When you have multiple input devices connected to Windows 11, you may often have to switch between these different connected devices to choose the most suitable one for a particular case. Windows 11 lets you set the default input device and forget it. When it’s set, it will always be used by all apps on the system. While it’s easy to set the default Mic for every app across the system, some apps allow you to choose your preferred Mic which overrides the system’s default. In this case, you’ll have to setup apps that have their input settings to select the default input device. To get started with setting Windows default Mic, follow the steps below:
Set Windows 11 default Mic
There are multiple ways to select Windows default input devices. Using Windows systems settings, one can quickly select the system-wide Mic for all apps which will always be used as the default input device. There are multiple ways to select Windows 11 default speakers. Using Windows systems settings, one can quickly select the system-wide speakers for all apps. Windows 11 has a centralized location for the majority of its settings. From system configurations to creating new users and updating Windows, all can be done from its System Settings pane. To get to System Settings, you can use the Windows key + I shortcut or click on Start ==> Settings as shown in the image below: Alternatively, you can use the search box on the taskbar and search for Settings. Then select to open it. Windows Settings pane should look similar to the image below. In Windows Settings, click System, and select Sound on the right pane of your screen shown in the image below. On the Sound settings pane, under Input where you see “Choose your input device,” choose the input device you want to make the default to play sound. In the highlighted image below, you can either select Headset or Microphone as your input device, and Windows will also use the selected device to record sounds. The changes you make above will apply to all apps. However, certain apps may be customized to override this setting and choose a different input device.
How to switch Input devices in Windows 11
Another way to quickly switch Windows input devices is via the taskbar. If you want to quickly choose between sound devices, right-click on the speaker’s icon in the taskbar and select Open volume mixer. On the Volume mixer settings panel, switch between the Input devices of your choice and exit. If you don’t see the connected mic device on the list, it may be that the device is not recognized in Windows.
Allow Microphone access in Windows 11
Windows 11 also comes with a Mic control that allows you to approve apps that can access the microphone on the computer. If you’re having trouble recording sound or are not able to communicate through the mic, you should make sure the app is allowed to use the microphone. Go to Settings –> System –> Privacy & Security –> Microphone Choose which apps can access the system’s microphone. If the app you’re using isn’t approved to access the system’s mic, you should allow it here. Exit and test and hopefully, things should work for you. Conclusion: This post showed you how to set Windows 11 default microphone. If you find an error above, please use the comment form below to report it.
