Top 8 Ways to Fix Zoom Audio Delay on Windows 10 and Windows 11

Top 8 Ways to Fix Zoom Audio Delay on Windows 10 and Windows 11

It’s 2021 and Zoom continues to be the de facto choice for small businesses and organizations to host digital meetings. Your next Zoom meeting may be unsuccessful if you experience audio delays during conversations. Many users have faced this issue and in this article we are going to fix Zoom audio lag on Windows 10 and Windows 11.


Fixed zoom audio lag

Many factors affect the audio delay on Zoom. It is difficult to identify a single reason for the audio delay on Zoom. We will start with the most basic troubleshooting tip and then move on to the advanced methods to resolve the issue.

1. Use a faster internet connection

One of the main culprits of Zoom audio lag on Windows is incomplete or slow internet connection. Zoom is a resource intensive application, it requires good bandwidth to conduct smooth video meetings.

If you are working with single digit internet speed, you might experience video issues as well as audio lag. Participants can see your face perfectly, but the sound will arrive after a considerable delay.

Check the Wi-Fi connection


Check the Wi-Fi connection

All of this can lead to confusion and errors during ongoing Zoom calls. Make sure you are working with a fast internet connection. If another app is running in the background and consuming internet bandwidth, pause it during the Zoom meeting.

2. Check your laptop’s microphone

Is your Windows laptop microphone working? You might want to check this before starting a Zoom meeting. Zoom offers an option to check the microphone in the settings. Here is how you can test it.

Step 1: Open Zoom on Windows.

2nd step: Click the Settings gear at the top.

Fixed zoom audio delay 5


Fixed zoom audio delay 5

Step 3: Go to the Audio menu.

Step 4: Select your default microphone and click the Test Microphone button.

Fixed zoom audio delay 2


Fixed zoom audio delay 2

3. Use an external microphone for better audio quality

If you are indeed working with a faulty microphone in Windows, it is time to replace it with a dedicated microphone.

The market is full of third-party microphones for use with Windows machines. Such an investment makes sense for power users who make frequent Zoom calls during the day.

Using the microphone


Using the microphone

After setting up a new microphone in Windows, don’t forget to change the default microphone in the Zoom Settings menu.

Open the zoom settings and go to Audio. In Microphone, select the default microphone and start the Zoom meeting.

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4. Check the bluetooth connection

Are you trying to make Zoom calls with a Bluetooth headset? You might want to check the bluetooth connection. Unreliable Bluetooth connection can cause audio delay in Zoom meetings.

Make sure the Bluetooth connection is working properly before starting a Zoom meeting. Check out our dedicated guide if you have Bluetooth connection issues in Windows 11.

5. Update microphone drivers

Outdated microphone drivers can interfere with audio delay on Zoom. You need to update the drivers to the latest version from the Device Manager menu. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press the Windows key and open the Device Manager menu.

2nd step: Expand the Audio inputs and outputs menu.

Fixed zoom audio delay 3


Fixed zoom audio delay 3

Step 3: Find your current device’s microphone in the menu.

Step 4: Right click on it and update the microphone drivers to the latest version.

Fixed zoom 1 audio delay


Fixed zoom 1 audio delay

6. Check the headset microphone

In the fourth method, we asked you to check the bluetooth connection on your Windows laptop. Now you need to check the headset microphone. A corrupted headset microphone can cause audio delay during Zoom calls.

Use headphones


Use headphones

To make sure the headset microphone is working as expected, you can call someone and ask if they can hear you okay. If so, then you are good to go with bluetooth headphones. Otherwise, you need to change the input device for Zoom calls.

7. Remove background noise

The Zoom Windows application has an option to eliminate background noise. It can filter out annoying sounds to improve audio quality. Background noises such as paper crunching, keyboard pinching, fan noise, etc. will be filtered out to provide a better experience.

Step 1: Open the Zoom app and click on the Settings gear at the top.

2nd step: Go to the Audio menu.

Step 3: By default, Remove Background Noise is set to Auto. Select High and it will eliminate all types of background noise.

Fixed zoom audio delay 4


Fixed zoom audio delay 4

Participants will only hear your voice and not some other random noise during calls.

8. Update zoom

Zoom regularly updates the app with new features and bug fixes. You may be using an outdated version of Zoom, causing audio lag and other issues.

Open Zoom and click on the profile menu at the top. Check for updates and install the latest version of Zoom to eliminate bugs.

Enjoy a smooth audio experience in Zoom

Zoom audio delay may force you to look for alternatives. But the audio delay issue occurs due to other factors, you will keep facing the same delay in other video calling apps. Follow the tips above and fix the audio delay on Zoom.

Last updated on November 24, 2021

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