A web browser without a sound output can easily be one of the most annoying things you can encounter, especially if you’re using it to stream a video, song or a podcast.
If Chrome’s audio on your PC has suddenly lost the will to live, here are 13 things you can do to possibly fix the ‘Google Chrome sound not working’ issue in Windows 10.
Restart your computer
Restarting your PC can magically fix issues that have no apparent reason to exist. Rebooting any device should be the number one thing on your troubleshooting checklist.
Also read: How to unblock downloads in Chrome? And should you?
Unplug your external speakers
If you’re using external speakers, unplug them and try playing the audio using your computer’s in-built speakers. If this works, there’s something wrong with your speakers.
In case you don’t have any internal speakers, plug your speakers back in and try again.
Check if the tab is unmuted
Chrome and Chromium-based browsers allow users to mute individual tabs. Check the tab you’re currently using and see if it’s muted.
All you need to do is right-click on the tab and toggle the mute option.
Also read: How to know your Chrome version?
Check Chrome sound settings
Google Chrome has an inbuilt setting that disables all sounds. An incorrect toggle here can stop audio output from Chrome. Here’s how to fix this.
Simply head over to chrome://settings/content/sound and make sure that Allow sites to play sound toggle is enabled.
Check Chrome’s sound in Windows Volume Mixer
The Windows sound mixer lets users change volumes individually for each application individually. Here’s how you can check if Chrome’s audio levels are right.
Step 1: Open the tab that’s causing the audio issues.
Step 2: Right-click on the sound icon in the taskbar. Click on Volume mixer.
Step 3: Scroll to find Chrome and make sure it’s not muted and the volume is high enough.
In case you don’t see Chrome in the volume mixer, play some sound in the browser.
Also read: How to fix the ‘Chrome PDF Viewer Not Working’ issue?
Check default output device
At times the sound output can be routed to a device which isn’t connected to your PC resulting in no sound output. Here’s how you can check these settings.
Step 1: Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar and click Open Sound settings.
Step 2: Under Output, make sure the right device is selected. If this doesn’t solve your problem, proceed to the next step.
Step 3: Scroll down and click on App volume and device preferences under Advanced sound options.
Step 4: Find Chrome in this list. Make sure that the output is set to Default and volume to 100%.
Also read: How to fix ‘Realtek HD Audio Manager Missing’ in Windows 10?
Use the Windows troubleshooter
Sometimes using the Windows Troubleshooter can fix seemingly random issues with your machine.
Step 1: Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar and click Open Sound settings.
Step 2: Scroll down to find the Troubleshoot button. Click it and wait for it to finish. This should hopefully resolve your issue.
Disable Spatial Sound
In late 2017, Microsoft enabled Spatial sound on all compatible computers running the Windows 10 Creators Update. While it’s supposed to enhance your audio experience, it can also cause issues at times.
Here’s how you can try disabling(or enabling) it to see if it resolves your issue.
Step 1: Right-click the sound icon in the taskbar and hover your cursor over Spatial sound.
Step 2: Try the options listed in here, including disabling spatial audio altogether to see what works.
Also read: How to start Google Chrome in Safe Mode?
Check for audio driver updates
An out of date driver could be causing issues with your installation of Chrome. Follow these steps to check for updates.
Step 1: Press Windows Key + X and click on Device Manager.
Step 2: Double-click on Sound, video and game controllers to show all visible audio devices.
Step 3: Right-click your audio device and click on Update drivers.
Step 4: Click Search automatically for drivers and Windows will automatically download and install any driver updates that are needed.
Check Chrome extensions
At times shady extensions can cause issues with Chrome not behaving as it should. If you’ve recently installed any new extensions, they may be causing this issue.
Head over to chrome://extensions/ and try disabling any shady extensions one by one until you get your audio working again.
Clear Chrome cache
More often than not buggy files in the cache can cause a number of issues. Try clearing Chrome’s cache to see if your issue gets resolved.
Step 1: Type in chrome://settings/clearBrowserData in your browser’s address bar and hit Enter.
Step 2: Select the cache and cookies options and make sure the Time range is set to All time. Click on the Clear now button to clear out all the data.
Also read: What is Pre-rendering in Chrome? Does it hamper your privacy?
Reset Chrome’s settings
If nothing else works, you can try simply resetting Chrome. Here’s how.
Step 1: Head over to chrome://settings/reset. Click on Restore settings to their original defaults.
Step 2: Chrome will show you a warning prompt. Click on Reset Settings, and your browser will reset to default settings.
Check for Windows updates
As a last resort, you can check if you have any pending Windows Updates. In case you do, install them and try again.
Step 1: Press Windows key + I to go to Windows settings. Click on Update & Security.
Step 2: Click on the Check for updates button to check for any updates available for your system, Install any updates immediately, restart your PC and try again.
Also read: How to fix “ERR_ADDRESS_UNREACHABLE” in Google Chrome?
