Xbox Game Bar is a feature built into Windows 11 and 10 that helps gamers capture screenshots, live stream their gameplay, and chat with friends – but sometimes the microphone stops working, preventing you from having fun on multiplayer games.

In this troubleshooting tutorial, we’ll explain 11 fixes for when your Xbox Game Bar microphone isn’t working.

How to Fix Mic Not Working in Xbox Game Bar

There could be many reasons why your microphone isn’t working in the Xbox Game Bar app. And worse, some users report a bug where the Xbox Game Bar app can detect your microphone but won’t let it work in party chat. Below, we’ll explain how to fix this frustrating glitch, starting with the easiest and quickest solutions.

Check Your Audio Device and Turn Up the Volume

The most obvious place to begin is your microphone or any other audio device. Double-check that your microphone or headset is turned on, that the cables look okay, and that Windows can detect the device.

To check if Windows can detect your device:

1. Right-click the Speaker icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar.
   
2. Select Open Sound settings.
   

3. Make sure the correct device is listed under Output. If your microphone is working correctly, you should see a dynamic blue bar that moves when you speak. This will appear beneath Master volume.
   

If your device isn’t appearing, try connecting your device via a different USB port. You could also try unplugging all other audio accessories in case they’re interfering with the Xbox Game Bar app in some way.

Check Your Basic Audio Settings

You’ve probably already done this, but join an Xbox party and check that your audio settings are correct. Here’s what to look for:

1. Select the Speaker icon in the icon tray to ensure the Windows volume is turned up high enough.
   
2. Make sure your volume is turned up in the Xbox Game Bar app. In the Party widget, choose Party options, then Party audio. Turn Party Volume up as loud as it’ll go.
   

3. Check whether you’re using push-to-talk or voice detect in the Xbox Game Bar app. If you’re using push to talk, you’ll need to press that button before the app will record your voice.
   

4. Make sure the other party members aren’t muted and haven’t muted you.
   

Check the Xbox Live Status

If Xbox Live is down, it may affect your ability to speak with friends in an Xbox Party. To check the Xbox Live status, head to the Xbox status page. It should say, “All services up and running.” If it says something else, wait till it’s live and try your microphone again.

Check Your Microphone Permissions

In Windows 11, you need to grant each app permission to use your microphone otherwise it won’t be able to. To grant the Xbox Game Bar permission to access your microphone:

1. Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
   
2. Select Privacy & security or Privacy on Windows 10.
   

3. Select Microphone then toggle on Xbox Game Bar and Xbox.
   

4. Check if your microphone now works.
   

Reset the Xbox Game Bar

Xbox Game Bar often has performance issues or glitches that prevent it from working properly. By resetting the app, you can clear the cache and hopefully get the app working again. To do so:

1. Press Win + I to open the Windows Settings app.
   
2. Choose Apps.
   
3. Scroll down and select Xbox Game Bar, then press Advanced options.
   
4. Select Reset then confirm your choice.
   

5. Wait for the app to restart, then check if your microphone works.
   

Note: On newer versions of Windows, the Xbox Game Bar app may not appear in the apps list. In this case, open the Start Menu and search for Game Bar. Right-click Game Bar and select App Settings. Then select Reset.

Use the Right Audio Input Device

The Xbox Game Bar app might be trying to get audio from the right device. To make sure your microphone is selected as the audio input device:

1. Open the Xbox app. Here’s what to do if the Xbox app won’t open.
   
2. In the Party widget, select Party options.
   
3. Choose Party audio.
   

4. Make sure the correct device is selected under Audio output and Audio input.
   

To change your computer’s default format microphone, you need to use the Device Manager. Here’s what to do:

1. Open the Start Menu, type “Device Manager,” and choose the top answer.
   
2. Select Audio inputs and outputs.
   
3. Right-click Microphone and select Properties.
   

4. Select the Recording tab. We’ll explain below what to do if this option doesn’t appear.
   
5. Choose the correct microphone, then press Set Default.
   

Note: If the Recording tab isn’t present, right-click the Speaker icon in the icon tray and select Sound. This should open the correct window.

Restart Your Computer

Sometimes a simple restart is all it takes to refresh your system and remove annoying bugs. Reboot your computer then boot up Xbox Game Bar and check if your microphone is working again.

Check Your Privacy Settings

Your Xbox privacy settings may be preventing the Xbox Game Bar app from accessing and recording your audio device. To fix this:

1. Open Xbox.com and sign in to your Xbox account.
   
2. Press your gamerpic in the top-right corner of the website.
   
3. Choose More options > Xbox Settings.
   

4. Select Privacy & online safety then choose the Privacy tab.
   

5. Make sure that the Others can communicate with voice, text, or invites setting is set to Everyone.
   

6. Press Submit.
   

Restart the Windows Audio Service

If nothing has worked so far, there might be an issue with the Windows Audio Service. This manages all audio on your computer, and if something goes wrong, your PC may have problems detecting your microphone. Here’s how to restart the Windows Audio Service:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
   
2. Type services.msc and press Enter.
   

3. Right-click Windows Audio and press Restart.
   

Enable Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting

Some users have noted that the Xbox Game Bar recording policy is what causes their microphone to stop working in the app. To fix this, you can alter the policy in the Group Policy Editor. If you’re on Windows 11, you may have to install the Group Policy Editor before you can use this fix.

1. Press Windows + R to open Run.
   
2. Type gpedit.msc and select OK.
   

3. Navigate to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting.
   
4. Double-click Enables or disables Windows Game Recording and Broadcasting.
   

5. Ensure that the checkbox next to Enabled is ticked.
   

6. Press Apply, then OK and check if your microphone works.
   

Re-register Xbox Game Bar

Another potential fix for the Xbox Game Bar microphone not working is to re-register the app using the command line. It’s unclear whether this actually fixes the problem, but some users believe this was the trick that got their microphone working once again, so it’s worth a try.

Here’s what to do:

1. Open the Start Menu and type PowerShell.
   
2. Right-click PowerShell and select Run as administrator. Select Yes.
   

3. Type the following command and then press enter:
   

Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.XboxApp | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}

4. Reboot your PC and check if your microphone can now record audio.
   

Reinstall Game Bar

If nothing else works, your final resort is to uninstall the Game Bar app and then reinstall it. To do so:

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
   
2. Select Apps.
   
3. Select Xbox Game Bar then press Uninstall.
   
4. When the app is uninstalled, open the Microsoft Store and search for Xbox Game Bar.
   

5. Choose Install and wait for the process to complete.
   
6. Check if voice chat works.
   

Note: On some versions of Windows 10 and 11, it isn’t possible to uninstall Game Bar. Instead, all you can do is head to the Game Bar settings and disable then re-enable it.

Start Chatting With Your Friends Again

Being able to communicate in real time is extremely useful, especially when you can team up with friends on their Xbox console from your Windows PC. Hopefully, the fixes above helped you get your microphone working and you can easily chat with your friends once again. If not, you might have to settle for the in-game microphone option.