How To Fix Web Browser Audio (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Etc.)
In today's multimedia era, browsing the internet often involves playing various audio and video clips on your browser. Whether it's Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Opera or Mozilla Firefox, each browser has its own media features. Sometimes, you may face audio issues while playing content.
How do I fix audio issues in my web browser? Web browser audio issues often have to do with the device's audio input/output configurations rather than the browser. However, extensions, apps, add-ons, cache, cookies, improper installation and outdated browser versions could be the cause behind browser-based audio issues.
Audio issues are most often at the operating system level. However, browsers may also cause issues with computer audio. What works for one browser doesn't necessarily fix the problem on another. In this article, we'll discuss how to fix audio issues in 6 common web browsers.
Table Of Contents
- How To Fix General Audio I/O Issues In A Computer
- How To Fix Audio Issues In Google Chrome
- How To Fix Audio Issues In Apple Safari
- How To Fix Audio Issues In Mozilla Firefox
- How To Fix Audio Issues In Microsoft Edge
- How To Fix Audio Issues In Microsoft Internet Explorer
- How To Fix Audio Issues In The Opera Web Browser
- Related Questions
How To Fix General Audio I/O Issues In A Computer
As I mentioned above, audio issues in computers and mobile devices are typically at the operating system level rather than in the web browser itself. Before trying to fix the browser, consider troubleshooting the audio I/O of the device itself.
Let's consider Windows and Mac operating systems and their audio I/O.
To find and/or change the audio input in Windows, go to:
- Control Panel
- Sound
- Recording
- Sound
Select the appropriate input device from the list.
To find and/or change the audio output in Windows, go to:
- Control Panel
- Sound
- Playback
- Sound
Select the appropriate output device from the list.
Additionally, newer versions of Windows have what is called the Volume Mixer. This mixer controls the volumes of whatever applications and devices are running/connected to the computer. Open this window to ensure the browser is unmuted and the volume is turned up.
To find and/or change the audio input in Mac, go to:
- System Preferences
- Sound
- Input
- Sound
Select the appropriate input device from the list.
To find and/or change the audio output on Mac, go to:
- System Preferences
- Sound
- Output
- Sound
Select the appropriate output device from the list.
If the device(s) (microphone, headphones, speakers, audio interface, etc.) are not available, try disconnecting the device(s) and reconnecting them.
If reconnecting doesn't work, restarting the computer may work to solve the problem.
If there are still issues where the device and operating system aren't communicating, you'll likely have to download and install the appropriate driver for the specific device. Search “[device name] driver [operating system name] download” into Google, and you'll likely find what you need.
Another point worth mentioning is to ensure that the computer, the device (if applicable) and the browser's media are not muted or turned all the way down.
For example, computers will have volume controls and mute buttons. External audio devices often come with volume controls as well. Finally, the website on the browser responsible for playing audio may be muted.
If the issue persists beyond these points, it may be that the device is broken or, in some cases, that the browser is actually to blame. With the latter in mind, let's move on to the rest of this article.
Related articles:
• Do Microphones Need Drivers To Work Properly With Computers?
• Are Speakers (& Studio Monitors) Input Or Output Devices?
• Are Headphones Input Or Output Devices?
• Are Microphones Input Or Output Devices?
• Does HDMI Carry Audio Signals?
How To Fix Audio Issues In Google Chrome
If you've gone through the troubleshooting listed above and still can't fix the audio issues in Google Chrome, try the following:
Disable Extensions In Google Chrome
Go to the browser extensions list. If you have an extension named Pepper Flash, make sure to disable it, as this often creates audio issues. Also, delete all other extensions and reinstall them. If you are then getting sound, then an extension was the issue.
Clear Cache And Cookies In Google Chrome
On your browser, click on the three dots at the top right, select More Tools and hit Clear Browsing Data.
In the window that appears, select All Time for a thorough cleaning. Click on Clear Data, restart your computer and test if the audio issue is fixed.
Reset Chrome Settings
Go to Settings on your Chrome browser and select the Advanced tab. Select Reset and let the process begin to refresh your browser settings.
Update Chrome
Select the Update Google Chrome link after clicking the three dots at the browser's top right corner. If no update is available, click on Help and About Google Chrome. The browser will check, download and install available updates. Relaunch the browser to complete the installation.
