No sound in Google Meet
Google Meet runs in the browser, so "no sound in Meet" is almost always a browser-level problem: a muted tab, the wrong output picked for the site, or Chrome holding on to a device that's gone. Confirm the speakers, then fix the routing.
Step-by-step fix
- Confirm the speakers work: run the CheckMyMic speaker test and play the tones.
- In Meet, click ⋮ (More options) → Settings → Audio, pick your Speakers, and press the Test button next to the dropdown — you should hear a chime from the device you chose.
- Check the tab isn't muted: right-click the Meet tab — if Chrome shows "Unmute site", that's the whole problem (and Chrome remembers it per site, so it stays muted across meetings).
- Plugged in headphones mid-call? Chrome doesn't always follow the system default when it changes. Re-open Meet's speaker dropdown and pick the new device explicitly.
- Joined in Companion mode (or presenting from a second device)? Companion mode joins without audio by design — check the label at the bottom of the Meet window; rejoin normally for sound.
- On a phone, raise the media volume stream while Meet plays, and use the in-call speaker/route button to switch between earpiece, speaker and Bluetooth.
Frequently asked questions
Meet's Test chime plays but I can't hear people.
The output path is fine — look at the meeting. Check the participants aren't muted (mic icons next to their names), and if your output device changed after joining, re-pick it under ⋮ → Settings → Audio; the change applies live without rejoining.
Why did my Meet sound vanish when I plugged in headphones?
Chrome kept streaming to the old device instead of following the new system default. Open Meet's ⋮ → Settings → Audio and select the headphones explicitly, or refresh the tab so Chrome re-reads the default output.
Meet is silent on my phone but fine on my laptop.
Android and iPhone keep media volume separate from ring volume — press volume-up while Meet is playing so you raise the media stream. Then tap the audio-route button in the call (speaker icon) and choose speaker, earpiece or your Bluetooth device deliberately.
I tried everything and Meet is still silent — what now?
Play the CheckMyMic speaker test once more to prove the device, then try Meet in a different browser or an incognito window — a broken extension or a stale site setting travels with the profile. If nothing plays anywhere, it's not Meet: follow our no-sound guide for your operating system.