How to fix WhatsApp error "Your microphone is unavailable or in-use on another app" in Windows?

"Your microphone is unavailable or in-use on another app" means WhatsApp asked Windows for the microphone and did not get it. Most often a Windows privacy switch is off or another program still holds the device. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone first, then close other calling and recording apps.

Facts checked on 14 October 2026. Steps written for WhatsApp for Windows and WhatsApp Web on Windows 11 (25H2 and 26H2) and Windows 10 22H2.

What "Your microphone is unavailable or in-use on another app" means in WhatsApp

WhatsApp does not talk to your microphone directly. It asks Windows for the input device, and Windows answers yes or no. The message appears when the answer is no, or when the device stops delivering sound in the middle of a call. WhatsApp cannot tell which of several reasons applies, so one sentence covers both: the microphone is "unavailable" or it is "in use".

WhatsApp's help pages do not list the texts of these banners, so the spellings below are the ones readers type into Google after seeing them. They are close relatives. Each one names a slightly different point where the audio chain broke, and that decides where you start.

WhatsApp for Windows or WhatsApp Web: find out which one you use

There are two ways to run WhatsApp on a PC, and their microphone permissions sit in different places. WhatsApp for Windows is the app from the Microsoft Store with its own window and taskbar icon. WhatsApp Web is the page web.whatsapp.com inside Chrome, Edge or another browser. Fixing the wrong one changes nothing, which is why the same tip works for one reader and fails for the next.

What causes the microphone error in WhatsApp, from most to least common

Most often Windows itself says no: microphone access is off for the device, for apps in general or for WhatsApp alone. Less often another program really holds the microphone, or Windows has no working input device to offer. Rarely the WhatsApp installation or the sound driver is damaged.

Which other apps commonly hold the microphone on a Windows PC

WhatsApp's own advice for calls on a computer is short: "Make sure another app isn't using your microphone or audio device. Don't use a virtual audio device." Windows gives you one reliable sign. According to Microsoft, a microphone icon appears in the notification area of the taskbar whenever an app is using the microphone.

• Normal sharing. By default several programs can record from one microphone at once, in what Microsoft's audio documentation calls shared mode. A second program alone does not have to break WhatsApp.
• The list in Settings. On the Microphone page, under the desktop apps setting, Windows lists the desktop apps it has detected using the microphone. It is a quick way to see what else has been recording.

How to fix "Your microphone is unavailable" in WhatsApp on a laptop or PC

Fixes 1 to 5 are for WhatsApp for Windows, the app from the Microsoft Store, and they also repair the Windows side for WhatsApp Web. Fix 6 is for WhatsApp Web in a browser. Fixes 7 to 9 repair the app, the Windows audio services and the sound driver, and are needed only when the earlier ones did not help.

Fix 1. Turn on microphone access for WhatsApp in Windows privacy settings

2 minutesNo riskYou use the WhatsApp app from the Microsoft Store and the banner appears as soon as a call starts.

WhatsApp states that it needs access to your computer's microphone, and in Windows that access passes through three switches. If any one of them is off, Windows refuses the request and WhatsApp shows the banner, even though no other program is involved.

1. Close the call in WhatsApp, but leave the app open.
2. On Windows 11, select Start > Settings > Privacy & security, then Microphone under App permissions.
3. Make sure Microphone access is turned on.
4. Make sure Let apps access your microphone is turned on.
5. In the list of apps below, find WhatsApp and turn its switch on. If it is already on, turn it off and on again.
6. Scroll down and make sure Let desktop apps access your microphone is turned on as well.
7. Quit WhatsApp, open it again and place a test call.

• Why off and on again. WhatsApp's help page for calls on Windows lists "Turn your WhatsApp permissions off and on again" as a step of its own. The switch can show On while the app still holds an old refusal.
• WhatsApp is not in the list. Microsoft explains that an app missing from this list is likely a desktop app, and that such apps are governed by the desktop apps switch only. Turn that switch on, then update or reinstall WhatsApp with Fix 7.
• A microphone built into a webcam. Microsoft adds that you might also need to give apps permission to use the camera. Check the same three switches under Privacy & security > Camera.

