If your Discord voice chat is cutting out, your microphone is too quiet, or you hear echoes, your voice settings may be misconfigured. Discord stores audio input, output, and processing preferences in a single settings panel. When these settings become corrupted or are accidentally changed, voice quality drops sharply. This article shows you how to reset Discord voice settings to their factory defaults quickly and explains what each reset option does.
Key Takeaways: Resetting Discord Voice Settings
- User Settings > Voice & Video > Reset Voice Settings: One-click reset that restores all audio input, output, and processing options to defaults.
- User Settings > Voice & Video > Reset Video Settings: Resets camera and screen share options without affecting voice settings.
- Ctrl + Shift + I > Application > Local Storage > Clear: Advanced method to delete cached voice settings when the normal reset button does not work.
What the Discord Voice Settings Reset Does
Discord stores voice settings in a configuration file on your computer. These settings control your input device, output device, volume levels, noise suppression, echo cancellation, and voice activity sensitivity. When you change any of these options manually, Discord writes the new values to that file.
The built-in reset button reverts every voice-related option to the values Discord uses when you first install the application. It does not change your server-specific voice channel permissions, mute status, or deafen status. It only affects the global voice settings that apply to every server and direct call.
Resetting voice settings is useful when you experience these symptoms:
- Your microphone is too quiet or too loud despite adjusting the input volume slider
- Other users hear an echo or robotic distortion of your voice
- Discord switches to the wrong audio device automatically
- Voice activity detection does not pick up your speech
- Noise suppression makes your voice sound muffled or unnatural
The reset does not delete your login credentials, server list, or direct message history. It only changes the audio settings stored locally on your device.
Steps to Reset Discord Voice Settings
- Open Discord and go to User Settings
Click the gear icon in the bottom-left corner of the Discord window next to your username and avatar. This opens the User Settings menu. - Navigate to Voice & Video
In the left sidebar, scroll down to App Settings and click Voice & Video. The voice settings panel opens on the right side of the window. - Scroll to the bottom of the panel
Use the scroll bar on the right side of the panel to move all the way down. The last section is labeled Reset Voice Settings. - Click the Reset Voice Settings button
A blue button with the text Reset Voice Settings appears. Click it once. - Confirm the reset in the pop-up dialog
Discord shows a confirmation window asking if you are sure. Click Okay to confirm. All voice settings return to their default values immediately. - Reconfigure your input and output devices
After the reset, go back to the Input Device and Output Device drop-down menus. Select your preferred microphone and speakers or headphones. Run the Let’s Check button to test your mic.
If you only want to reset video settings such as camera selection and screen share quality, repeat the same steps but click Reset Video Settings instead. This does not affect your audio settings.
If the Reset Button Does Not Work
In rare cases, the Reset Voice Settings button may appear grayed out or fail to apply changes. This usually happens because Discord’s local cache is corrupted. Use the following method to clear the cached voice settings manually.
- Open Discord Developer Tools
Press Ctrl + Shift + I on Windows or Cmd + Option + I on macOS. The Developer Tools panel opens. - Go to the Application tab
In the Developer Tools toolbar, click the Application tab. If you do not see it, click the double-arrow icon to expand the tab list. - Select Local Storage
In the left sidebar under Storage, click Local Storage. Then click the Discord URL entry that appears below it. - Clear all stored items
Click the Clear All button at the top of the table. This deletes all cached settings, including voice preferences. - Close Developer Tools and restart Discord
Click the X on the Developer Tools panel. Close Discord completely, then reopen it. Discord recreates the default voice settings automatically.
After restarting, go to User Settings > Voice & Video and reconfigure your audio devices. This method resets more than voice settings, so you may need to adjust other preferences such as appearance and notifications.
Common Voice Problems After Resetting
Microphone Still Too Quiet After Reset
If your microphone volume remains low after resetting Discord’s settings, the issue is likely in your operating system. Open Windows Sound Settings or macOS System Preferences and increase the microphone input volume slider. Also check if your microphone has a physical mute switch or a gain knob.
Echo Cancellation Does Not Work After Reset
By default, Discord enables echo cancellation. If you still hear echo, make sure your speakers are not pointing directly at your microphone. Use headphones instead of speakers for voice calls. You can also check that the Echo Cancellation toggle in Voice & Video is set to On.
Voice Activity Detection Not Working
After a reset, Discord sets voice activity sensitivity to automatic. If the automatic mode does not detect your voice, turn off Automatically Determine Input Sensitivity and drag the slider to a lower value until your voice triggers the input indicator bar. Test with the Let’s Check button.
Sound Output Goes to Wrong Device
Resetting clears the output device selection. Go to Voice & Video and select your correct output device from the Output Device drop-down. If you use multiple audio devices, check that your default communication device in Windows Sound settings matches the Discord selection.
Discord Voice Settings Reset vs Manual Adjustment
| Item | Reset Voice Settings | Manual Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Time required | Less than 1 minute | 5 to 15 minutes |
| Effect on other settings | Only voice settings are affected | Only the changed setting is affected |
| Knowledge needed | None | Understanding of each slider and toggle |
| Best for | Multiple symptoms at once or unknown cause | Isolating and fixing one specific issue |
| Risk of losing custom profile | Loses all custom voice settings | No risk of losing other settings |
Use the reset when you cannot identify which setting is causing the problem. Use manual adjustment when you know exactly which option needs to change, such as switching from Push to Talk to Voice Activity.
You can now restore Discord voice settings to default using the Reset Voice Settings button or the Developer Tools method if the button fails. After resetting, test your microphone and speakers with the Let’s Check feature in Voice & Video. For persistent audio issues, also check your operating system sound settings and update your audio drivers to the latest version.