How to resolve Steam voice chat not working?

If you have suddenly lost the ability to communicate on Steam with your voice, then your gaming experience might suffer. The voice chat function is a neat feature, but it sometimes disappears or becomes unusable for different reasons.

Most of the issues affecting the voice chat function – especially the ones that cause it to stop working – are down to inconsistencies resulting from users signing into their Steam accounts (active profiles) on another computer. Therefore, if the Steam chat feature suddenly stopped functioning on your computer, there is a good chance your Steam credentials were used to gain access to the gaming platform on another device.

When the Steam voice chat issue has nothing to do with Steam account sign-in processes, then the glitches are likely to be related to Windows Audio Enhancements shortcomings and similar discrepancies.

We will now move on to show you how to eliminate the issues that caused the Steam voice chat feature to stop working on your Windows 10 computer.

How to fix the Steam voice chat not working problem

At least one of the procedures described below should do enough to help you regain the lost voice chat functionality in the Steam application.

Check and confirm that you are using the right microphone for audio input:

Here, we want you to make the checks that matter and get the obvious things out of the way before you attempt complicated procedures. Some reports indicate that users managed to get the Steam voice chat to start working again after they discovered that Steam was using the wrong microphone and then selected the right device.

The Steam application is likely to have ended up with a different mic as its audio input device because you switched from your PC’s built-in microphone to the one on your headset or similar gadget. Anyway, here are the steps you must go through to check and confirm that Steam is using the right microphone:

• First, you have to bring up the Steam application window. You can click on the Steam launcher or icon on your desktop screen to fire up the program.
• Assuming you are now on the Steam window, you have to click on Steam (one of the options close to the top) to see a list and then select Settings.
• Once the Settings menu gets displayed, you must go to the Voice section. There, you must check for the value under the Recording (audio input) device test.

If the microphone in the field reads something different from the one you are using, then you have to click on the CHANGE DEVICE… button.

• Assuming the Sound window has been brought up, you have to click on the microphone you want Steam to employ. It should be the audio device you actively use.
• Once the correct microphone or audio input device gets highlighted, you must click on the Set Default button (close to the button of the Sound window).
• Click on the Apply button and then click on the OK button – if the Sound window stays up after you select the right microphone.
• Go back to Steam and confirm that you can now use the voice chat function without issues.
  

  Try to troubleshoot some hardware issues:

If the previous checks did nothing to help your situation, then you can try to troubleshoot hardware issues, some of which might be related to the Steam voice chat not working problem. For example, your microphone or listening device might not be in the right state, a port or a similar component might be faulty, and so on.

These instructions cover almost everything:

• Check and confirm that your mic is plugged into the right connector on your computer, especially if you are using an external microphone or audio device.

As a general rule, analog mic connections are colored pink, which means they should be plugged into the pink connector on your headset – if this applies to your audio device. If your headset or listening device lacks a pink connector, you will do well to consult its manual for instructions on connecting it to your PC.

Use a different port or connection mode. Assuming your computer has more than one port, you can try the other ports and watch out for changes. If you usually connect your audio device to your PC wirelessly, then you can try using a cable this time to test things.

There is a reasonable chance your mic for the Steam voice chat feature is not working because the port in use is faulty or damaged. If you manage to use the voice chat function after connecting your microphone to another port (or linking it with your computer differently), then you must take note of the faulty port or failed connection mode and avoid it for as long as you can.

Sign your Steam account out of other computers:

We earlier established the link between audio issues affecting the voice chat function and the usage of a specific Steam account on more than one device. Our recommendation here (to get your Steam account signed out of other computers) is directed at resolving that strain of the problem – if our assumptions hold water.

First, you have to figure out the other computers on which your Steam account is signed into or in use. You must think long and hard and try to recall all the instances or events where you inputted the credentials for your Steam profile in the Steam application on a different PC.

Here, after you signed out from Steam on the other devices, you must check and confirm that the voice chat function on the Steam app on your computer is now working as it should. If the same issues play out, then you must try signing out of the Steam application on your PC and then resigning in with the same credentials. The sign-out and sign-in operations might bring about changes to eliminate the inconsistencies affecting the voice chat function.