Fix 2. Close the program that is using the microphone and restart WhatsApp

3 minutesLow riskThe privacy switches are on, or the microphone cuts out during a call that started fine.

WhatsApp's help page tells you to make sure another app is not using your microphone or audio device, and to force quit WhatsApp and open it again. Closing the other program releases the device, and a fresh start makes WhatsApp ask Windows for it once more.

1. End the WhatsApp call.
2. Look at the notification area at the right end of the taskbar. A microphone icon there means that some app is using the microphone right now.
3. Close meeting and calling apps: Teams, Zoom, Discord and browser tabs with a web meeting. Check Show hidden icons on the taskbar too, because many of them keep running there.
4. Stop any recording or streaming program, and turn off voice changers and other virtual audio devices.
5. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Select a program that would not close and select End task.
6. In the same list, select WhatsApp and select End task. This is the force quit that WhatsApp's help page asks for.
7. Open WhatsApp again and place a test call.

Ending a task closes that program at once, and anything unsaved in it is lost. Save your work in the other program first. The full procedure with pictures: Close a frozen app (Task Manager, Force Quit)

• A restart does the same in one step. Restarting the PC closes every background program and releases the microphone. If the call works right after a restart and fails later in the day, a program that starts with Windows is the cause. Find it here: Stop apps from opening at startup
• Battery saver and Bluetooth. WhatsApp's list for Windows includes "Turn off battery saver and bluetooth". Test one call with the laptop plugged in, Bluetooth off and the laptop's own microphone.

Fix 3. Select and test the microphone in Windows Sound settings

5 minutesNo riskWhatsApp says it could not find a connected microphone, or you are not sure which microphone the laptop uses.

WhatsApp can only use an input device that Windows lists and has enabled. If the list is empty, the device is disabled, or a headset that is no longer connected is still the default, WhatsApp finds nothing to open. The Windows test shows in seconds whether the microphone itself works.

1. Check the hardware first: plug the headset in firmly, and switch off the Mute button on the headset or its cable if it has one.
2. On Windows 11, select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
3. Under Input, go to Choose a device for speaking or recording and select the microphone you want to use.
4. Select the arrow to the right of the device to open its properties page.
5. Under Input settings, select Start test and speak normally, then select Stop test.
6. Select Play to hear the recorded sample. If it is too quiet, raise the Input volume slider.
7. Open WhatsApp, start a call and open the microphone and video settings on the call screen to check that the same microphone is chosen there.

On Windows 10 the page is Start > Settings > System > Sound as well. Under Input, pick the microphone in Choose your input device and speak: the bar under Test your microphone must move. Microsoft's wording is plain: if you see no change, the microphone is not picking up sound.

1. If the microphone is not in the list, scroll down on the Windows 11 Sound page and, under Advanced, select More sound settings.
2. Open the Recording tab.
3. Select your microphone and select Properties.
4. Next to Device usage, choose Use this device (enable) and select OK.
5. Go back to the Sound page and repeat the test.

• Use a headset. WhatsApp recommends a headset for the best audio and warns that a separate external microphone and speakers might cause echo.
• Nothing under Input at all. Then Windows does not detect a microphone. That is a driver or hardware matter: go to Fix 8 and Fix 9.

Fix 4. Fix "Your speaker is unavailable or in-use on another app"

5 minutesNo riskThe banner names the speaker and not the microphone, or you cannot hear the other person in WhatsApp calls.

WhatsApp requires an audio output device as well as a microphone for calls. The speaker banner is the same refusal on the playback side: Windows has no output device selected, the selected one is gone, or WhatsApp is routed to a different device than the rest of the system.

1. On Windows 11, select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
2. In the Output section, select the device you want to hear the call on. Selecting it also makes it the default.
3. Play any sound, for example a video, to confirm that the device works outside WhatsApp.
4. On the same page, select Volume mixer.
5. Under Apps, find WhatsApp and make sure it is not muted and its slider is turned up.
6. In the same row, confirm that the Output device for WhatsApp is the device you chose in step 2.
7. Quit WhatsApp, open it again and place a test call.

On Windows 10, right-click the Volume icon on the taskbar and select Open Volume mixer for the app volume. For the default device, select Sounds, open the Playback tab, right-click your device and select Set as Default Device.

