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No sound from your speakers? Here's the fix

No audio can mean the wrong output device is selected, the volume is muted somewhere you're not looking, or a driver or cable issue. Work through these steps in order before assuming your speakers are broken.

Written by Chhandita ShitReviewed by Buddheswar DandapatLast updated 2026-07-28

Before you start troubleshooting, run the actual test so you know what's broken.

Run the Speaker Test

Quick checks first

  1. Check the physical volume knob or buttons on the speakers themselves, and confirm they're powered on.
  2. Check the system volume isn't muted, click the speaker icon and make sure the slider isn't at zero.
  3. Run our Speaker Test to play left, right and stereo tones and confirm both channels actually work.
  4. Check the app you're using has its own separate volume or mute control, video players and browsers often have one.
  5. Try headphones in the same port. If they work, the issue is the speakers or the connection to them, not the computer.

Check the correct output device is selected

Windows 11

  1. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and choose "Sound settings" or "Sound mixer".
  2. Under Output, confirm the correct device (speakers, headphones, monitor, or HDMI display) is selected.
  3. If you recently connected a monitor or TV over HDMI, Windows may have quietly switched output to it.
  4. Open Volume mixer and check the specific app isn't muted individually.

macOS

  1. Open System Settings > Sound > Output.
  2. Select the correct output device from the list.
  3. Hold Option and click the volume icon in the menu bar for a quick way to switch outputs.

Chromebook

  1. Click the status area in the bottom right and check the volume slider.
  2. Click the arrow next to it to pick the correct output device if more than one is listed.

iPhone

  1. Check the physical mute switch on the side of the phone.
  2. Swipe down for Control Center and check the volume level and any AirPlay device selected.
  3. Confirm you're not still routed to a Bluetooth speaker or headphones that are out of range or off.

Android

  1. Press the volume button and tap the settings icon that appears to check the media volume specifically, not just ringtone volume.
  2. Open Settings > Sound & vibration > check any connected Bluetooth device isn't intercepting audio.

Fix Bluetooth speaker and headphone issues

  • Forget the device and re-pair it, this clears a large share of Bluetooth audio glitches.
  • Move closer to the computer or phone, Bluetooth range and interference from other 2.4GHz devices can cause dropouts.
  • Charge the speaker or headphones fully, low battery causes some Bluetooth devices to mute or disconnect audio while staying connected.
  • Check only one device is trying to connect at once, most Bluetooth speakers only handle one active audio stream.

Update or reset the audio driver (Windows)

  1. Right-click the Start button and open Device Manager.
  2. Expand "Sound, video and game controllers".
  3. Right-click your audio device and choose "Update driver", then "Search automatically".
  4. If that doesn't help, right-click and choose "Uninstall device", then restart, Windows reinstalls the driver on boot.
  5. Also check Settings > System > Sound > Troubleshoot common sound problems, Windows' built-in tool catches several config issues automatically.

Check cables and ports

  • Make sure a 3.5mm cable is pushed in fully, a slightly loose jack often only outputs one channel or nothing at all.
  • Try a different port if you have more than one audio jack, some computers have separate front and rear ports wired differently.
  • For HDMI or DisplayPort audio, check that the display or receiver is set as the correct audio output, not just the video output.
  • Try the speakers on another device to rule them out entirely.

When it's a hardware fault

If sound works through headphones but never through the built-in speakers, and no driver or settings fix changes that, the internal speaker or its amplifier may have failed. Signs it's genuinely hardware:

  • Sound works fine right after a fresh operating system install or on another user account, but fails again after driver updates, this points to software, not hardware.
  • One channel is silent no matter what device or app you use, this usually means a blown speaker or a damaged cable, not a setting.
  • External speakers powered from a wall outlet make no sound and show no power light, check the power cable and outlet before assuming the speaker itself failed.

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