Can't hear participants

[mytrainerjill]

About a month or so ago Zoom updated something and now I can't hear my participants before or after meetings I used to be able to talk with them before class, then I'd mute them during class, and we could chat again afterwards. What do I need to change? Thanks in advance for your help!

[CarlaA]

Hi @mytrainerjill, thank you for posting for the first time, and welcome to the Zoom Community!

I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing issues with hearing your participants before and after Zoom meetings. It's possible that a recent Zoom update might have changed some settings. Let's troubleshoot the problem and get you back on track. Here are some steps you can try:

1. Check Audio Settings: Verify that your audio settings in Zoom are configured correctly. Click on the gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner of the Zoom desktop app or web client. Check the "Audio" tab to ensure the correct microphone and speaker are selected.
2. Adjust Meeting Options: During a meeting, click on the arrow (^) next to the microphone icon to access the meeting options. Make sure the "Mute on Entry" option is not enabled. This will allow participants to join the meeting unmuted, and you should be able to hear them.
3. Unmute Participants: If your participants are muted during the meeting, you can unmute them by clicking on the Participants button on the Zoom toolbar, finding their name in the participant list, and clicking on the "Unmute" button next to their name.
4. Host Controls: Double-check the host controls to ensure there are no specific settings restricting participant audio before or after the meeting. Go to the Zoom web portal (https://zoom.us) and sign in to your account. Navigate to "Settings" > "Meetings" > "In Meeting (Advanced)" and review the options related to participant audio.
5. Update Zoom: Make sure you are using the latest version of the Zoom app. Outdated versions may have compatibility issues. You can download the latest version from the Zoom website (https://zoom.us/download).
6. Test with Different Participants: To rule out participant-specific issues, try conducting a test meeting with different participants to see if the problem persists.
7. Restart Device and Router: Sometimes, a simple restart of your computer or device, as well as your internet router, can resolve temporary glitches affecting audio.

If the issue persists after trying these steps, it's possible that the problem may lie with your specific Zoom settings or a deeper technical issue. If this is the case, let me know!

Carla,
Zoom Community Team

[AjayBobal]

Hi,

i have the exact same problem with my account. I am the admin and while all the participants can hear me clearly, i am unable to hear my team members.. Can you check out my account too?

Thanks

Ajay

[mara26]

I cant hear the participants while others can hear me. Also, I tried to test the speakers on Zoom and I cant hear the test ringtone. I dont know what is happening, since my speakers do work. Do you think you can help me?

[Nicoletta]

i have the same problem since a few months. i have tried all the above mentioned suggestions but to no avail. Did any of the other Zoom users with this problem solve this problem? i am still looking for a solution

[Дана00]

Я не слышу собеседника. Меня слышно, а я других не слышу уже где то неделю. Настройки не меняла.

[Briggzy]

And experiencing the same issues as many of the others that have posted regarding not being able to hear participants.  I tried each of your suggested processes and I’m still not able to hear a specific participant.  Each time I went to settings and tested the audio following your suggested process and briefly heard the sound but then nothing.  I went on the web and set up a zoom meeting and did not have any issue with the audio so I think the issue is with the Zoom app. Do you have any solution?

[DanHuber]

Make sure you have the latest Zoom workplace app. When you say you’re not able to hear a specific participant, does that mean you are able to hear other participants? If so then audio is passing through to zoom. It could be that Participants audio setup. If you are the host and the admin on your zoom account you have a Zoom dashboard on your logged in Zoom account webpage. There you can look at that participants connection in much more detail. If you are not an admin you can submit a support ticket with Zoom with the meeting id number  and the participant name and they can look at the meeting details. 

[Briggzy]

I checked and have the latest version.  I'm only zooming with one other person and can see but not hear him and I agree it could be the participant but when I tested my audio I did not get a continuous ding ding sound.  The sound barely came through at first and then immediately faded to no sound.   I set up a session on the web instead of the workplace app and tested the sound which worked so I'm thinking it's a problem with the app.  I uninstalled and downloaded and reinstalled the app but it didn't make any difference.

[SophieH]

I have the same issue and tried everything you have suggested. Could you please have a look so I can use Zoom? If not, I will have to cancel my subscription and go to an other platform unfortunately. 

Kind regards, 

Sophie

[Muleskinners]

Same here...  More info could be helpful.

[DanHuber]

if you Mute participants in the meeting as the host or cohost then you can only request that they unmute. This is by default I believe. As far as Text Chat there is a setting to enable continuous chat before during and after a meeting. 

[mara26]

I cant hear the participants while others can hear me. Also, I tried to test the speakers on Zoom and I cant hear the test ringtone. I dont know what is happening, since my speakers do work.

[jdstrum20015]

I have same issue.  People can hear me but I can't hear anyone.  Not a speaker issue.

[Nicoletta]

i have the same problem for monts now. i have tried all the suggestions from the Zoom moderator but without succes. it's very annoying. Does anyone know how to solve this problem?

[mytrainerjill]

I can’t even tell you what helped. Run the tests it tells you to before you start. (Test microphone & speakers?)  I think I toggled something in audio (maybe advanced settings?) that finally worked. 

[Valgleave]

This was the solution for me: Select: Windows/Settings/System/Sound/Advanced/Volume Mixer/Apps - find Zoom in Apps and make sure it is not muted. We found it was crossed out and were able to unmute it and all works now. Good luck  (the problem was unusual!)

[MaryBB_L1]

THIS IS MY SOLUTION!

IT WORKED FOR ME!!!

Thanks!

[LHPerez]

I have the same issue where my clients can hear me on my zoom meetings but I cant hear them.  I checked both audio and speakers; even had geek squad test to make sure there was nothing wrong with my system.  There seems to be a glitch in the zoom program, I have had it uninstalled and reinstalled and still this paid program is not working effectively for me on my laptop.

Can some one please help me!!!

[DanHuber]

would need to more information before just saying the issue is with Zoom software. If you open the Zoom Workplace desktop client there is an Icon for Zoom settings in the upper right hand corner. under audio you can test speakers and mic separately. if you click the test speakers you try your laptops internal speakers, or if you use headphones you can change to those and test sound passing through to those. if you can hear in the speakers and headphones then I would say you should be hearing in the Zoom meeting. If could be that you set up the meeting or joined a meeting that was setup to mute microphones, or even disable microphones. The host or co host of the meeting can also mute all participants mics in the participant list. in this case that host or co host can't unmute their mics, they can only request that the participant unmute. these are just a couple of examples of why you could not hear the others in the meeting. Taking a look at the meeting details through the Admin user Dashboard on zoom.us will show you much more. If you are the owner or admin of your paid zoom account then you have this ability. you goto zoom.us login and then along the left side under Admin you will see Dashboard. you can then look at past meetings and see details per user that connected to the meeting. You can see there audio statistics, like bitrate and if there is no audio being sent or received then I would say their mic was disabled. if you dont have the admin dashboard or you were not the host of the meeting then you would need to give the meeting ID to Zoom Support to look into further.