Reddit calls itself the front page of the internet and for good reason. The site is packed with smaller groups that explore just about everything under the sun. Naturally, this means there is a lot of media on the site and all videos play without sound by default for a better user experience.
In this article, we’re talking about how you can enable sound on Reddit videos.
Why aren’t you getting sounds on Reddit?
There are a few reasons why Reddit doesn’t automatically play sounds when a video starts playing. Some of the most common ones include:
- Reddit mutes video sounds by default.
- The video was posted without sound
- The sound is being sent to another output device
- Your speakers aren’t working
Also read: How to fix Reddit is Fun: RIF throwing forbidden error?
Enabling sound on Reddit using a browser
If you’re browsing Reddit on your PC using a web browser, try the following fixes.
Enable sound in the video
As mentioned before, Reddit videos play without sound by default. This means users have to manually enable the audio and in some cases, even increase the volume. When you come across a video on Reddit, hover over it to show the controls, and make sure that the sound is enabled by clicking the megaphone icon.
Hovering over this icon will reveal a volume slider, make sure it’s pushed to the max or at least to the point where you can hear the audio. The same goes for watching Reddit videos on the mobile app.
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.
Check your browser’s sound settings
Most browsers have 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 the browser’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 your browser’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 your browser and make sure it’s not muted and the volume is high enough.
In case you don’t see your browser in the volume mixer, play some sound in the browser.
Clear browser cache
More often than not buggy files in the cache can cause a number of issues. Try clearing your browser’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.
Check browser extensions
At times shady extensions can cause issues with the browser 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.
Check the 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 your browser in this list. Make sure that the output is set to Default and volume to 100%.
Enabling sound on Reddit when using the app
If you’re using the Reddit app, first up, check to make sure that the video is unmuted and that the volume is high enough as mentioned before. Alternatively, you can also check to see if your phone’s volume is turned high enough or if you’re connected to a Bluetooth device that the audio is going to instead.
In some cases, the app might not be able to access your speakers. Restarting the app can resolve this issue. Also make sure that you’re on the latest update of the Reddit app and that your phone’s volume is turned high enough.
Also read: How to unhide posts on Reddit?
