How to Adjust Volume Levels in Windows 11 Sound Settings

Change the volume from the taskbar

This is the fastest way to adjust the volume, and it changes the master volume (the overall level for whichever device is currently playing sound).

1. Select the speaker, network and battery icons at the right end of the taskbar 🖥️. This opens Quick Settings (the panel of toggles and sliders above the clock). You can also press Win+A.
2. Drag the volume slider left to lower the volume or right to raise it. The number next to the slider shows the level from 0 to 100.

   

3. Select the speaker icon to the left of the slider to mute or unmute. A muted speaker shows a line through it, and the slider drops to zero.
4. Select the arrow to the right of the slider to pick a different output device, such as headphones instead of speakers. The list shows every playback device Windows currently detects.

   

Two quicker options skip the panel entirely:

• Mouse wheel: point at the speaker icon in the taskbar 🖥️ and scroll. The volume changes in steps, and a small volume indicator appears on screen.
  
• Keyboard: use the volume keys on your keyboard. On many laptops these are Fn-key combinations, so you may need to hold Fn or switch off Fn Lock.

If the volume indicator does not appear when you use the keys but the volume still changes, the keys are working and only the overlay is hidden. If neither happens, jump to the troubleshooting section below.

Open the Sound settings page

The Sound page holds every volume control in one place: the output device, input device, per-app levels and the troubleshooting tools. Open it with one of these routes.

1. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar.

   

2. Select Sound settings. The Settings app opens on System > Sound.

   

You can also press Windows key + I, select System, then select Sound.

The page has an Output section at the top, an Input section below it, and an Advanced section with the Volume mixer. Windows moves some of these controls between builds. If your page looks slightly different from the steps below, look for the same labels nearby.

Set the volume for an output device

Each playback device keeps its own volume level. Your laptop speakers, a Bluetooth headset and a monitor connected over HDMI can all sit at different levels. Set the level for the device you actually use, because changing the wrong one has no audible effect.

1. Open Settings > System > Sound.

   

2. Under Output, find the device you want to use. Select it so it becomes the active device. The one in use is the one Windows plays sound through right now.

   

3. Drag the Volume slider for that device. On some builds the slider sits on the main page. On others you select the device name first to open its properties page, where the slider appears at the top.
4. Play a sound or a video to check the level. If you hear nothing, confirm the slider is above zero and the mute icon is not active.

If the device you want is missing from the list, see the troubleshooting section below.

Set the volume for individual apps with Volume mixer

Volume mixer (a page that gives every app its own volume slider) lets you turn down a noisy browser tab without touching your music player. App levels work relative to the master volume. If the master volume is at 50 and an app slider is at 100, the app plays at the loudest level the device allows at that setting.

1. Open Settings > System > Sound.
2. Scroll to the Advanced section and select Volume mixer. You can also right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and select Open Volume mixer on builds that offer it.

   

3. Find the app in the list under Apps. Drag its slider to set its level.
4. Use the System sounds slider to change the volume of Windows alerts and notification sounds. You can keep these quiet while leaving your media loud.
5. Drag the Master volume slider at the top to change the overall level. This matches the slider in Quick Settings.

Each change takes effect immediately, so you can leave a video playing and adjust the slider while you listen.

If an app is missing from the Volume mixer

Volume mixer lists only apps that are open and have a sound session, meaning they have played audio or opened the audio device. If your app is not listed, open it and play something. The entry usually appears within a few seconds. Some apps release their sound session when they go quiet, so they can vanish from the list and return when audio starts again.

Send an app to a different speaker or headset

Under each app in Volume mixer, there is an output device setting. Open it and choose another device to play that app through. For example, you can send a video call to your headset and keep music on the speakers. The app keeps this choice until you change it or reset the sound devices (see the reset section below).

Adjust the left and right balance

If one speaker sounds louder than the other, your balance is off. The modern Settings page does not give a simple balance slider on every build, so use the classic Sound dialog instead.

1. Press Windows key + R, type mmsys.cpl, and press Enter. The classic Sound dialog opens. You can also reach it from the Sound settings page by selecting More sound settings.

   

2. On the Playback tab, select your speakers or headphones, then select Properties.
3. Select the Levels tab.
4. Select Balance. Two sliders appear, labelled L and R.
5. Set both sliders to the same value for an even balance, then select OK.
6. Select OK again to close the properties window.

If the Levels tab or the Balance button does not appear, the device or its driver does not support it. Some USB and Bluetooth devices control their own balance and hide this option.

Set the microphone input volume

A microphone has its own volume, called the input volume. If people say you sound too quiet on a call, raise this setting. If you sound distorted, lower it.