• A monitor as the output. Microsoft warns that an external monitor without speakers can be selected as the default output device. Then nothing is heard, and the fix is to pick the speakers or the headset in step 2.
• A Bluetooth headset. It has to be paired and connected before the call. If the banner appears only with the headset, test once with the laptop speakers, as in Fix 2.

Fix 5. Turn off exclusive mode for the microphone

3 minutesLow riskThe microphone works for a while and cuts out, or it fails whenever another audio program is open.

Microsoft's audio documentation says a program that opens a device in exclusive mode has exclusive use of it, and that a request for exclusive control can preempt programs that share the device. With the option off, the microphone can only be shared, so no program can take it away from WhatsApp.

1. Press Win + R, type the command below and press Enter. The classic Sound window opens.
2. Open the Recording tab.
3. Select the microphone you use for calls and select Properties.
4. Open the Advanced tab.
5. Clear the check box Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.
6. Select OK, close the Sound window and restart WhatsApp.

Run box (Win + R)

mmsys.cpl

You can reach the same window without the command. On Windows 11 it is Settings > System > Sound > More sound settings. On Windows 10 open Control Panel, then Hardware and Sound, then Sound. For the speaker banner, repeat the steps on the Playback tab for your output device.

• The second check box. Give exclusive mode applications priority only matters while the first box is ticked. Once the first one is cleared, the device is used in shared mode only.
• What you give up. Some music production and audiophile programs ask for exclusive mode to get the lowest delay. If you use one, tick the box again after your WhatsApp calls. No restart is needed.

Fix 6. Allow the microphone for web.whatsapp.com in Chrome or Edge

5 minutesNo riskYou use WhatsApp Web in a browser tab and the microphone does not work for calls or voice messages there.

For WhatsApp Web, two gates stand before the microphone. Windows must allow desktop apps, which includes every browser, and the browser must allow the site. WhatsApp's help page asks for both: the browser gives web.whatsapp.com the permissions, and the system gives them to the browser.

1. In Windows, open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and make sure Microphone access and Let desktop apps access your microphone are on. Browsers do not appear in the app list above them.
2. In Chrome, select More (the three dots), then Settings.
3. Select Privacy and security, then Site settings.
4. Under Permissions, select Microphone.
5. If web.whatsapp.com is listed under Not allowed to use your camera or microphone, select the site's name and change the microphone permission to Allow.
6. On the same page, open the list at the top and select the microphone that Chrome should use by default.
7. Go back to the WhatsApp Web tab, refresh the page and start the call. If Chrome asks, choose Allow while visiting the site.

• Microsoft Edge. When the site asks for the microphone, select Allow in the dialog box. To change an earlier answer, Microsoft's steps are Settings and more > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site Permissions > All sites, then the website, then the Microphone list.
• Managed browsers. Google notes that on a work or school computer the administrator can set the camera and microphone settings, and you may not be able to change them.
• WhatsApp's own list for Web. Close and reopen the tab or refresh the page, upgrade the browser to a recent version, and do not use a virtual audio device.
• No call button at all. WhatsApp says that calling on WhatsApp Web is rolling out gradually and may not be available to you yet. That is not a microphone fault. Use WhatsApp for Windows for calls in the meantime.

Fix 7. Update WhatsApp, then repair or reset the app

10 minutesRead the warningWhatsApp Web works on this PC but the Store app does not, or the app is old or was restored from a backup.

WhatsApp asks you to update to the latest version before anything else, because new versions carry the bug fixes. Repair checks the app's files without touching its data, and Reset returns the app to the state of a fresh installation.

1. Open Microsoft Store and search for WhatsApp Messenger.
2. If the button reads Update, select it and wait until it finishes. WhatsApp notes that updates may not be available in certain regions.
3. Open WhatsApp and test a call. If the banner is still there, continue.
4. Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps. On Windows 10 it is Apps > Apps & features.
5. Find WhatsApp, select the three dots next to it and select Advanced options. On Windows 10, select the app and then Advanced options under its name.
6. Select Terminate to close the app and its background processes.
7. Select Repair and test a call again. The app's data stays.

