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Microphone Problems On Lenovo PC? 9 Issues (Solved)

By / Internet Tips / Last Updated: October 5, 2023

Are you having some issues with the microphone on your Lenovo? Perhaps you’ve encountered problems such as:

  • An inability to record or pick up sound
  • Poor sound quality
  • Crackling sounds
  • Third-party programs unable to detect your mic

If you’ve experienced a problem with your microphone on your Lenovo machine don’t worry – here you’ll find the solutions you need to get back to being heard (at least by your microphone!)

Your Mic is Set to Mute

So you’ve signed into a Zoom meeting, or picked up a Skype call, maybe you’re using MS Teams, but suddenly you notice a big problem – nobody can hear you!

If your microphone on your Lenovo does not seem to be picking up any sound it could be because your microphone is muted. 

Let’s look at how we can check if your mic is muted, and better yet, how to ensure it is not.

Is your Lenovo Mic Muted in the App?

  • In a Zoom meeting
    You can hover your cursor over to the bottom left of your display. Here you’ll find a microphone icon. If the microphone icon has a red line through it then your microphone is on mute.
  • With Skype
    You must bring your cursor to the bottom middle of your screen to bring up the in-call icons. You will see a blue microphone icon here. If it has a white line through it then your microphone is muted.
  • In Teams
    If you towards the bottom of the screen you’ll find a row of icons. If the white microphone icon has a white line through it then your microphone is muted.

Clicking the microphone icon in these apps should unmute your microphone.

Is your Lenovo Mic Muted in Settings?

It may be that your microphone is not working because it is actually muted in your sound settings.

Follow these simple steps to ensure that this has not happened on your Lenovo:

  1. Click the Windows icon to open the menu.
  2. Open ‘Settings’ by clicking the gear icon.
  3. Now choose System > Sound > Input > Device properties > Related Settings > Additional device properties.
  4. Now click on the ‘Levels’ tab.
      • Here you’ll find out whether the volume to your microphone is muted.
  5. Look for the mute symbol parallel to the audio icon. If the mute symbol is present then click it to unmute.

It is also worth noting that this is also how to increase the volume of your microphone. A common cause for microphone issues is having the volume set too low. Ensure that the volume is set to 50 or higher.

Check also: Common headphones issues with Lenovo PCs.

Your Microphone is Disabled

If your microphone on your Lenovo is set to disabled then it’s no wonder you’re having problems.

To check if this has happened, and how to enable the microphone again, just use these instructions:

  1. From the taskbar, hover your mouse over the speaker icon and right-click.
  2. From here you need to ‘Open Sound settings’.
  3. Now choose ‘Device properties’.
  4. If the tickbox for ‘Disable’ is ticked you need to untick it in order to have your microphone operational again.

The App you are Using Doesn’t have Permission to Access the Microphone

A common problem that can occur that will cause your microphone not to work is that the app that you are using does not have access to your microphone.

If you’re using a program that needs to use the microphone, such as Zoom, Skype, or Teams, then the microphone needs to be enabled for that particular app. Here’s how to do exactly that:

How to Manage Windows App Permissions for your Mic

  1. Click the Windows icon to open the Start Menu.
  2. Find the app you want to enable your microphone for.
  3. Right-click that application and click ‘More’.
  4. Now go to ‘App settings’.
  5. From this screen, you can toggle whether the microphone is enabled or disabled.

You can do this with any app that uses your microphone to ensure that your calls run smoothly.

Missing or Corrupted Drivers are Preventing your Mic from Working

Sometimes the problem with your microphone is not solved with a checkbox in your settings. It may well be that your drivers need updating.

