How to Fix Zoom Audio Echo or Feedback During Calls

What Causes This?

Zoom audio echo or feedback usually happens when your microphone picks up sound coming from your speakers, then sends it back into the call. It can also be caused by using the wrong input/output device in Zoom, Windows sound enhancements, multiple active microphones, or another app interfering with your audio settings. In some cases, outdated audio drivers or aggressive noise processing can make the problem worse.

Common Symptoms

• Other people hear their own voice repeated a second later
• You hear a loud squeal, ringing, or looping sound during calls
• Audio gets worse when your speakers are turned up
• Echo only happens on one device, headset, or microphone
• Zoom calls sound fine at first, then feedback starts randomly

How to Fix It Manually

1. Use headphones instead of speakers

   • If you are using laptop or desktop speakers, switch to wired or Bluetooth headphones first.
   • This is the fastest way to stop your microphone from picking up meeting audio and feeding it back into Zoom.

2. Check Zoom’s microphone and speaker selection

   • Open Zoom.
   • Click the gear icon in the top-right corner to open Settings.
   • Select Audio.
   • Under Speaker, make sure the correct playback device is selected.
   • Under Microphone, choose the microphone you actually want to use, not a webcam mic or monitor mic by mistake.
   • Click Test Speaker and Test Mic to confirm both devices are working properly.

3. Lower speaker volume and move the microphone away

   • Reduce your Windows or speaker volume to see if the echo stops.
   • If you use an external microphone, move it farther away from your speakers.
   • Avoid placing a microphone directly in front of a laptop’s built-in speakers.

4. Disable extra microphones in Windows

   • Press Windows + I to open Settings.
   • Go to System > Sound.
   • Under Input, check which microphones are available.
   • Click any microphone you are not using and, if available, choose Don’t allow or disable it.
   • If your webcam, headset, and built-in mic are all active at once, Zoom may switch to the wrong one.

5. Turn off audio enhancements

   • Press Windows + R, type mmsys.cpl, and press Enter.
   • Click the Recording tab.
   • Select your active microphone, then click Properties.
   • Open the Enhancements tab and check Disable all enhancements if the option appears.
   • Also check the Advanced tab and uncheck Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.
   • Click Apply, then OK.
   • Repeat this for your Playback device under the Playback tab if needed.

6. Close other apps that may be using your microphone

   • Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
   • Look for apps like Discord, Teams, OBS, voice changers, or audio control software.
   • Right-click any app that may be processing your microphone audio and choose End task.
   • Reopen Zoom and test again.

7. Update or reinstall your audio driver

   • Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager.
   • Expand Audio inputs and outputs and Sound, video and game controllers.
   • Right-click your microphone or audio device and select Update driver.
   • If the problem started after a driver change, choose Uninstall device, restart your PC, and let Windows reinstall it.

Fix It Automatically with Kudu

Kudu can scan your PC for common Zoom audio problems like misconfigured input/output devices, conflicting sound settings, unnecessary startup apps, and driver-related issues. Instead of checking each Windows setting manually, it helps identify what is causing the feedback and applies the right fixes faster.

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