1. If Repair did not help, select Reset on the same page and confirm.
2. Open WhatsApp and link the device with your phone again.
3. When Windows or WhatsApp asks for microphone access on the first call, allow it.
4. Check Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone once more: the WhatsApp switch must be on.

• Reinstall as the last step. Select Uninstall on the same page, restart the PC and install WhatsApp from the Microsoft Store again. Removing an app: Uninstall a program or app in Windows. Repair and Reset with all screens: How to repair or reset an app in Windows
• Unsupported Windows. WhatsApp for Windows needs Windows 10 64-bit version 1903 or newer. On an older or 32-bit system, WhatsApp points you to web.whatsapp.com in a browser instead.

Fix 8. Run the audio troubleshooter and restart the Windows audio services

5 minutesLow riskThe banner says to click to troubleshoot, or no program on the PC can record or play sound.

Every app, WhatsApp included, reaches the microphone and the speakers through the Windows audio services. When they hang, each app reports its own version of "device unavailable". The troubleshooter checks the usual settings, and a restart of the services clears a stuck audio session without a reboot.

1. On Windows 11, select Start > Settings > System > Sound.
2. Scroll down to Advanced. Next to Troubleshoot common sound problems, select Input devices for the microphone or Output devices for the speaker.
3. Follow the troubleshooter and apply what it suggests. On Windows 11, Microsoft runs the audio troubleshooter in the Get Help app.
4. On Windows 10, select Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters and run Recording Audio.
5. Test a WhatsApp call. If nothing changed, restart the audio services with the steps below.

1. Select Start, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Right-click Windows Audio and select Restart. If Windows asks about restarting other services too, select Yes.
3. Right-click Windows Audio Endpoint Builder and select Restart.
4. Close the Services window, quit WhatsApp and open it again.
5. Place a test call.

• Sound stops for a moment. While the services restart, every program on the PC goes silent for a few seconds. Do not do it during another call.
• Services step by step, with the startup types explained: Check and restart Windows services

Fix 9. Reinstall the audio driver

15 minutesRead the warningWindows does not detect the microphone at all, or the audio device is missing or marked in Device Manager.

Microsoft's microphone page gives this as the step for the case where Windows is not detecting the headset, camera or microphone. Removing the audio device makes Windows set it up again from a clean driver, which brings back an input device that had disappeared from the list WhatsApp reads.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Right-click your audio device and select Uninstall device.
4. Tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device and select Uninstall. On Windows 10 the box reads Delete the driver software for this device.
5. Restart the computer. Windows tries to install the audio device and its driver again.
6. If the device does not come back, open Device Manager, right-click Sound, video and game controllers and select Scan for hardware changes.
7. Then right-click the audio device, select Update driver, or install the driver you downloaded from the maker.

• Check for a disabled device first. If the audio device is listed with a down arrow, right-click it and select Enable device. Microsoft also suggests View > Show hidden devices when it is not listed at all.
• Open the privacy page again afterwards. Microsoft notes that after a Windows or driver change you may need to give apps permission to use the microphone again. Repeat Fix 1.
• Updating, rolling back and reinstalling a driver, with pictures: Update, roll back or reinstall a driver

If WhatsApp still says the microphone is unavailable

WhatsApp for Windows does not offer a log file that you can read for this message, and WhatsApp publishes no error code for it. The evidence is in Windows. Three checks tell you in which layer the fault sits, and they are worth doing before you contact anyone.

• When it is hardware. The Windows test stays flat with every driver, the microphone fails in every program, or it works only when you hold the plug at an angle. Google's help says it for all such cases: contact the maker of the microphone or the laptop.
• When the microphone works but the call does not connect. That is a network matter. WhatsApp asks for UDP and TCP ports 3478, 3480 and 3484 to be open for the Windows app, and 3478, 3480 and 443 for WhatsApp Web. On an office network, ask the administrator.

If you write to WhatsApp support or to the laptop maker, send the exact text of the banner and say whether you use the Store app or WhatsApp Web. Add the WhatsApp version, the Windows version shown by winver, the name of the microphone under Input and the results of the checks above.

