Use your phone as a Discord mic
Updated September 23, 2026 · 3 min read
Headset mics vary a lot in quality, and laptop mics pick up the room, the fan and every key you press. Your phone's microphone is better than both. Micstream makes it a normal microphone in Windows, so Discord can use it without any extra setup.
This guide assumes Micstream is already set up: the Windows client is installed, the app is on your phone, and the two are connected. If not, follow the setup guide first. Come back when "Micstream" shows up in the Windows sound settings.
Select the input device
- 1
Open User Settings
Click the gear icon next to your username, at the bottom left.
- 2
Go to Voice & Video
It's under App Settings in the left sidebar.
- 3
Set the Input Device to Micstream
Use the left dropdown at the top of the page.
- 4
Run Mic Test
Speak. The meter should move, and you hear yourself the way others will.
Settings worth changing
Noise suppression
Discord's noise suppression is made for bad mics in noisy rooms. On a clean signal, it can make your voice sound unnatural, as if under water. Micstream already removes background noise on your PC, so try turning Discord's off and compare with Mic Test. In a quiet room, off usually sounds better. In a loud room, keep it on.
Echo cancellation
With headphones there's no echo, so turn it off. With speakers, leave it on.
Input sensitivity
Turn off automatic detection and set the level yourself: speak normally and put the slider just below where the meter peaks. Too low, and Discord sends room noise. Too high, and it cuts off the start of your sentences. Push-to-talk avoids this completely and works well in busy channels.
Input volume
Adjust the volume on the phone. Micstream follows the phone's volume, so that's your main control. Leave Discord's input volume around the middle.
Troubleshooting
Micstream isn't in Discord's device list
Discord only looks for audio devices when it starts. If you installed Micstream while Discord was open, quit Discord completely (right-click its tray icon and choose Quit) and open it again. Still missing? Check the Windows sound settings. If Micstream isn't there either, run the installer again.
You sound choppy or robotic
Over Wi-Fi, this comes from a busy network between the phone and the PC, not from Discord. On Android, switch to USB, which doesn't depend on your network.
Discord uses the wrong microphone
If the meter moves when you tap the laptop but not when you talk into the phone, Discord is using another mic. Select Micstream and check that the phone is connected in the app.
Voice activity clips your first words
Lower the sensitivity slider or raise the phone's volume. If your voice is right at the threshold, the start of each sentence gets cut off. Leave a few dB of room.
Friends hear themselves echo
Your speakers play their voices, and your mic picks them up again. Headphones fix this completely. If you must use speakers, keep echo cancellation on and put the phone as far from them as you can.
Streaming too? See the OBS guide for filters and monitoring. Still choosing an app? See how Micstream compares to AudioRelay and WO Mic.
Not installed yet? Both downloads are free: