Windows 10: Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10

Discus and support Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 in Windows 10 Tutorials to solve the problem; How to: Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 How to Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 In... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Tutorials' started by Brink, Oct 5, 2017.

  1. Brink
    Brink New Member

    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10


    How to: Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10

    How to Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10


    In Windows 10, having a camera and microphone as part of your device or system lets you make Skype video calls, take pictures, record videos, and more. Many apps and services request and use the camera or microphone, and Windows settings give you control over which apps can use your camera or microphone.

    Some people worry about unknown apps, organizations, or malware using their camera or microphone.

    Privacy statement from Microsoft: Windows 10 camera, microphone, and privacy | Microsoft privacy

    Starting with Windows 10 build 17063, you can now allow or deny Windows 10 and apps access to the microphone on your device (PC) for all users.

    If you allow access, users on your PC will be able to turn on or off if their apps have access to the microphone. If you turn on to let apps access your microphone, you can choose to turn on (allow) or off (deny) access for individual apps.

    Starting with Windows 10 build 17686, if access to the microphone has been disabled in your privacy settings, you will now get a notification below the first time an attempt to use the microphone is blocked so you can review the settings if desired.


    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 [​IMG]


    Starting with Windows 10 build 18252, Microsoft introduced a new mic icon that would appear in the notification area letting you know when an app was accessing your microphone. Starting with Windows 10 build 18290, Microsoft is updating it so if you hover over the icon, it will now show you which app. Double clicking the icon will open Microphone Privacy Settings. If multiple apps are using your microphone, then it will just list how many are actively using your microphone.

    Starting with Windows 10 build 18298, Microsoft updated the microphone privacy settings pages to provide information on which apps are currently using the microphone and camera, and the date/time apps last accessed your microphone and camera.

    This tutorial will show you how to change Privacy settings to allow or deny Windows and apps access to the microphone for all users or only your account in Windows 10.


    CONTENTS:
    • Option One: Allow or Deny Windows and Apps Access to Microphone for All Users in Settings
    • Option Two: Allow or Deny Windows and Apps Access to Microphone for All Users using a REG file
    • Option Three: Turn On or Off Let Apps Access Your Microphone in Settings
    • Option Four: Turn On or Off Let Apps Access Your Microphone using a REG file
    • Option Five: Turn On or Off Let Specific Apps Access Your Microphone in Settings
    • Option Six: Enable or Disable Let Windows Apps Access the Microphone for All Accounts in Local Group Policy Editor
    • Option Seven: Enable or Disable Let Windows Apps Access the Microphone for All Accounts using a REG file




    OPTION ONE [/i] Allow or Deny Windows and Apps Access to Microphone for All Users in Settings

    *note This option is only available starting with Windows 10 build 17063.

    You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.
    1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Privacy icon.

    2. Click/tap on Microphone on the left side, click/tap on the Change button on the right side, and turn On (default) or Off Microphone access for this device for what you want. (see screenshots below)


    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 [​IMG]

    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 [​IMG]






    OPTION TWO [/i] Allow or Deny Windows and Apps Access to Microphone for All Users using a REG file

    *note This option is only available starting with Windows 10 build 17063.

    You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

    The downloadable .reg files below will modify the string value in the registry key below.

    Code:
    Value string value

    Deny = Off
    Allow = On


    1. Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.


    2. To Turn On Allow Windows and Apps Access to Microphone for All Users
    *note This is the default setting.
    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Turn_ON_Windows_and_apps_access_to_microphone_for_device.reg

    Download

    3. To Turn Off Allow Windows and Apps Access to Microphone for All Users
    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Turn_OFF_Windows_and_apps_access_to_microphone_for_device.reg

    Download
    4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    7. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.





    OPTION THREE [/i] Turn On or Off Let Apps Access Your Microphone in Settings

    *note The setting in this option will be grayed out unless Microphone access for this device is turned on from Option One or Option Two above.
    1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Privacy icon.

    2. Click/tap on Microphone on the left side, and turn On (default) or Off Let apps use your microphone on the right side for what you want. (see screenshots below)


    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 [​IMG]

    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 [​IMG]






    OPTION FOUR [/i] Turn On or Off Let Apps Access Your Microphone using a REG file

    *note This option will not get applied until Microphone access for this device is turned on from Option One or Option Two above.

    The downloadable .reg files below will modify the string value in the registry key below.
    Code:
    Value string value

    Deny = Off
    Allow = On


    1. Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.


    2. To Turn On Let Apps Access Your Microphone
    *note This is the default setting.
    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Turn_ON_apps_access_to_microphone_for_current_account.reg

    Download

    3. To Turn Off Let Apps Access Your Microphone
    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Turn_OFF_apps_access_to_microphone_for_current_account.reg

    Download
    4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    7. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.