Let’s take a look at how to get your microphone on your Lenovo up and running by downloading the right drivers:

Updating Lenovo Drivers

  1. Open the Start Menu and type ‘device manager’.
  2. Open ‘Device Manager’.
  3. From the list, expand ‘Sound, video and game controllers.
  4. Right-click ‘Realtek High Definition Audio’, or ‘Conexant SmartAudio’, or ‘IDT High Definition Audio’.
  5. Then choose ‘Uninstall’.
  6. Open the Start Menu again and type ‘Control Panel’.
  7. Open ‘Control Panel’ and then select ‘Programs and Features’.
  8. Search through the list of apps and if you find anything related to IDT & Dolby, Conexant, or Realtek, ensure you uninstall these.
  9. Now reboot your Lenovo.
  10. Once you’ve rebooted open your internet browser and access the Lenovo Support site:
      • http://support.lenovo.com
  11. Download the audio driver by selecting your product.
      • You can also try automatically downloading drivers by using the Lenovo System Update.

Try Using the Built-in Microsoft Driver

If you’ve tried updating the driver and you still have had no luck bringing your microphone to life then try using the built-in Microsoft driver.

Just follow these easy steps:

  1. Open the ‘Device Manager’ as before.
  2. Expand ‘Sound, video and game controllers’ then right-click the device and select ‘Update’.
  3. Next, select ‘Browse my computer for driver software’.
  4. Select ‘Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer’.
  5. You will now see a list of drivers.
  6. Now select the Microsoft driver – High definition Audio driver – and install.

Your Microphone on your Lenovo No Longer Works since Updating Windows

If you’ve recently updated your OS and your microphone seems to have lost its functionality then don’t panic. These steps should have it back on track.

First of all, before we begin, ensure that you have definitely updated to the latest version of Windows and have also downloaded and installed the latest Lenovo audio driver. Then reboot your computer.

  1. Open ‘Control Panel’ by opening the Start Menu and typing ‘Control Panel’, then hit Enter.
  2. Choose ‘Hardware and Sound’.
  3. Select ‘Sound’.
  4.  Click the ‘Recording’ tab and double-click ‘Microphone’.
  5. Select ‘Advanced’.
  6. From ‘Default Format’, choose ‘2 channel, 24bit, 96000 Hz (Studio Quality).
  7. Click ‘Enable audio enhancements.
  8. Choose to ‘Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device’.
  9. Next, choose to ‘Give exclusive mode applications priority.
  10. Now switch to the ‘Levels’ tab.
  11. The ‘Microphone’ needs to be set to 100 and ‘Microphone Boost’ should be set to +12.0 dB.
  12. Select ‘OK’ and then restart your Lenovo.
  13. Once rebooted, open ‘Control Panel’ again.
  14. Open ‘Hardware and Sound’.
  15. Open ‘Smart Audio’ (if this option is available)
  16. Next, select ‘Effects’ and pick ‘Voice Over IP’ and then reboot your computer.

Please also read our article with solutions for headphones not working on Lenovo.

Your Microphone is not Working Because you have More than One Microphone Connected

Sometimes the microphone on a Lenovo will not work because you may have more than one device connected.

By following these steps you can work around this issue:

  • Open ‘Settings’
  • > ‘System’
  • > ‘Sound’
  • > ‘Input’
  • > ‘Device properties’
  • > ‘Related Settings’
  • > ‘Additional device properties’
  • Click the ‘Listen’ tab and choose ‘Listen to this device’.

Your Hardware is Damaged

Sometimes components just come to the end of their lifecycle, or they are damaged by an external factor, such as a bump or a spilled coffee.

Microphones are no exception to this unfortunate fate.

If you’ve tried all the above fixes and you believe it is a hardware issue then the best option is to check if you can get a free repair with Lenovo.

Confirm whether your machine is still under warranty and/or find a local Lenovo repair specialist by navigating to their partner locator page:

  • https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/partnerlocator

General Pros and Cons for Lenovo microphones

Pros

  • Highly convenient due to its built-in design
  • Great value
  • Enables the ability to easily have conference calls whilst working from home
  • Well built
  • Crisp sound quality

Cons

  • Mic can be accidentally muted
  • Volume must be set to 50 or higher
  • It will not work with more than one device connected
  • Issues with drivers

Sources

How to Fix It When a Lenovo’s Mic Is Not Working

Built-in microphone is not working in Windows 10 – ThinkPad

Microphone not working properly or not working at all – ideapad 100-15IBD

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