, check the result in your calling or recording app because its own controls can change the audio further.
Use the classic microphone level controls
Open Settings > System > Sound and select More sound settings. Open the Recording tab, select your microphone, and choose Properties. Select Levels to reach the controls supplied by the device driver.
Adjust the microphone volume slider, unmute the microphone if necessary, and select OK. Return to the Windows microphone test and compare the result. If your recording device does not expose a Levels control, use its available Windows input settings or supported hardware controls.
Add microphone boost only when needed
Some microphones provide a separate Microphone Boost slider on the Levels tab. To reach it, select More sound settings from the Windows Sound page, then open Recording > your microphone > Properties > Levels. Adjust Microphone Boost separately from the Microphone or Microphone Array volume slider.
Increase boost when the normal microphone level still leaves your voice too quiet, then select OK and test again. Reduce it if the recording becomes noisy or distorted. There is no boost value that suits every microphone.
If Microphone Boost is missing, its availability depends on your hardware and driver. Microsoft says some Surface devices do not provide it. Use your microphone's supported controls when that slider is unavailable.
Adjust app controls when the result changes
When your microphone sounds right in Windows but behaves differently in one app, select the intended microphone in that app before changing its level. Automatic leveling adjusts volume, while a voice activation threshold decides when sound is transmitted. Lowering a threshold does not make your recorded voice louder.
In Zoom Workplace, select your profile picture, then open Settings > Audio. Under Microphone, select your device and turn off Automatically adjust microphone volume for manual control. Adjust Input volume and select Test microphone to compare the result.
Turn on Automatically adjust microphone volume if you want Zoom to manage the level. With automatic leveling enabled, Zoom disables its manual Input volume slider.
For Discord volume, select the User Settings cog, then open Voice & Video > Voice. Choose your microphone under Input Device and adjust Input Volume. This changes the input level rather than the point at which voice chat activates.
To adjust Discord voice activation, open User Settings > Voice & Video > Input Mode > Voice Activity. Disable Automatically determine input sensitivity for manual control, then move the threshold between your background noise and your quietest speech. Raise the threshold when background sounds trigger transmission, or lower it when quiet speech is cut off.
Change noise processing separately from volume
Noise filtering changes which sounds remain in the audio rather than simply raising or lowering your voice. For a microphone with driver supplied processing, open Settings > System > Sound and select the device under Input. Turn off Audio enhancements where available and repeat the microphone test. Restore the processing if disabling it makes the result worse.
The Audio enhancements control depends on the microphone and driver. On compatible PCs, you can also select the taskbar Network, Sound, or Battery area, open Studio Effects, and enable or disable Voice focus. Compare the background noise with the effect enabled and disabled.
In Discord, open User Settings > Voice & Video > Noise Suppression and select Krisp. Use this noise filtering option when unwanted background sound remains after you set a suitable voice level.
Check hardware gain for supported microphones
Your microphone or audio interface may have its own gain control in addition to Windows volume. On a Logitech Yeti GX, scroll the microphone wheel up to increase gain or down to reduce it while speaking normally. If Smart Audio Lock is enabled, click the wheel to unlock it before adjusting.
Placement instructions also depend on your microphone model. For a SteelSeries Arctis ClearCast boom microphone, aim the flat side toward your face and place the head near the corner of your mouth, no more than 1.5 inches away, then readjust gain. Follow your own microphone's positioning instructions rather than treating that distance as universal.
Restore microphone access when there is no input
If your microphone records nothing, check access before making further sensitivity adjustments. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone, then turn on Microphone access and Let apps access your microphone. Enable the relevant listed app, or turn on Let desktop apps access your microphone for desktop software.
For input that still does not work, open Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters. Under Audio, select Run and follow the diagnostics in Get Help. These controls address access and audio faults rather than manually adjusting gain.
Continue with the steps to troubleshoot microphone problems on your computer if access is enabled but recording still fails. For a headset with broader audio problems, follow the steps to fix a headset on a PC before returning to level adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you open microphone sensitivity settings with a shortcut?
Press Windows + R, type ms-settings:sound-defaultinputproperties, and press Enter to open the default microphone's properties. Adjust Input volume there. The shortcut opens the default microphone, so confirm that it is the device you intend to change.
Can you change microphone gain directly in Chrome?
Chrome provides microphone selection and website permission controls rather than a manual recording gain slider. Open More > Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone to select the default input. Adjust its recording level in Windows.
Does increasing microphone volume in OBS affect other apps?
Adjusting a microphone source's fader in OBS changes its level in the OBS recording or streaming output. It does not automatically change microphone levels in other applications. You can also open the source's Filters, add Gain, and adjust amplification in decibels, then check the recording for clipping.
Can a Scarlett audio interface set microphone gain automatically?
On a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen, press Select for the microphone channel, then press Auto. Speak normally during the ten second measurement. You can alternatively select Auto Gain in Focusrite Control 2.