    OPTION FIVE [/i] Turn On or Off Let Specific Apps Access Your Microphone in Settings

    *note The settings in this option will be grayed out unless Let apps access your microphone is turned on from Option Three or Option Four above.

    The settings for this option are stored in the subkeys in the registry key below. Each subkey represents a listed app.

    Code:
    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 [​IMG]

    1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Privacy icon.

    2. Click/tap on Microphone on the left side, turn On or Off apps you want under Choose apps that can access your microphone on the right side. (see screenshot below)

    *note Note that each legacy app will not appear individually in the list like Store apps do, but they will respect the toggle starting with Windows 10 build 17063.


    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 [​IMG]






    OPTION SIX [/i] Enable or Disable Let Windows Apps Access the Microphone for All Accounts in Local Group Policy Editor

    *note You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

    This option will override Option One and Option Two above.

    Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education Option Seven below to do this using a .reg file instead though.
    1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

    2. In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
    *Arrow Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Privacy


    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 [​IMG]

    3. In the right pane of App Privacy in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Let Windows apps access the microphone policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

    4. Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


    5. To Enable Let Windows Apps Access the Microphone for All Accounts
    *note This is the default setting.
    A) Select (dot) Not Configured, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

    6. To Disable Let Windows Apps Access the Microphone for All Accounts
    A) Select (dot) Enabled, select Force Deny in the "Default for all apps" drop menu under Options, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)


    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 [​IMG]

    7. When finished, you can close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.





    OPTION SEVEN [/i] Enable or Disable Let Windows Apps Access the Microphone for All Accounts using a REG file

    *note You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

    Setting this option to disable will gray out and override Option One and Option Two above.

    The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD and hex values in the registry key below.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy

    LetAppsAccessMicrophone DWORD value

    (delete) = Enable
    2 = Disable

    LetAppsAccessMicrophone_UserInControlOfTheseApps hex value
    LetAppsAccessMicrophone_ForceAllowTheseApps hex value
    LetAppsAccessMicrophone_ForceDenyTheseApps hex value

    (delete) = Enable
    hex(7):00,00 = Disable


    1. Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.


    2. To Enable Let Windows Apps Access the Microphone for All Accounts
    *note This is the default setting.
    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Enable_Let_apps_access_microphone.reg

    Download

    3. To Disable Let Windows Apps Access the Microphone for All Accounts
    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Disable_Let_apps_access_microphone.reg

    Download
    4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    7. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

    That's it,
    Shawn


    Related Tutorials

    :)
     
    Brink, Oct 5, 2017
    #1

  2. Microphone detected but no output of sound

    Looks to be a fault within my Microphone settings in Windows. I'm getting a warning that it's off and it is managed by my "organization". Looking into fixing that now.

    Fixed, I adjusted the policy to be user is in control. Not sure how that happened... Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10
     
    Masterchiefxx17, Oct 27, 2019
    #2
  3. Brink Win User
    Privacy settings in registry do not match GUI settings

    Hello onebignerd, and welcome to Ten Forums. Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 :)

    The registry settings for most of these will be in the location below instead. Double check the tutorials below to see if they may be able to help.

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CapabilityAccessManager\ConsentStore...

     
    Brink, Oct 27, 2019
    #3
  4. EsMj Win User

    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10

    Change Folder Destination access Denied

    Thanks.

    After following the steps suggested, I get the message "Access denied" in command prompt.

    Please advise how to allow permission.
     
  5. Allow microphone access popup isn't showing

    Hi,



    Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



    We understand the difficulties you are facing with the microphone.
    In order to get clarity and to assist you accordingly, please reply with the answers to the questions below.



    • What is the Windows 10 version and Build installed? (Type
      winver in Windows search/Run command)
    • Was there a major change or an update on your system, prior to which you weren't facing this issue?
    • Is the issue app specific?


    We would request you provide us the screenshot of the prompt “click allow on the microphone access popup” and the
    Microphone Privacy settings page in Windows Settings>Systems>Sounds>Microphone Privacy settings.
    Please follow the steps mentioned in the
    screenshot
    posted by Shawn ‘Cmdr’ Keene on Oct 2, 2015 to post the screenshots.



    We await your response.



    Aditya Roy

    Microsoft Community – Moderator
     
    Aditya_Roy, Oct 27, 2019
    #5
  6. NAbdulla Win User
    How to allow IMO Messenger to use microphone in windows 10?

    I have installed IMO Messenger recently on Windows 10 Laptop. It can access Camera but can't access microphone to capture my voice. I have looked at Setting>>Privacy>>Microphone and found that there is no sign of IMO Messenger. Other apps (like Skype) can access the microphone quit well. How can I allow it to access my microphone? please help.

    Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10 [​IMG]
     
    NAbdulla, Oct 27, 2019
    #6
Thema:

Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Microphone in Windows 10

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