If you are having issues hearing sound when watching videos or live streams on Facebook, there are a few things you can try to get the sound working again. Here are some quick answers to common questions about Facebook sound not working and how to fix it:
Make Sure Your Speaker or Headphones Are Plugged In and Turned On
The most obvious reason that you may not be hearing sound on Facebook is because your speakers or headphones are not properly connected. Double check that your speakers are powered on and that the volume is turned up. If you are trying to listen with headphones, make sure they are plugged in all the way and that the volume on the headphones is turned up.
Check Your Computer’s Audio Settings
Problems with Facebook sound may also be related to your computer’s audio settings. Try these troubleshooting steps:
- Make sure your computer’s volume is turned up high enough – check the volume controls in your operating system or keyboard shortcuts.
- Check that your default audio output device is set correctly in your computer’s audio settings.
- Try changing between different audio output options (speakers, headphones, HDMI, etc) in the audio settings to see if one works better.
- Test that audio works for other websites and applications outside of Facebook.
Refresh the Facebook Page
If audio was working previously on Facebook but has stopped, try refreshing the page. This will reload all of the page components and may resolve temporary audio issues.
Try Switching Browsers
Problems with Facebook audio could also be related specifically to the web browser you are using. Try opening Facebook in a different web browser like Chrome, Firefox or Safari to see if audio starts working again.
Update Your Audio Drivers
Outdated audio drivers can also cause issues with sound on Facebook. Check for driver updates from your sound card or audio device manufacturer. On Windows, you can also try going to the Device Manager, finding your audio device, and updating drivers there.
Restart Your Computer
If you have tried other troubleshooting steps, a simple computer restart may help get Facebook audio working again. This will fully reload all drivers and clear any software issues that could be preventing sound.
Check Facebook’s Audio Settings
Make sure that audio is enabled in your Facebook settings:
- Click the arrow in the top right corner and click “Settings”.
- Click “Media and Contacts” in the left sidebar.
- Make sure the toggle for “Play Videos with Sound” is turned on.
Allow Facebook’s Website Access to Your Microphone
Facebook requires access to your microphone to play audio. Make sure microphone access is allowed:
- Chrome – Click the lock icon left of url, click “Site Settings”, set “Microphone” to “Allow”
- Firefox – Click the lock icon left of url, click “Site Permissions”, set “Microphone” to “Allow”
- Safari – Preferences > Websites > Microphone > Make sure facebook.com has “Allow” selected
Allow Pop-Up Windows
Facebook audio may sometimes need to open in a pop-up window. Make sure your browser is not blocking pop-ups for Facebook:
- Chrome – Settings > Privacy & Security > Site Settings > Pop-ups and Redirects > Allow facebook.com
- Firefox – Preferences > Privacy & Security > Permissions > Uncheck “Block pop-up windows”
- Safari – Preferences > Websites > Pop-up Windows > Allow facebook.com
Clear Your Browser Cache
Clearing your browser’s cache can resolve issues with page loading and media playback on Facebook:
- Chrome – Settings > Privacy & Security > Clear browsing data > Clear cached images and files
- Firefox – Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Clear data
- Safari – Develop menu > Empty Caches
Try Using Facebook in Incognito/Private Browsing Mode
Facebook audio issues may be related to an extension or Facebook setting that is interfering. Try launching an incognito or private browsing window and accessing Facebook audio there:
- Chrome – Ctrl + Shift + N
- Firefox – Ctrl + Shift + P
- Safari – File > New Private Window
Try Watching on the Facebook Mobile App
As a workaround, you can also access Facebook videos and live streams in the Facebook mobile app for iOS or Android. This will use your device’s native audio instead of relying on your computer’s sound.
Conclusion
Troubleshooting Facebook sound issues requires methodically checking your audio devices, browser settings, Facebook settings, drivers, caches, and extensions. Refreshing the page, switching browsers, restarting your computer, or using incognito mode can also resolve temporary glitches. If issues persist on your computer, try watching Facebook videos and live streams on the Facebook mobile app instead. Follow the tips above to help identify and fix any problems you experience with missing audio on Facebook.
| Troubleshooting Step | Details |
|---|---|
| Check audio devices | Make sure speakers are on and headphones plugged in, volume is up |
| Check computer audio settings | Volume is up, output device is correct |
| Refresh Facebook page | Reload page components and media |
| Try different browser | Issue may be browser-specific |
| Update audio drivers | Outdated drivers may cause issues |
| Restart computer | Fully reloads drivers and software |
| Check Facebook settings | Make sure sound is enabled |
| Allow microphone access | Needed for audio playback |
| Allow pop-ups | Audio may use pop-up window |
| Clear browser cache | Can fix page loading issues |
| Try incognito/private mode | Isolates extensions and settings |
| Use Facebook mobile app | Alternative to computer audio |
Check Audio Devices
The first step in troubleshooting Facebook sound issues is to check your audio playback devices. Make sure your speakers are powered on and that the volume is turned up to an audible level. If you are trying to listen with headphones, verify they are fully plugged into the audio jack on your computer or device.
It’s possible you accidentally muted or lowered the volume on your speakers/headphones, so double check the volume controls on the device itself. If you have external speakers, check the volume knob on the speakers. If using headphones, try raising the volume control on the headphone cable or adjusting the volume in your operating system or keyboard shortcuts.
