I can’t participate in Zoom audio! Common causes and solutions

Therefore, this time, we will introduce in detail the causes and appropriate solutions when you cannot participate in Zoom audio.

This article is for people who:

• People who are having trouble participating in Zoom audio
• People who have been told they can’t hear themselves
• People who want to know why the other party can’t hear the sound

Causes and solutions when you can’t join Zoom audio

If you can’t join the audio of a Zoom meeting and your meeting partner can’t hear you, there’s always something going on.

It’s important to find out what’s causing your microphone to be turned off and try the appropriate solutions.

This chapter also introduces possible causes and solutions when you cannot participate in Zoom audio.

Reason for not being able to participate in the audio: ① The microphone setting of the device is turned off.

When using the Zoom meeting app on an Android smartphone or tablet, be careful not to turn off the microphone setting on the device itself.

When you install the Zoom Meetings app on your smartphone or tablet and open the app, you will be asked if you want to allow Zoom to access your microphone.

Some people get stuck on the word “allow” and choose “don’t allow”, but if you don’t allow access to the microphone, you won’t be able to hear yourself on Zoom.

If you just want to hear the other person’s voice, you can leave the microphone off, but if you also talk on Zoom, it’s more convenient to change the settings so that the audio is automatically connected.

Solution for joining audio: Allow access to microphone

Follow these steps to change the settings so that Zoom can access your phone or device’s microphone. The following is a reference example for iPhone.

1. Tap “Settings”
2. Tap “Zoom”
3. Change the microphone toggle to green

Reason for not being able to participate in audio ② “Connect to audio” is not set

When participating in a Zoom meeting, for example, in the case of a personal computer (PC), if the check box “Do not connect to audio” is checked, the audio will not be played or the microphone will not be able to pick up your voice. , if you want to use audio, do not check it.

Also, in the case of iPhone, when you join a meeting, a pop-up saying “Please connect to audio to hear other users’ voices” will be displayed, but if you select “Cancel” here, you will not be able to use audio. Therefore, make sure to select “Call using Internet”.

If you accidentally join the meeting without connecting to audio, that’s okay. At the bottom left of the screen, you will see the “Connect to Audio” icon, so select it.

Reason for not being able to participate in audio ③ The volume of the device is low

In some cases, without realizing it, the volume of the device has been turned down, leading to the misconception that “I can’t participate in the audio” or “I can’t hear the sound.”

Solution for joining audio: increase the volume on your device

If the problem is caused by low volume on your device, simply increase the speaker volume.

Just to be sure, make sure you and your partner can hear each other properly when the volume is right.

If you can’t hear sound even after adjusting the volume on both devices, there are other reasons why you can’t join the audio.

Reason for not being able to participate in audio ④ Zoom’s microphone is muted

If there is no problem with the device settings, it is highly likely that the Zoom setting is muted.

Mute is a function that prevents the other party from hearing your voice with a single button.

Even if you don’t intend to mute yourself, you may press the mute button without realizing it, so be careful.

Solution for Joining Audio: Unmute by Pressing the Mute Button

Zoom’s mute function can be easily canceled by simply pressing the microphone mark displayed at the bottom left of the screen.

If the mark has a red slash in it, it’s muted, and if it doesn’t, the other party can hear you.

Mute itself is a convenient function, so let’s use it wisely when you have to deal with a sudden visitor or another phone call.

Reason for not being able to participate in audio ⑤ Internet environment is bad

For Zoom meetings using the Internet, you may not be able to participate in the audio if the communication environment is poor.

There are two solutions for this case, so let’s check them in order.

Solution for participating in the audio (1) Enter the room again in an environment with a good internet connection

If you enter the Zoom meeting room from a location with poor communication environment, move to a location with a stable connection and then access Zoom again.

One way is to turn on the Wi-Fi router and enter the room.

If you have a stable internet connection, you can make a smoother video call, so we recommend joining the audio where the connection environment is as good as possible.

Solution for Joining Audio #2 Joining Meetings by Dialing In

Dial-in is a method of having a Zoom meeting using a phone line instead of an internet line.

Even if you have a bad internet connection, dial-in can still make stable voice calls.

When you enter the meeting room and switch from the connection screen, the audio selection screen will be displayed. If you select “dial-in” at this time, you can use the phone line to hold a Zoom meeting.

However, depending on the country, you may need to subscribe to a phone option (premium audio plan) in order to use dial-in.

There is no problem in Japan, but if you are concerned about dialing in while traveling abroad, we recommend that you consider this when choosing a Zoom usage plan.

Reasons for not being able to participate in audio ⑥ Earphones are broken, compatibility with the device is poor

If the earphones used for Zoom are broken or are incompatible with devices such as computers and smartphones, you may not be able to successfully participate in the audio.

Also, even if it is not broken, there is a possibility that the connection of the Bluetooth device has been cut off or the battery has run out, so let’s check the status of the device.

Solution for joining audio: use a different mic

If you have another pair of earbuds handy, try plugging them into your computer, smartphone, or other device.

If you don’t have another earphone or can’t participate in the audio, you may be able to get by using the microphone / speaker built into your computer.

If you make a call with the phone’s built-in audio, you may find that the sound quality is not good, or that your voice is difficult to pick up, but you may be able to overcome the situation. Of course, let’s prepare a replacement device etc. by the next Zoom meeting.

How to do an audio test to check if you can join the audio

If you have an important Zoom meeting or webinar coming up, it’s a good idea to do an audio test before the show. If you are using computer audio with Zoom for the first time, follow the steps below to check the operation of the device.

The voice test method differs slightly depending on the timing of using Zoom, so we will introduce them separately. The following is the confirmation method for a personal computer (PC).

Pre-meeting audio test

1. Log in to Zoom
2. Click “Settings”
3. Select the “Audio” tab
4. Click “Microphone Test” under “Microphone”

If your computer audio is working properly, the input level bar will be green.

The audio test also verifies that recording works. When you’re done speaking, click “Record” to check your recorded voice.

If the audio is not recorded well or is of poor quality, we recommend that you select a different microphone from the menu and test the audio again.

If you don’t have a replacement mic, try adjusting the input level accordingly.

Audio test when joining a meeting

When joining a Zoom meeting on a personal computer (PC), you will be prompted for an audio test unless you have selected “Automatically join audio on computer” in the options.

You can test the audio by clicking “Test computer audio”, so please follow the steps introduced in “Pre-meeting test”.

Audio test while joining a meeting

Even if you can’t make time before the Zoom meeting, there is a way to test the audio during the meeting if you have a computer (PC).

If the person on the other end of the conference says “I can’t hear you”, follow the steps below to check your microphone.

1. Click the up arrow next to Mute/Unmute at the bottom left of the screen
2. Click “Audio Settings”
3. Click “Microphone Test” under “Microphone”

summary

This time, we introduced the causes and solutions for not being able to successfully participate in Zoom audio. Here is a summary of the important points:

• If you can’t join Zoom audio, there’s always a reason
• It is important to try to find a solution that matches the cause.
• It’s a good idea to run an audio test before an important meeting

If you are having trouble participating in the audio when there is no sound on Zoom, try adjusting the audio by referring to the content introduced this time.