Related article: How To Record Audio On A Chromebook
How To Fix Audio Issues In Apple Safari
If you've gone through the troubleshooting listed above and still can't fix the audio issues in Apple Safari, try the following:
Check For Interfering Apps In Apple Safari
Some apps, like certain screen recorders, may install dedicated audio output drivers that may interfere with your browser's audio output. To fix that, choose Sound on the System Preferences and click on the Output tab. If you see an output option selected that looks like an app, uninstall it and remove all the files placed by it on your Mac. Relaunch Safari and check the audio.
Restart The Sound Controller For Apple Safari
Go to Applications and open Utilities, further launching the Activity Monitor. In the search bar, type ‘coreaudiod', open the same and click X' in the toolbar to quit it. This will restart the controller. Open Safari and test the audio issue by playing something.
How To Fix Audio Issues In Mozilla Firefox
If you've gone through the troubleshooting listed above and still can't fix the audio issues in Mozilla Firefox, try the following:
Update Mozilla Firefox
Make sure to update your browser to keep it running right. Reach the menu icon on the browser's top right and click Help. Click on About Firefox to download any available updates.
Restart Mozilla Firefox
If there is no update available, or if updating Firefox didn't resolve your issue, then go ahead with Fix 6.
Disable Add-Ons In Mozilla Firefox
Sometimes, add-ons can affect the functionality of the browser. Go to Help and restart the browser with all add-ons disabled. Restart in Safe Mode and play content to test the issue.
How To Fix Audio Issues In Microsoft Edge
If you've gone through the troubleshooting listed above and still can't fix the audio issues in Microsoft Edge, try the following:
Clear Browsing History And Cache In Microsoft Edge
Select the Hub icon on the browser's top right, and click on Settings. Click on Choose what to clear and select the specific items you want to clear—once done, restart Edge.
Turn Off Adobe Flash For Microsoft Edge
Click on Settings and go to View Advanced Settings. Click on Use Adobe Flash player, disable the same and restart the browser.
How To Fix Audio Issues In Microsoft Internet Explorer
If you've gone through the troubleshooting listed above and still can't fix the audio issues in Microsoft Internet Explorer, try the following:
Clear Flash Player Settings For Microsoft Internet Explorer
Open the Control Panel and open Flash Player settings. Go to the Advanced tab and press the Delete All button in the Browsing Data and Settings. Restart your computer and see if you can fix the issue.
Uncheck ActiveX Filtering In Microsoft Internet Explorer
Open Settings from the browser's top right corner. Select Safety and disable ActiveX Filtering by clicking it. Check if the issue is fixed.
Enable Sound In Settings In Microsoft Internet Explorer
Open the browser, and press Alt. In the next menu, click Tools, then Internet Options. On the Advanced tab, go to Multimedia and turn the checkmark for Play Sounds in Webpages on. Apply the settings and restart your computer.
Disable Add-Ons In Microsoft Internet Explorer
Open Command Prompt, search for cmd', and press Enter. Type “%ProgramFiles%\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe” -extoff and press Enter. Press Alt to open the IE menu, and click Tools > Manage Add-ons. Click on All add-ons under Show, select all the add-ons and choose Disable. Restart the browser and see if the issue is fixed.
How To Fix Audio Issues In The Opera Web Browser
If you've gone through the troubleshooting listed above and still can't fix the audio issues in Opera, try the following:
Disable All Extensions In Opera
A faulty extension may disrupt browser functions. Open Opera and click on the Menu icon. Select Extensions in the drop-down and open Extensions in the secondary drop-down. In the pop-up, choose all extensions that you want to disable. Relaunch the browser and play content.
Reinstall Opera
If nothing works, try reinstalling the browser if it doesn't play audio files.
While one or more of the above solutions must fix the problem, if your browser doesn't seem to work with all the aforementioned solutions, you can always try using another browser and continue streaming.
Related Questions
How do we connect a microphone to a computer? Connecting a microphone to a computer requires an audio interface. Audio interfaces physically connect mics to computers and convert analog audio signals into digital info. USB mics contain simple but limited interfaces, whereas standalone interfaces can connect entire studios to a single computer.
Further reading: How To Connect A Microphone To A Computer (A Detailed Guide)
How do we connect speakers of all types to our computers? The way in which we connect an external speaker to a computer depends on the type of speaker. Bluetooth speakers are connected wirelessly via Bluetooth; USB speakers connect via USB cables, and typical speakers require some sort of interface (whether internal or external) to connect to a computer.
Further reading: How To Connect Speakers To A Computer (All Speaker Types)
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