According to reports by several Google Meet users, the headphones are not working on multiple web browsers. The issue seems to be affecting wired and wireless sets both. Keeping in mind the inevitable declining user base of Google hangouts, several users are moving to Google Meet. This is because Google Meet offers a much better user experience in addition to several interesting features. However, Google Meet is not exactly a recent Google venture, the application was released in early 2017. Users occasionally experience some operational issues. The latest issue seems to be headphones not working.
Headphones not working for Google Meet
One user complained, “I have USB headphones/microphone and I cannot hear anyone on Google Meet. They can hear me though. I have explored this on my end (disabled computer speakers and made headphones default, etc.) and no matter what I do, I cannot hear sound. I hear sound fine on every other page (Youtube, etc.).” This can be especially annoying due to the online setup. Since the outbreak of the global pandemic, all meetings have been online. The headphones not working can cause major inconvenience.
The issue seems to be global in nature since complaints are coming from all around the globe. Users have complained that switching to other platforms makes earphones work perfectly. The problem only persists when audio is connected with Google Meet. It is also important to note that the issue is restricted in nature. The problem only seems to persist for Windows or Mac users. The headphones are functioning smoothly for mobile app users.
Another user complained, “I have my headphones plugged into my MacBook. However, the audio comes out of the MacBook speakers for my Hangout in google chrome. I don’t have the same issue with other applications like Spotify. And I have gotten to Settings and tested the speaker, in the test audio came out correctly from my earphones. It’s just not happening in meetings.”
What is causing the problem?
One user stated that the problem disappeared when they shifted to Mozilla Firefox. Could the problem only be occurring for Safari and Chrome? This makes it harder to determine the cause of the problem. It cannot be said with clarity that the problem is on the Google Meet end. One thing is clear though, the problem only occurs for headphones. When users switch to speakers, the audio output is functional once again. Moreover, the mode of headset connection is irrelevant. Shifting from a wireless to a wired set makes no difference
One user came up with a hack that supposedly fixes the problem. They said, “1. Click the 3 dots in the top right and select “Settings” 2. Select “Privacy and Security” and then “Site Settings” 3. Find and select “meet.google.com” and then select “Clear Data” 4. Re-log into meet.google.com and test.” If you are facing the same issue, trying this might help.