If you cannot access the other computers on which your Steam account got signed into or if you cannot recall them, then you have to change your password to force the automatic sign-out mechanism to swing into action. Steam will disconnect your account from other computers once you get a new password. After you change your password, you will have to log in to Steam with the relatively new credentials and then test the voice chat function to see if its problems have been resolved.

Turn off audio enhancements:

The procedure here should help the voice chat function get up and run well if the issues affecting it have anything to do with audio enhancement features in Windows. A good number of users confirmed that they had fixed things by disabling audio enhancements. We want you to do the same thing. Hopefully, you get the same success.

These instructions cover everything on disabling Windows audio enhancement features:

• Check for the volume icon (close to the bottom-right corner) on the taskbar on your desktop screen. Right-click on this icon to see its context menu and then select Recording devices (from the list displayed).

The Sound window will have been brought up by now.

• Now, you must choose your active microphone (your preferred audio input device) to get it highlighted and then click on the Properties button (close to the bottom-right corner of the window).

The Microphone properties for the selected audio input device will be displayed now.

• Click on the Advanced tab to go there. Click on the checkbox for the Enable audio enhancements parameter to deselect it.
• Click on the Apply button and then click on the OK button to save the new configuration for the selected microphone or audio input device.
• Close all the programs running on your computer and then restart your system.
• After the recommended reboot, you must fire up the Steam app and then test your microphone through the voice chat feature on the platform. Hopefully, your audio device functions this time without issues.

Update your microphone or audio driver:

If you are yet to get the voice chat functionality in Steam to start working again due to issues with your microphone – especially after you have attempted the procedures above – then it is time you considered the scenario where the problems are driver-related. If your computer is using the wrong audio driver or if the audio driver has become outdated or fallen to corruption, then Windows will be unable to integrate it with audio operations.

Your microphone or audio driver manages or handles operations involving the physical (listening) component and the software (Windows itself, Steam, or any program). To fix driver problems, we will walk you through the reinstallation operation for the affected driver first. If it fails to deliver the needed results, then you will move on to rectify the problem by installing a new (or updated) version of the same driver.

These are the steps you must go through to uninstall and then install your microphone or audio driver:

• First, you have to get the Device Manager app window up. You can perform this task quickly by right-clicking on the Windows Start icon to see the Power User menu programs and utilities and then selecting Device Manager from the list.
• Go through the outlined categories on the Device Manager window, locate the Audio inputs and outputs category, and then click on the expansion icon beside it.
• Once the contents of the Audio category become visible, you will see your microphone or audio device, which you must right-click on to see its context menu.
• Choose the Uninstall device option from the list.

If a prompt or dialog comes up to confirm the uninstallation operation for the driver, then you have to click on the Uninstall or Yes button there to affirm things.

• Follow the on-screen instructions to remove the driver – if they come up.
• Assuming you are done uninstalling the microphone or audio driver, you must close all programs and restart your computer.

Windows will eventually realize that an important driver or system component is missing, and then it will act to install the necessary software.

• If everything goes well with the reinstallation operation for the microphone driver, then you have to launch Steam to check the state of the voice chat function, which you could not use earlier.

At this point, if the audio issues persist or if you could not get Windows to reinstall your microphone driver for any reason, then you have to update the problematic driver to fix things. The latest driver for the affected audio device is likely to bring about improvements and changes that eliminate the problems you are facing. The driver update operation is far from straightforward, though, especially when compared to the previous procedures that were described in this guide.

• Auslogics Driver Updater can assist you with the driver update tasks, which means you get to save valuable time or effort. The program will first initiate a scan to identify the problematic drivers operating on your computer (the missing, outdated or old, and corrupted drivers), search for the latest versions of the needed drivers online, and then fetch and install the software.
• If you decide to do everything on your own (without assistance from any program), then you have to gather as much information as you can about the audio driver whose replacement you need and then search online for the driver’s latest version. You must be mindful of the risks and complications that sometimes come into play when users get software from the web. You must also ensure that you download the correct driver or the precise version designed for your computer or device configuration.

Anyway, here, assuming you have downloaded and installed the needed audio driver, you must restart your computer to ensure the changes from the operations become effective. Only then must you launch the Steam application and test the voice chat feature to confirm that the function has become usable again.

Select the correct microphone in Settings and adjust the audio parameters in Steam:

We intend to walk you through the procedure where Windows gets instructions on using a specific microphone and then guide you through the operation to get Steam to recognize the audio device and use it. If the voice chat function failure has anything to do with your computer using the wrong settings for the audio processes (or Steam using the wrong parameters), then the fix proposed here should make things right.

