Your GameLoop mic is silent during CODM, BGMI, or Free Fire squad calls. Teammates can't hear you, or you hear no one. This guide covers every real fix — Windows audio routing, GameLoop's internal settings, and game-level voice chat toggles — in order of likelihood.
Why GameLoop Blocks Your Microphone
GameLoop runs as a sandboxed Android VM. Windows treats it like any app competing for audio input — and that's where most mic problems start:
| Root Cause | Frequency |
|---|---|
| Windows mic privacy toggle off for desktop apps | Very common |
| Wrong audio device selected in GameLoop settings | Common |
| Exclusive mode app (Discord/OBS/Zoom) locked the mic | Common |
| Windows audio driver conflict after Windows Update | Moderate |
| In-game voice chat disabled in game settings | Moderate |
| GameLoop version bug (specific builds had audio regression) | Occasional |
| Mic muted at hardware level (physical switch/headset button) | Often overlooked |
| USB headset power/USB hub issue | Occasional |
Before You Start: 2-Minute Pre-Check
- Open Voice Recorder (Windows built-in) and speak. Can you record audio? If not — the problem is Windows-level, not GameLoop.
- Check your headset's physical mute button. Obvious, but responsible for ~15% of mic reports.
- Confirm you're using the right microphone — if you have a webcam, speakers with built-in mic, or a USB headset, Windows may have chosen the wrong default.
Fix 1: Windows Microphone Privacy Settings
This fixes ~40% of cases.
Windows 11/10 has a per-app mic permission toggle that many users don't know exists.
- Press
Win + I→ Privacy & Security → Microphone - Toggle Microphone access ON (system-wide)
- Toggle Let desktop apps access your microphone ON
- Scroll down — verify GameLoop.exe is not individually blocked
Also check:
- Settings → System → Sound → Input → confirm your mic appears and shows input activity when you speak
Windows 10: Settings → Privacy → Microphone → Allow apps to access your microphone → ON, plus "Allow desktop apps" → ON.
Fix 2: Set Correct Input Device in GameLoop
GameLoop has its own audio device selector separate from Windows defaults.
- Open GameLoop → top-right gear icon (Settings)
- Go to Engine tab → scroll to Audio settings
- Under Microphone, open the dropdown
- Select your actual microphone (headset, USB mic, etc.) — NOT "Default" if you have multiple devices
- Click Save → restart GameLoop
If the dropdown only shows "Default" and your headset isn't listed: check Device Manager for driver issues (see Fix 7).
Fix 3: Close Apps That Use Exclusive Mic Access
Discord, OBS, Zoom, and some recording software grab the microphone in "exclusive mode" — GameLoop cannot share it.
Close these before launching GameLoop:
- Discord (fully quit from system tray)
- OBS Studio
- Zoom / Teams / Meet
- Any screen recorder
- NVIDIA ShadowPlay / AMD ReLive (if using voice recording)
Then launch GameLoop first, then Discord. If you need Discord voice + game simultaneously: in Discord → Settings → Voice & Video → disable Exclusive mode and set Input Sensitivity to a fixed value.
Fix 4: Check In-Game Voice Chat Settings
Each game has its own voice chat toggle independent of your Windows mic:
CODM (Call of Duty: Mobile)
- In-game → Settings (gear) → Audio → Voice Chat: ON
- Microphone: ON
- Voice chat channel: Squad / Room (not "None")
- Push-to-talk vs Open mic: tap the mic icon in the top-right of the lobby
BGMI / PUBG Mobile
- Settings → Voice → Voice Chat: ON → Mic: ON
- During match: tap the mic icon near minimap (orange = open, gray = muted)
Free Fire
- Settings → Sound → Voice Chat: ON → check individual match settings
Honor of Kings
- Settings → Voice → ensure mic toggle is ON
Fix 5: Disable Windows Exclusive Mode on the Mic
- Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar → Sounds (Control Panel view)
- Click Recording tab
- Right-click your microphone → Properties
- Go to Advanced tab
- Uncheck Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device
- Click OK → test in GameLoop
Fix 6: Update or Roll Back Audio Drivers
A Windows Update in late 2025 caused Realtek audio regressions on several laptop models. If your mic stopped working after a Windows Update:
Update path:
- Open Device Manager (
Win + X→ Device Manager) - Expand Sound, video and game controllers
- Right-click your audio adapter → Update driver → Search automatically
Rollback path (if it broke after an update):
- Same path → Right-click → Properties → Driver tab
- Click Roll Back Driver (only available if a previous driver exists)
For Realtek specifically: download the latest Realtek HD Audio driver from your laptop manufacturer's support page (not Realtek's generic download) for best compatibility.
Fix 7: USB Headset / USB Hub Issues
USB headsets enumerate as a separate audio device. If your mic stops working intermittently:
- Plug the headset directly into the PC's USB port (bypass any USB hub)
- Try a different USB port (preferably USB 3.0 port on the back panel of a desktop)
- Open Device Manager → check for yellow warning triangles under Audio inputs and outputs
- Right-click the mic → Uninstall device → unplug → replug to force re-detection
For headsets with separate USB audio controller chips (SteelSeries, Logitech G series, HyperX): install the manufacturer's companion software, which sometimes overrides Windows audio routing.
Fix 8: Reinstall GameLoop Audio Components
If no other fix works, GameLoop's audio module may be corrupted.
- Close GameLoop completely
- Navigate to
C:\Users\[YourUser]\AppData\Local\Tencent\GameLoop(or the install directory) - Delete the
Audiosubfolder if present - Relaunch GameLoop — it will recreate audio components on startup
- If that fails: uninstall GameLoop → reboot → download the latest installer from the official site → reinstall
Note: Reinstalling GameLoop does not delete your game data. Downloaded games are stored in a separate
GameDownloadfolder.
Quick Diagnostic Checklist
| Check | Pass / Fail |
|---|---|
| Voice Recorder picks up mic input | ✓ / ✗ |
| Windows Privacy → Microphone → Desktop apps: ON | ✓ / ✗ |
| GameLoop audio settings → correct mic selected | ✓ / ✗ |
| Discord/OBS/Zoom closed before GameLoop | ✓ / ✗ |
| Exclusive mode disabled on mic (Advanced tab) | ✓ / ✗ |
| In-game voice chat: ON | ✓ / ✗ |
| Headset plugged directly (no hub) | ✓ / ✗ |
FAQ
Q: My teammates can hear me but I can't hear them. Volume routing issue, not a mic problem. In GameLoop Settings → Audio → set Headphone/Speaker output device to your headset. Also check in-game voice volume slider (separate from music/effects volume).
Q: Mic works in Windows but not in GameLoop specifically. GameLoop isn't seeing it. Go to Fix 2 (select device explicitly) + Fix 5 (disable exclusive mode).
Q: Mic works for 5 minutes then cuts out. USB power management issue. Open Device Manager → Universal Serial Bus controllers → right-click each USB Root Hub → Properties → Power Management → uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
Q: Push-to-talk key doesn't work in CODM. GameLoop keymapping conflict. In GameLoop's keymapper, check if the push-to-talk key is bound to another GameLoop function. Unbind it from GameLoop and let the game handle it.
Q: Works in CODM but not BGMI. In-game setting difference — go through Fix 4 for BGMI specifically. The voice channel selection in BGMI is particularly easy to miss.
Article #540 | EmuDesk Knowledge Base | Last updated 2026-08-23