[Fixed] Sony WH-1000XM3/4 Mic Not Working on PC

Sony WH-1000XM3 or XM4 is one of the best noise cancelling headphones. But the mic not working issue can make users out of ideas as to what to try. If you’re encountering the same issue, the methods listed in this article may help you fix it.

Before getting started

Before moving to the advanced fixes, you need to isolate the problem. You should check if the headphones work on other devices. Simply connect headphones to a different device and check if they are working. If not, the problem lies in the headphones’ end and you should contact the customer service or may consider investing in new headphones.

If your headphones work perfectly in other devices, try these fixes:

1. Make sure your microphone is enabled and set as the default device
2. Unmute your microphone
3. Update your audio driver
4. Try Windows 10 Troubleshooter

Fix 1: Make sure your microphone is enabled and set as the default device

Normally, when your microphone is connected, Windows can automatically detect it and set it as the default input device. But sometimes it just fails to do that and you have to set it manually. Also there may be a possibility that it’s disabled. To troubleshoot the issue, you can take these steps:

1) Right-click the volume icon in System Tray at the right end of the task bar. Then select Open Sound settings.

2) Under the section of Input, click the drop-down and select your headphones from the list.

3) Now click Manage sound devices under the Input section.

4) If your device is under the Disabled list, click it and click Enable.

5) Now go back to the Sound window. Scroll down to the section of Related Settings and click Sound Control Panel.

6) Under the tab Recording, select your microphone and click Set Default > OK.

After you’ve done these, test if you can get the microphone to work. If it’s still not working properly, proceed to the next fix.

Fix 2: Unmute your microphone

Sometimes you may not notice that you actually mute your microphone. To check if that’s your case, take these steps:

1) Right-click the volume icon in System Tray at the right end of the task bar. Then select Open Volume mixer.

2) In the Windows volume controls, a red circle with a slash through it indicate the device is muted. If that’s your case, select your device and adjust the slider to unmute it.

Fix 3: Update your audio driver

The mic on your headphones won’t work if you’re using an incorrect or outdated audio driver. Outdated drivers can become incompatible with an update to Windows, or you may be lacking a new feature required for the microphone to function properly. In this case, you should update your audio driver.

Methods to update your audio driver

To update your audio driver, you can either do it manually via the Device Manager or head to the manufacturer’s driver download page to download and install the exact driver for your system. This requires a certain level of computer knowledge and can be a headache if you aren’t tech-savvy.

OR

If you don’t have the time or patience to update your drivers manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy. It’s a useful tool that helps you detect any outdated drivers, then download and install the latest drivers for your system.

Here’s how to update drivers with Driver Easy:

1) Download and install Driver Easy.

2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any devices with missing or outdated drivers.

3) Click Update All. Driver Easy will then download and update all your outdated and missing device drivers, giving you the latest version of each, direct from the device manufacturer.

This requires the Pro version which comes with full support and a 30-day money-back guarantee. You’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All. If you don’t want to upgrade to the Pro version, you can also update your drivers with the FREE version. All you need to do is to download them one at a time and manually install them.

After updating your drivers, restart your computer for the changes to take effects. Then you can test if that fixed your issue.

Fix 4: Use the audio troubleshooter

If nothing else helps, you can use the audio troubleshooter to help your troubleshoot the issue:

1) Right-click the volume icon in System Tray at the right end of the task bar. Then select Troubleshoot sound problems.

2) If you’re asked which device you want to troubleshoot, choose your headphones and select Next. Then it’ll help you find the problem.

That’s it – the full list of fixes for the Sony WH-1000XM3 or WH-1000XM4 mic not working issue. Hopefully, you can get your microphone back to normal with some tweaks. If you have any ideas or questions, please leave us a comment below.