Steam voice chat not working [Troubleshooting guide]

Vlad Turiceanu
by Vlad Turiceanu
Editor-in-Chief
Passionate about technology, Windows, and everything that has a power button, he spent most of his time developing new skills and learning more about the tech world. Coming from a solid background in PC... Read more
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Affiliate Disclosure
  • Steam's voice chat feature can sometimes stop working for some users. In this guide we will provide steps to fix this issue.
  • The main reason voice chat on Steam does not work is usually because your Microphone is not enabled on Steam or on your Windows PC.
  • If you'd like to check out more of our Steam guides and various fixes, take a look at our Steam Guides page.
  • We also have a dedicated Gaming section where you can read and discuss our latest news on the field.
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Millions of users with unique PC configurations are using Steam, and sometimes features simply don’t work as they should. This troubleshooting guide will help you fix Steam‘s voice chat not working step by step.

This guide will help you check if your microphone is enabled in the Steam chat overlay, and if not, we’ll show you how to enable it in your Windows 10 Settings.

What can I do if Steam’s voice chat won’t work?


1. Enable your Microphone in the Steam chat overlay

  1. Open Steam
  2. Click on the Settings icon under Steam chat overlaysteam chat overlay
  3. Head over to the Voice settings
  4. Make sure to select your microphone under Voice Input Device.
    • If it isn’t, you can select it from there
  5. Check if the microphone’s Voice Transmission Type is set to Open Microphone or Push-to-Talksteam chat overlay voice

2. Enable your Microphone in Windows Sounds Settings

  1. Head over to the right side of your Windows Taskbar, then click on the Sound icon.
  2. After that, select Open Sound Settingsopen sound settings windows
  3. Here you can choose your input device on your Windows 10 PC.
    • If your Microphone isn’t there, click on Manage Sound Devicessound settings windows
  4. You can enable your microphone by clicking on the Enable button under Input Devicesmanage sound devices

3. Allow apps to use your Microphone on Windows

  1. On the left side of your Taskbar, click on the Windows icon, then select the Settings iconwindows 10 settings
  2. Choose the Privacy tab, then head over to the microphone sectionwindows 10 settings privacy
  3. The toggle under Allow apps to access your microphone should be set to Onwindows 10 privacy microphone

These solutions should now fix your microphone so that it works Steam voice chat. Selecting the correct input device both in Windows and on Steam, and allowing apps to access your microphone are the fixes that we reccommend.

Is your Steam voice chat still not working? Check out our Windows 10 Microphone troubleshooting guide.


Frequently Asked Questions

  • If your voice does not sound as it normally should in CS:GO, search on Windows for Manage audio devices. Then in the Recording tab, select your microphone, click on Properties > Advanced and make sure that the Allow application to take control of this device option is toggled.

  • Check if your mic isn’t muted. If it’s not muted, then your microphone’s volume might be set to 0 or it has stopped working. If your mic isn’t working at all, we recommend purchasing another headset or standalone microphone.

  • This particular issue is just one of many common CS:GO issues that players usually face. In order to fix them, read this comprehensive guide.

  • Yes, in online FPS games, VoIP programs are far more efficient than typing messages to your teammates.

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