Verify Computer Audio Settings
If your speakers and headphones are working properly, the next thing to check is your computer’s audio settings. Open the sound settings in your operating system (Control Panel on Windows, System Preferences on Mac).
Confirm that the overall volume of your computer is turned up high enough to properly hear audio. Also check that the correct audio output device is selected. Try changing the output between different options like speakers, headphones, HDMI or other ports. See if switching the audio device makes any difference.
You can also test if audio works for other websites and applications outside of Facebook. If those work fine, then the issue is isolated to just Facebook’s audio specifically.
Reload the Facebook Page
A quick way to troubleshoot is to simply reload the Facebook page you are trying to play audio from. Refreshing the browser page will force all page components like videos and live streams to re-load from scratch.
This can resolve any temporary glitches that are preventing sound from playing properly. Click the refresh icon in your browser or press F5 to reload the page and try playing audio again.
Try an Alternate Browser
Issues with Facebook audio may be related specifically to the web browser you are using. The audio may work in a different browser.
Open Facebook in an alternate browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge and see if you are able to get sound there. If the audio works in one browser but not another, it indicates a browser-specific problem.
You can reset browser settings in the problematic browser or re-install it completely to resolve any corrupted files or configuration issues.
Update Audio Drivers
Outdated, corrupt or missing audio drivers can also cause Facebook sound problems. Audio drivers act as the software interface between your operating system and your sound hardware.
You may need to update your audio drivers to the latest version to get Facebook sound working. Check the support site of your sound card, integrated sound chip, speakers, headphones or primary audio device for updated drivers from the manufacturer.
On Windows, go to the Device Manager, find your sound device from the list, right-click it and choose Update Driver. This will search and install the latest driver for that device.
Restart Your Computer
If updating drivers does not help, try fully restarting your computer. This will completely reload all drivers and flush any software issues that could be interfering with Facebook’s audio playback.
Make sure to fully restart – not just sign out and back in. A full restart will clear all components and perform a fresh boot up sequence. After restarting, check if sound now works properly in Facebook.
Check Facebook Settings
Make sure that audio is enabled in your Facebook account settings:
- Click on the arrow in the top right corner of Facebook
- Select “Settings” from the dropdown menu
- Click on “Media and Contacts” in the left sidebar
- Locate the “Videos” section and make sure “Play Videos with Sound” is enabled
If sound is disabled here, Facebook videos will be muted by default. Enable sound in your settings to correct this.
Allow Microphone Access
In order for audio playback to work on Facebook, your browser needs access to your microphone.
Check your browser permissions and make sure Facebook is allowed to use your microphone:
- Chrome: Click the lock icon left of the URL bar > Site Settings > Microphone > Set Facebook to Allow
- Firefox: Click the lock icon left of the URL bar > Site Permissions > Microphone > Set Facebook to Allow
- Safari: Safari > Preferences > Websites > Microphone > Make sure Facebook is set to Allow
Granting microphone access enables Facebook to play videos, live streams, and other audio content through your speakers.
Allow Pop-Up Windows
Facebook may sometimes use pop-up windows for audio playback. If your browser blocks pop-ups, this can interfere with sound.
Make sure pop-ups are allowed for Facebook:
- Chrome: Settings > Privacy & security > Site Settings > Pop-ups > Allow facebook.com
- Firefox: Preferences > Privacy & Security > Permissions > Uncheck “Block pop-up windows”
- Safari: Safari > Preferences > Websites > Pop-up Windows > Allow facebook.com
Clear Browser Cache
Clearing your browser cache can fix page loading problems and media playback issues on Facebook:
- Chrome: Settings > Privacy & Security > Clear browsing data > Clear cached images and files
- Firefox: Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Clear Data
- Safari: Develop menu > Empty Caches
After clearing the cache, reload Facebook and try playing audio again. This will force Facebook to re-download all page resources and may resolve corrupted files.
Try Incognito or Private Browsing
Audio issues on Facebook may be related to an extension, setting or other browser modification that is interfering with sound. As a test, launch an incognito or private browsing window:
- Chrome: Ctrl+Shift+N
- Firefox: Ctrl+Shift+P
- Safari: File > New Private Window
This will load Facebook in a fresh, isolated browser session without any extensions or custom settings. Check if audio works normally here. If it does, it points to an extension causing problems with Facebook sounds.
Use the Mobile App
As a workaround while troubleshooting computer audio issues, you can access Facebook videos and live streams in the Facebook mobile app for iOS or Android.
The app uses your device’s native audio instead of relying on your computer’s sound. Install the app, login to Facebook, and check if videos play properly with sound.
The mobile app experience may be more convenient anyway if you just need quick access to Facebook audio and video content.
Summary
Troubleshooting Facebook sound issues requires a systematic approach to isolate the problem. Check your audio devices, browser settings, Facebook settings, drivers, caches, and extensions to identify what could be interfering with audio playback. Refreshing the page, switching browsers, restarting, or using incognito mode can resolve temporary glitches.
If troubleshooting does not restore audio on your computer, the Facebook mobile app provides a handy workaround using your device’s native sound. With some diligent testing, you should be able to get Facebook videos and live streams playing with sound again.