If you rarely use the microphone, deactivating it is a good security measure, so you don’t run the risk of someone listening in on your conversations. The following guide will show you the different methods you can try to turn off your computer’s microphone.
How to Disable the Microphone in Settings on a Windows 10 Computer
In your computer’s settings there is an option that allows you to turn off the microphone. To access this setting, click on the Windows Start menu, followed by the cogwheel. Select the Microphone option that’s going to be on the left side of the new window. (You’ll need to scroll down a tad.) Once you’re in the Microphone section under “Allow access to the microphone on this device,” you’ll see whether the mic is on or not. If it’s on, click on the grey “Change” option and toggle it off. After you turn off the mic, click outside of the box to close it. This first option will deactivate the microphone for all apps. If you only want to turn off the mic for specific apps, you can. The section below (Allow apps to access your microphone) has all the apps that access your mic; toggle off the ones you want to deny access to.
How to Deactivate the Microphone Using Device Manager in Windows 10
Open Device Manager by typing Device Manager in the search bar. When it opens, look for the option that says Audio inputs and outputs – it should be the first option. Click on the drop-down menu, and you will see the option for the microphone and the speakers. Right-click on the mic option, and choose the “Disable device” option.
How to Turn Off Windows 10 Mic Through the Control Panel
You can open the Control Panel by either searching for it like you did in the other methods, or by pressing the Win + R keys and typing Control Panel. When it opens, click on the Hardware and Sound options. In the next window choose the Sound option (third one down). The Sound window will appear automatically. When it does, click on the recording tab. The active microphone will have a green checkmark and a sound meter to the right. Right-click on the active mic and choose Disable. To save your changes, click OK.
How to Deactivate Microphone Using Registry Editor
To open the Registry, press the Win + R key. Type regedit, and the Registry will appear. Click on the drop-down menu of the following path: You should see numbers and letters mixed up. Each set of numbers will have their own Properties. After you click on each one of them, look for the Microphone option in the pane on the right. When you’ve found the set of numbers with the microphone option, click on the set of numbers. When you see the DeviceState option, double-click on it. To disable the mic, the value data should read 10000001, but if you want to enable it, it should only read 1.
Conclusion
There are various ways to protect your privacy, and disabling the mic is one of them. You have multiple methods to choose from, and hopefully, you’ve found the one you want to use. Which way will you be trying?
