Not able to hear friends on Xbox One [FIX]

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Key notes

  • Not being able to hear your friends during a game spoils the whole experience, but don't worry because we can fix that together.
  • Is seems that the most common problem for this is the NAT configuration. There are three types of NAT settings: Open, Moderate and Strict. Each setting changes the permissions and capabilities of your device in regard to other machines it can connect to.
  • We wrote many articles about how to fix Xbox One issues. You can probably identify your problems there.
  • The Xbox troubleshooting hub is the place to start for identifying and fixing your problems with your Xbox console.
Not able to hear friends on Xbox One fix

When playing online, being able to hear your friends is very important.

Unfortunately, some Xbox One users have not only reported they’re unable to do this but also difficulties when it comes to connecting to multiplayer games in general.

The common element in these problems is the NAT, or Network Address Translation, a setting within your Xbox One console that defines how the machine will treat different connections.

There are three different types of NAT settings: Open, Moderate and Strict. Each setting changes the permissions and capabilities of your device in regard to other machines it can connect to.

It’s important to remember that in order for two machines to benefit from a mutual connection, at least one of them has to have an Open NAT configuration.

If one of them has a Moderate or Strict connection but the other one has an Open connection, multiplayer games are still accessible.

  • Use the Xbox button to open the guide
  • Go to Settings and All Settings
  • Choose Network and then Network Settings and Current Network Status
  • Investigate the current NAT Type

If your NAT connection isn’t set to Open, you will need to refresh your console’s NAT configuration and restart your machine. To do this, follow these steps:

  • Use the Xbox button to open the guide
  • Access the Restart console option from the Settings and confirm with Yes

After restarting your machine, repeat the above instructions to check your console’s NAT configuration once again.

It is important to also keep in mind that some games can bypass an Open NAT configuration through the Xbox Cloud service.

Currently, the games that fall into this category are Titanfall and Forza Motorsport 3.

More about the topics: Xbox One issues