Do this:

• First, you have to get to the Sound screen in the Settings application. You can do things this way: Right-click on the sound icon on the taskbar on your desktop screen to see its context menu and then select the Open Sound settings option.

The Sound menu in Settings will be displayed almost immediately.

• Under the Input section, you must click on the drop-down menu there to see the available audio device options. We recommend you choose the microphone you have been using actively on your computer.
• Now, you can either minimize or close the Settings window. We want you to fire up Stream and continue your work from there.
• Assuming you are now on the Steam window, you must click on View (an option situated close to the top-left corner of the window) to see a list and then choose Friends.
• Once the Steam Friends and Chat pop-up window gets displayed, you must click on the Gear icon (close to the top-right corner of the window).
• Under the VOICE INPUT DEVICE section, you must set the correct microphone (the one you selected in Settings earlier) as the input device.
• Now, you must move on to the Volume section and then drag the slider for Input volume/gain to the right (to get it to medium or high). Do the same thing to the slider for Output volume/gain.

We want you to adjust those parameters to ensure your teammates can hear you and you too can be heard.

• At this stage, you must save the changes you made and then close the windows you brought up.
• Try to use the voice chat feature and see how things go this time.

How to completely uninstall Epic Game launcher

from a Windows 10 PC

Perhaps, you are here to find out

how to uninstall the Epic Games Launcher program

. Well, a good number of users found it difficult to remove this application through standard uninstallation procedures, so you are hardly the only one who struggled to get rid of it.

You are unlikely to fail this time if you carefully go through the procedures below in the order they appear to perform the uninstallation tasks for the Epic Games Launcher application:

Close the Epic Games Launcher app using administrative rights:

With administrative privileges, the application gets all the powers or permissions it needs to terminate its own processes or services. Of course, you need those components stopped before you proceed to the main uninstallation task.

Do this:

• Locate the Epic Games Launcher shortcut (or executable file) on your desktop (or anywhere else), right-click on it to see its context menu and then choose the Run as administrator option from the list displayed.

The program will come up as usual.

• Now, you must minimize the application window. Check for the Epic Games Launcher icon on the notification area on your taskbar, right-click on it to see its context menu, and then choose the Exit option.

Terminate all Epic Games Launcher processes or components in Task Manager:

Here, we want you to check for Epic Games Launcher processes and services in the Task Manager app and terminate all the application’s components. The previous operation is likely to have done enough to stop the program from running at any level, but it does not hurt to confirm things here.

Here are the instructions you must follow:

• First, you must open the Task Manager application using your preferred method.

Since your PC is running Windows 10, you can perform the task through the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keyboard shortcut. Alternatively, you can right-click on any area free on icons or objects on your taskbar to see its context menu and then select Task Manager from the list.

• Assuming you now have the Task Manager window up, you must check for Epic Games Launcher entries under the Processes tab.

If you find anything, you must right-click on it to see its context menu and then choose the End task option. Repeat this step for all Epic Games Launcher processes or components.

• Once you are done with your work, you can close the Task Manager application.

Uninstall the Epic Games Launcher application through Control Panel:

We know too well that users can uninstall applications through the Settings app in Windows (since its introduction), but we want you to remove the Epic Games Launcher application through operations executed from the Programs and Features screen in Control Panel. This way, with the software uninstaller guaranteed to assist with the job, you get to avoid surprises and complications.

Go through these steps:

• First, you have to bring up the Programs and Features screen in Control Panel. Well, there is no faster way of getting to that menu than this:

Use the Windows logo button + letter R keyboard shortcut to fire up the Run utility quickly. Once the small program window comes up, you must fill the text field there with this code:

appwiz.cpl

Click on the OK button to get Windows to run the code (or hit Enter on your keyboard to get the same result).

• Assuming you are now on the required screen, you must go through the listed applications, locate Epic Games Launcher, right-click on this app to see its context menu and then select Uninstall (from the small list displayed).

The Epic Games Launcher uninstaller or uninstallation wizard will come up now.

• Follow the instructions (as they show up) to get rid of the program for good.
• Restart your computer.

Hopefully, the uninstallation tasks went well this time. The relevant changes should become effective after the recommended reboot.