Minecraft sound not working is a problem a considerable number of gamers have had to deal with on Windows, Mac, and Xbox One platforms. When this happens, you will be able to hear audio from other programs, and games, but none on the Minecraft game.
In most cases, this problem occurs following an upgrade of the game, the OS, or after re-installing the Minecraft game. The issue is commonly associated with software incompatibilities on your PC or Xbox console.
Throughout this guide, you will learn what causes the Minecraft no sound bug, as well as how to troubleshoot and fix the problem on Windows, Mac, and Xbox One.
How to Fix The Issue?
Having to play the Minecraft game without the necessary in-game audio can be really boring. If you cannot perceive any sound while playing the game, you should first check whether the device is playing sound from other apps. For instance, you can try to play music through the media player.
If sound works just fine for the other apps/games, the problem is likely to be in the Minecraft game itself. The following methods will help you troubleshoot and fix the Minecraft sound not working problem:
Method 1:Refresh the Game
Some bugs that are known to cause the no sound problem in Minecraft can be cleared by just refreshing the game. If the game happens to lose sound while you are playing, try pressing the F3 + S key combination on the keyboard.
If you do not notice any changes, try pressing F3 + T simultaneously. Depending on the type of system you have, these key shortcuts will force the game to reload the models, textures, and sounds as well as other resource pack contents.
After pressing the keys, wait until the screen is loaded completely and then check whether Minecraft sound has been restored.
Method 2:Check Whether Minecraft is Muted
If refreshing the game does not resolve the Minecraft sound not working Windows 10 problem, check whether Minecraft sound has been muted. To do this, you should right-click on the volume icon, at the bottom right corner of the screen and then select ‘Open Volume Mixer’.
Now hold, and drag the slider labeled Minecraft, or Java program upwards to turn up Minecraft volume. Once done, close the volume mixer, and re-launch the game. Check to see whether the sound has been restored.
Method 3:Disable and Then Enable the Speakers
Another simple fix to the Minecraft no sound problem in Windows is to disable and then re-enable the audio output device. To implement this workaround, right-click on the speaker icon on the Taskbar, and select ‘Playback Devices’ from the context menu that comes up.
Next, right-click in the empty space on the Sound window and ensure that the checkboxes to the left of ‘ Show Disabled Devices’ and ‘ Disconnected Devices’ are both checked. Now right-click on the audio output device you are currently using, and select ‘Disable’ from the context menu that appears.
This operation with gray the audio device, indicating that it is no longer in use. Finally, you need to right-click on the same audio device, and select ‘Enable’. Once you are done, click on the Apply button at the bottom of the window, and then on the OK button to save the changes.
Method 4:Adjust Audio Buffer Settings
This solution is only applicable if you are using the Focusrite Audio Control Panel or a similar tool on your gaming computer. To restore Minecraft sound in such a case, you should open the Focusrite Audio Control Panel.
If the number of milliseconds on the control panel is too low, the audio may cut out or stop working altogether. If the number of milliseconds is too low, you should try to adjust the buffer by increasing the number of milliseconds.
Once done, re-launch Minecraft and check whether the in-game sound has been restored.
Method 5:Configure Minecraft Audio Settings
The lack of in-game audio output on the Minecraft game may also be caused by misconfigured Minecraft audio settings. To correct audio settings on the game, you will need to launch the Minecraft game and navigate to Audio Settings.
The procedure for doing this will depend on the Minecraft version you have. For instance:
- For Minecraft V1.13.1 (Java edition): navigate to Options > ‘Music & Sound’.
- For Minecraft V1.6.1 (Microsoft edition): Navigate to Settings > Audio.
Ensure that all the audio settings for the game are set to 100%. Once done, click on the ‘Done’ button to save the changes. Exit the window and restart Minecraft. Check whether the in-game sound is now working.
Method 6:Change Minecraft Mipmap Levels
Mio mapping on Minecraft lowers the quality of distant textures on the game. While these settings have nothing to do with in-game sounds, changing the levels has been reported to solve the Minecraft sound not working problem.
In this regard, you need to access the game settings and change the Mipmap levels accordingly. To implement this fix, Launch the Minecraft game and navigate to Video Settings. On the Video settings window, locate the Mipmap adjustment slider.
Hold and drag the Mipmap slider to level 4. Now close the window and restart the game. If this does not fix the problem, try changing the Mipmap level to a different value. Be sure to restart the game after every change.
