How to Hide or Show Unplugged Sound Devices in Settings on Windows 11
Hiding or showing unplugged sound devices in Windows 11 lets you clean up your audio list so you only see speakers, microphones, and headphones that are actually connected to your PC. Starting with Windows 11 build 26340.9354 (Experimental 26H2) for Insiders, Microsoft adds simple toggles to the All sound devices page in the Settings app.
You can turn off disconnected gear with a quick click to stop your audio menu from getting cluttered with old headsets and broken speakers. This feature keeps your sound settings neat and helps you pick the right working device fast.
Open Settings System Sound All sound devices Show devices for flow on this page, then turn off Show unplugged audio devices on this page to hide them. This removes disconnected speakers and microphones from your Windows 11 sound list, keeping your menu clean and easy to read.
Option One
Hide or Show Unplugged Sound Devices in Settings
- Open Settings by pressing the Win+I keys on your keyboard.
- Click or tap on System on the left side, and then click or tap on Sound on the right side.
You can hide unplugged sound devices in Settings on Windows 11 by opening the Sound menu and changing your device display options. This stops disconnected speakers and microphones from cluttering your audio list. Open Settings by pressing the Win+I keys, click System, and choose Sound to get started.
- Under Advanced, click or tap on All sound devices.
Open “All sound devices” Settings
- Under System defaults, click or tap on Show devices for flow on this page to open it up.
- Turn on (show – default) or turn off (hide) Show unplugged audio devices on this page depending on your preference.
When you turn on Show unplugged audio devices on this page, any unplugged audio devices appear grayed out at the bottom of the page.
- You can now close the Settings app if you wish.
Option Two
Hide or Show Unplugged Sound Devices in Settings using Registry
Advanced users can hide unplugged sound devices in Settings using the Registry by changing the ShowDisconnectedDevices value inside the Registry Editor. Open the Registry Editor and go to 🗝️HKEY_CURRENT_USER\
Show Unplugged Sound Devices in Settings
This is the default setting.
Set the value data for "ShowDisconnectedDevices" to 1.
Hide Unplugged Sound Devices in Settings
Set the value data for "ShowDisconnectedDevices" to 0.
Summary
This guide showed you how to control the visibility of unplugged sound devices on Windows 11. Switch between showing and hiding these disconnected audio items using either the Settings app or the Windows Registry Editor.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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