Are you currently experiencing this annoying issue where your computer mic would suddenly and constantly turn on for no reason at all? Do you feel it’s invading your privacy or taking up too much of your computer’s resources? If so, then this guide is for you.
Here we’ll discuss the various steps and tips to help prevent Webex from using and turning on your device’s microphone even when you’re not in a meeting or joining one, and other ways to keep your online conversations secure with your mic muted. So if you’re looking for an easy way to protect yourself from unwanted audio intrusions, read on!
Cisco Webex, a video conferencing tool, is a telecommunication initiative that allows people to meet online from different parts of the world. It requires access to an internal or external microphone but can be set to turn off when not in use.
While this is a great feature, it becomes a burden when the microphone is constantly in use, even when you don’t have a current meeting or any related event. Is it a bug? Are there specific steps you can take to prevent this from happening?
Why does Cisco Webex use my microphone all the time?
There might be a situation wherein Cisco Webex is still running, and the program still uses the microphone long after the conference has ended.
Or, the microphone can still work even when you didn’t turn it on in the first place because of the program’s ability to add nearby devices to the meeting automatically. This is the easiest explanation at the moment. Let’s see further explanation of why this keeps happening.
Here are some potential explanations for why Webex frequently uses your microphone even when you are outside of a meeting:
- Your browser might be set to always allow access to your microphone and camera.
- You might have probably enabled Webex’s detect nearby devices option.
- You have malicious software that is constantly using your microphone and camera for nefarious purposes. This can be a malware attack that causes some programs (including Cisco Webex) to behave oddly. This issue would require a reliable antivirus program to safeguard your computer.
- Your default input device might be set as the internal microphone, causing it to start working when Webex starts.
- You may discover that Webex is still running and using your microphone even after the meeting has ended.
What should I do if Cisco Webex keeps using or turning on the computer mic outside of meetings?
From Task Manager, stop all Webex processes
- After pressing the Windows key and typing Task Manager into the search box, click Open.
- Select the Startup tab.
- Search for any Webex processes and select Disable.
Additionally, you may use the same procedure to stop Cisco Webex from running in the background by selecting the processes tab and ending all Webex instances in your computer.
Do a virus check
- Search for Windows Security by pressing the Windows key, then click Open.
- Choose Virus & threat protection.
- Click Quick scan next to Current threats.
- If you don’t detect any threats, check thoroughly by selecting the Scan options below Quick scan.
- To run a thorough scan of your computer, select Full scan.
- Restart your PC after the process is finished.
Disable automatically discover nearby devices
- Open the Webex desktop application and choose Preferences.
- Select Video system and uncheck the box next to Automatically discover nearby devices.
The application detects nearby devices like microphones and webcams so users may join a conference and start communicating with one another. The meeting will automatically recognize and use your microphone when turned on.
In Closing
This article has looked at how to stop Webex from using or turning on your computer mic when you’re not in a meeting. This can be accomplished by stopping all Webex processes running in the background, doing a virus scan, and disabling the automatically discover nearby devices option in the Webex desktop application.
If you continue to experience issues, we suggest that you contact technical support for help. Also, make sure that your firewall is not blocking the program from running properly.
If you have other tips or tricks to share with us, please leave them in the comments below!