Method 7:Update the Audio Drivers
As mentioned earlier in this guide, corrupted or outdated audio drivers on your computer can also trigger this problem. If this is the problem, you will need to re-install or update the driver to the latest version. This is how you should go about it:
1)Press the Windows + R key combination to open a Run dialog box.
2)Type ‘devmgmt.msc’ into the dialog box and press Enter to launch the ‘Device Manager’.
3)Double-click on the ‘Audio Inputs & Outputs’ category to expand it
4)From the expanded list of devices, select your audio device, right-click on it and select ‘Update Drivers.
5)Choose the ‘ Search automatically for updated driver software’ on the window that pops up.
Thereafter, you need to follow the on-screen prompts to finish the update process. Once the installation is complete, close the Device manager, and restart the computer. Now check to see whether the Minecraft sound not working issue has been fixed.
What Causes Minecraft Sound Not Working Windows 10 Issue?
Whether on Mac, Xbox One, or any Windows versions, the lack of audio output in-game can be caused by different things. Discussed below are some of the common causes of the ‘Minecraft sound not working’ issue, especially in Windows 10:
Minecraft Sound is Muted
In most cases, the problem is that the audio output for the Minecraft game is muted. Basically, each application in your PC has its own Sound Mixer. The mixer regulates the transmission of sound from different applications simultaneously.
The Sound Mixer allows you to increase, lower, or even mute volume output from the various applications that are currently running. In this regard, it is possible that Minecraft sound was muted from the sound mixer by accident.
This is the first thing you should check, especially if the problem did not occur following an upgrade.
Conflicting Sound Options
Each video game tends to have a set of unique sound options and mechanisms that are meant to work in sync with Windows sound options. On rare occasions, you may have a Windows sound options configuration that is not supported by the Minecraft game.
If this happens, it will be impossible for the Minecraft game to transmit sound.
Mip Mapping Error
Mip mapping on the Minecraft game lowers the quality of distant textures. These settings are basically meant to reduce flickering and aliasing on the texture. Although on rare occasions, the mop mapping levels on your game may become bugged, triggering a range of problems, including the loss of sound.
If this happens to be the problem, refreshing these settings should resolve the problem.
Misconfigured Windows Family Settings
Do you have Windows family settings enabled on your computer? If so, chances are that the Minecraft game is barred from transmitting sound according to the stored protocols. In such a case, you only need to grant the game proper permissions to fix the problem.
Incomplete Minecraft Installation
As mentioned earlier in this guide, the Minecraft sound not working problem often occurs after an upgrade. This may be attributed to incomplete installation of the game or even corrupted/missing game files. In other cases, the problem could be that the directory was moved to a different location during the upgrade or reinstallation.
In either case, this will trigger an assortment of errors in gameplay, such as the Minecraft sound not working issue.
Windows Sound Enhancements
Minecraft Windows 10 Edition sound problems may also be brought about by malfunctioning sound enhancements. As to may be aware, Windows allows users to add their preferred sound enhancements to their PCs in an effort to enhance sound quality.
If any of the enhancements malfunctions or there is a conflict between the enhancements and the game, you may encounter sound problems. If the enhancements on your computer are causing the Minecraft sound not working problem, you should consider disabling them.
Corrupted/Outdated Sound Drivers
Upgrading the Minecraft game may render the sound drivers you have on the computer incompatible with the new Minecraft version. Again, the drivers may be corrupted, making it impossible for them to function as they should.
To resolve such an issue, you will need to re-install the sound drivers, or better still upgrade them to the latest version, as discussed later in this guide.
Bugs in the Game
The Minecraft game is prone to a myriad of bugs that can then trigger different problems. A simple bug in the game can cause the game to lose in-game audio. This is particularly the case if you have not upgraded the game recently and had been receiving in-game sound without a problem.
Most of the bugs that may cause you to lose sound on the Minecraft game are relatively easy to clear. All you need to do is refresh the console to remove all the temporary files and configurations that may be causing the problem.
Final Verdict
The loss of in-game sound on the Minecraft game may be caused by different things, including muted sound settings, outdated audio drivers, faulty sound enhancements, or conflicting sound options. In most cases, the problem occurs soon after the game has been updated.
In other cases, the sound may disappear as you play the game. Regardless of the case, this guide will help you address the Minecraft sound not working problem on your own.