How to keep the microphone available for WhatsApp calls

Windows 10 reached the end of support on 14 October 2025. WhatsApp still lists Windows 10 version 1903 and newer as supported, so the app keeps working there, but Windows itself no longer receives fixes. If the microphone problem began after a driver change on Windows 10, the maker's last Windows 10 driver is the one to keep.

Frequently asked questions

Why does WhatsApp say my microphone is unavailable on my laptop?

Because Windows did not give WhatsApp the microphone. On a laptop the usual reason is a privacy switch: Microphone access, Let apps access your microphone or the WhatsApp switch in Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone is off. The second reason is another program that still holds the microphone, such as a meeting app left running in the background. The third is the device itself: a headset that is no longer plugged in is still selected as the input, or the built-in microphone is disabled. Check them in that order, then quit WhatsApp and open it again.

How do I fix "WhatsApp could not find a connected microphone" on Windows 11 or Windows 10?

Give Windows a working input device. Open Settings > System > Sound and look under Input. Select your microphone under Choose a device for speaking or recording, open its properties and run the test with Start test. On Windows 10, pick it in Choose your input device and watch the bar under Test your microphone. If the list is empty, open More sound settings, the Recording tab, and enable the device in its Properties. A desktop PC without a headset or a webcam has no microphone at all. If Windows detects none on a laptop, reinstall the audio driver.

What does "Your microphone is unavailable. Click here to troubleshoot" mean in WhatsApp?

It means the microphone stopped delivering sound during a call. Users on Microsoft's Q&A site describe calls that work for one to five minutes and then mute, and say the click opens the Windows troubleshooting settings. The fitting troubleshooter is Input devices under Settings > System > Sound > Advanced on Windows 11, and Recording Audio on Windows 10. In practice, start by closing other programs that use the microphone, then turn off exclusive mode for the device on the Advanced tab of its properties. Both steps are described in Fix 2 and Fix 5.

How do I fix "Your speaker is unavailable or in-use on another app" in WhatsApp?

Select a working output device and make sure WhatsApp uses it. On Windows 11, open Settings > System > Sound and select your speakers or headset in the Output section. Then open Volume mixer on the same page and check that WhatsApp is not muted and that its Output device is the same one. Microsoft warns that an external monitor without speakers can become the default output, which silences everything. If no program plays sound, restart the services Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder. The full steps are in Fix 4.

Why is the microphone not working in WhatsApp Web?

Because the browser, not WhatsApp, decides about the microphone there. First, Windows must allow desktop apps: turn on Let desktop apps access your microphone in Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone. Second, the browser must allow the site. In Chrome, open Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone and move web.whatsapp.com out of the not allowed list. In Edge, the list is under Privacy, search, and services > Site Permissions > All sites. Refresh the tab afterwards. WhatsApp also says that calling on WhatsApp Web is rolling out gradually, so a missing call button is not a microphone fault.

WhatsApp is not in the list of apps on the Windows Microphone page. What now?

Then Windows treats your WhatsApp as a desktop app, or the app's registration is damaged. Microsoft explains that an app you do not see in the list is likely a desktop app, and that such apps cannot be toggled one by one: they follow the switch Let desktop apps access your microphone. Turn that switch on first. Then update WhatsApp in the Microsoft Store and use Repair in its Advanced options. If it is still missing after a reinstall from the Store, the desktop apps switch is the one that counts.

Which apps can block the microphone for WhatsApp?

Any program that records sound can. The usual ones are meeting and calling apps such as Teams, Zoom and Discord, browser tabs with a web meeting, recording and streaming tools, and voice changers that install a virtual microphone. WhatsApp names the last group directly: do not use a virtual audio device. Windows shows a microphone icon in the notification area of the taskbar while an app is using the microphone, and the Microphone privacy page lists the desktop apps that have used it. Close what you find there, then restart WhatsApp.

Does WhatsApp for Windows work on Windows 10?

Yes. WhatsApp states that WhatsApp for Windows is supported on Windows 10 64-bit version 1903 and newer, and that covers Windows 10 22H2. A 32-bit installation or an older version is not supported, and WhatsApp points those users to web.whatsapp.com in a browser. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025, so Windows no longer receives fixes, but the app and its calls keep working. The microphone settings are the same as on Windows 11, with slightly different names under Settings > Privacy > Microphone.