Microphone Problems On Bose Soundlink? (7 solutions)

The Bose SoundLink is a great little speaker. It’s portable, can be charged via USB, and sets itself up automatically.

The Bose Soundlink may be one of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market, but it is lacking in one area: The microphone. If you have problems with this microphone, don’t worry because there are a lot of solutions to fix it.

In this article, you’ll read about seven solutions to this issue and hopefully find one that works for you on the Bose SoundLink.

Check The Settings

If the microphone on your Bose Soundlink isn’t working correctly, it’s possible that you need to adjust your device settings.

Here’s how to do it:

• Adjust the microphone settings.
• Turn on the microphone.
• Make sure the microphone is not muted.
• Make sure the microphone volume is turned up.
• Try different microphone ports.
• Make sure the microphone is not disabled in the software.

To make sure your microphone is enabled, you’ll want to:

• Click the Start menu and select the Settings icon, then click Privacy.
• In the menu on the left, click Microphone.
• Make sure Microphone access for this device is turned On.
• Scroll down to Microsoft Store apps and make sure Allow apps to access your microphone is turned On.
• Scroll down to choose which apps can access your microphone and turn on any apps you want to use with your microphone.

Restarting The Bluetooth

Many users have reported that restarting the Bluetooth connection worked for them. To do this, follow these steps:

• Make sure your device is connected to the Bose Soundlink. (The device should show up under Settings > Bluetooth.)
• Connect it now if it is not connected (make sure the Bose Soundlink is turned on and within range).
• Turn off the device with which you’ve been having microphone problems.
  Turn it back on.
• Wait for the device to connect to your Bose Soundlink again before using it to make or receive calls.

Why Does Restarting The Bluetooth Fix Most Speaker And Bluetooth device issues?

There’s a reason why Bluetooth speakers and many other wireless devices ask you to restart the Bluetooth every time you have connectivity issues.

When you turn on your Bluetooth, it starts searching for any new or old connected devices and tries to connect with them. In the case of multiple connected devices, it spends most of its energy connecting with one device at the cost of other connected devices.

Once you restart your Bluetooth device, it starts searching for all the available connections again. This helps in establishing a solid connection.

Check That It Is Plugged In Properly

The fact is that many people unconsciously move their microphones around or don’t correctly shut their laptops when they pack them away.

As a result, the microphone can accidentally get unplugged. And since you may be using your laptop every day, you might not even realize that your Bose Soundlink isn’t picking up your voice.

So the first thing to do is check if the microphone is plugged in properly: Is it securely connected to the computer? Are all cords and wires where they’re supposed to be?

If it looks good but still isn’t working, try reconnecting your microphone. Many times this will solve the problem! If that doesn’t work, reboot your device; this often does the trick.

Finally, make sure that your device is compatible with your microphone. Especially with older laptops, there may be incompatibility issues.

Check If Your Microphone Is Working On A Different Device

Try it on another computer or device to check if the microphone is working.

If the microphone works on a different device but not on your Bose Soundlink speaker, you know you have a problem with your Bose Soundlink speaker.

If the microphone doesn’t work on another device, you may have a problem with your microphone. Make sure that your microphone is plugged into the correct port and enabled to fix this.

Check If The Audio Driver Is Installed Properly

If your audio driver is not installed correctly, you may experience problems with the microphone on your Bose Soundlink.

You can check if the audio driver is installed correctly by doing this:

• On a Mac:
  Select “System Preferences” from the Apple menu, then select “Sound.”
• On a Windows PC:
  Right-click on “My Computer” and click on “Properties.” Then, click on the “Device Manager” link under the Hardware tab. Next, click on the arrow next to “Sound, video game controllers.”
  If you see a yellow exclamation symbol or red X next to any of these items, those are indications that there is a problem with your device’s audio driver or sound card.
  To fix it, right-click on that item and select “Update Driver Software…” to update it automatically or manually.

Factory Resetting Your Bose Soundlink Speaker

If you’ve tried all of these solutions and your microphone still isn’t working, then you may want to try factory resetting your Bose Soundlink speaker.

This will clear any saved settings or previous connections, but it can be very effective in restoring a device to optimal performance.

To factory reset your Bose Soundlink speaker:

• Open up the back panel on your device and remove the battery pack.
• Hold down both the power and Bluetooth buttons while putting the battery pack back in place. The LED indicator light will blink magenta, making it ready to connect with another device.
• Try connecting to a different device (your phone, for example) using Bluetooth and using its microphone. If this works correctly, re-pair your Bose Soundlink speaker with its original device to see if the problem persists.

If you’re still having problems with your Bose Soundlink’s microphone after trying these steps, check out Bose’s website for forums that can help further troubleshoot any issues.

Or contact their representatives directly for more assistance with identifying and remedying any troubleshooting errors you might have made during these steps.

Last Quick Checks Worth A Check

Many microphone issues on Bose Soundlink are caused by some basic glitches that can be fixed easily.

It’s not uncommon to have a bad cable or connection, and if you see any sparks coming from your microphone when it’s plugged in, please unplug it.

But if you’re sure that the problem is not with your software, follow these steps:

• Make sure your microphone is plugged into the right port — not all Bose Soundlink systems have a built-in plug for microphones. If yours doesn’t, simply attach an auxiliary cable from the headphone jack of your computer or MP3 player directly into the input jack on back of the speaker system.
• Check that none of the settings (Options > Audio) are turned off (such as “Microphone” or “Mic Monitoring”), so there isn’t any unintended muting happening here either; make sure none of these options have been disabled accidentally by using our troubleshooting guide below.
• Ensure your speaker is turned on.
• Try playing music through another source such as an iPod Touch connected via USB cable instead of Bluetooth because sometimes interference can cause problems with these connections.

Five Reasons Why Bose Soundlink Would Have Microphone Problems

It’s not uncommon for Bluetooth devices like Bose Soundlink speakers to have issues with their microphones.

This is because Bluetooth technology was not designed initially to support microphones, so it can be challenging to get the two things to work together.

Many speakers and headphones have a built-in microphone that allows you to make phone calls, but you may run into issues when trying to use it with your Bose Soundlink.

The Bose Soundlink microphone might not work for a variety of reasons, including:

• The microphone is muted.
• The microphone is set to a low volume.
• Another input device has been selected by default.
• The microphone has been disabled in the operating system.
• There is a problem with the hardware.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you’ll be able to get your device working again and possibly discover a fix that you may not have previously known.

Whatever the case may be, feel free to leave your microphone problems in the comments section below.

Sources

• iFix it: Bose Soundlink Micro – Troubleshooting
• Bose: Microphone Does Not Pick Up Sound
• Techrene: Bose Headphone Microphone Not Working