1. Open Settings > System > Sound.
2. Scroll to the Input section and select your microphone from the list.
3. Find the Input volume slider and drag it. Speak normally while you adjust it.
4. Watch the test bar. Select Start test if the page offers it, speak for a few seconds, then check the result. A bar that fills most of the way without hitting the end is a good level.

Not every microphone shows an input volume slider. Some headsets and webcams control their own gain—the amplification of the microphone signal—built into the device itself, so Windows cannot override it.

Stop Windows from lowering the volume during calls

If your music or video suddenly gets quieter when you join a call, Windows is lowering other sounds on purpose. Windows is lowering other sounds on purpose. This feature is called ducking. By default, Windows reduces other sounds by 80 percent. This is one of the most common reasons people think their volume settings are broken.

1. Press Windows key + R, type mmsys.cpl, and press Enter.
2. Select the Communications tab.
3. Under When Windows detects communications activity, choose an option: Mute all other sounds, Reduce the volume of other sounds by 80%, Reduce the volume of other sounds by 50%, or Do nothing.
4. Select Do nothing to stop Windows from changing other sounds. Select OK to save.

You can reverse this at any time by returning to the same tab and picking Reduce the volume of other sounds by 80%.

Even out loud and quiet sounds

Some drivers include Loudness Equalization, which reduces the gap between the loudest and quietest parts of audio. It helps when one video is much louder than another. Whether it is available depends on your audio driver.

1. Open the classic Sound dialog with mmsys.cpl as above.
2. On the Playback tab, select your device and select Properties.
3. Select the Enhancements tab.
4. Tick Loudness Equalization if it is listed, then select OK.

If the Enhancements tab is missing or empty, the driver does not offer it. On Windows 11, devices that support Windows audio enhancements may show an Enhance audio toggle on the device's properties page in Settings instead. Turning it off is a quick way to test whether an enhancement is causing distorted or uneven sound.

If the volume slider is missing, greyed out or has no effect

Work through these checks in order. They go from the quickest to the most involved.

The speaker icon shows a red cross or "No audio output device"

Windows does not detect any playback device. Check that your speakers or headphones are plugged into the correct port, or reconnect a Bluetooth device. Then restart the Windows Audio service if the device still does not appear. This step changes a system service, so it needs administrator rights.

1. Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Approve the administrator prompt if it appears.
2. Find Windows Audio in the list and right-click it.
3. Select Restart. The status stays as Running after a few seconds.

Your device is missing from the Output list

Windows hides devices you have disabled. To bring one back, open Settings > System > Sound and look for Sound devices (called All sound devices on some builds). Select a device under Output devices or Disabled and choose Allow. The device returns to the list. If Windows asks for administrator approval, approve it.

Windows sound troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in tool that tests the audio service, drivers and device settings. It can fix simple faults on its own.

1. Open Settings > System > Sound.
2. Under Advanced, select Troubleshoot common sound problems.
3. Choose the device that has the problem and follow the prompts.

On some builds this entry has a slightly different name, such as Output devices under a troubleshooter list. Look for the one that mentions sound or audio.

The volume changes, but the sound stays too quiet

Check these before you reinstall anything:

• The app's own volume control, such as a video player or browser tab, may be low. Windows controls only what it sends out.
• The per-app level in Volume mixer may be low.
• A monitor or soundbar connected over HDMI or DisplayPort may have its own volume control. Windows adjusts the signal, but the monitor applies its own level on top.
• A Bluetooth speaker or headset has its own volume as well. Raise it on the device itself.

The volume slider moves, but nothing changes in the sound

You may be adjusting a device that is not the one playing sound. Open the output list again and confirm the correct device is selected. If the right device is selected and the problem remains, the audio driver may be at fault. Updating it needs administrator rights.

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers.
3. Right-click your audio device and select Update driver. Approve the administrator prompt if it appears.
4. Select Search automatically for drivers and follow the prompts.

If Windows reports that the best driver is already installed, check the PC or motherboard manufacturer's support page for an audio driver. Restart the computer after any driver install.

Reset all volume levels to the defaults

If your per-app levels and device choices are out of control, reset them all at once. This is useful after a driver change or when apps keep playing through the wrong device.

1. Open Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Reset. The label may read Reset sound devices and volume for all apps to the recommended defaults.
3. Check the app sliders. They return to the default level, and each app goes back to the default output device.

This resets every app's volume and device choice, and you cannot undo it with one click. Write down any levels you want to keep before you select Reset. Your master volume and your default output device are not affected.

What to do next

After a Windows feature update or an audio driver reinstall, check Volume mixer again. Per-app levels and device choices sometimes revert to the defaults, and the fix is to set them again. If you still have no sound at all after the troubleshooting steps above, the next thing to check is the audio driver in Device Manager, or the device itself on another computer to rule out a hardware fault.