How to Enable Noise Suppression on Windows 10 (5 Ways)

Background noise such as a fan, keyboard clicks, traffic or a barking dog can make you hard to hear on calls and recordings. Windows 10 does not have a single noise suppression switch in Settings, but there are several ways to turn it on: in your microphone’s sound properties, in your audio driver’s control panel, in free tools from your graphics card maker, and inside the apps you use for calls. This guide covers each one, starting with the quickest.

Quick answer

Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and choose Sounds. On the Recording tab, double-click your microphone, open the Enhancements tab (if you have one), and tick Noise Suppression and Acoustic Echo Cancellation. Click OK. If there is no Enhancements tab, use your audio driver’s app or the noise suppression setting in Teams, Zoom or Discord.

Method 1: Turn on noise suppression in microphone properties

1. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and choose Sounds. You can also go to Settings > System > Sound > Sound Control Panel.
2. Click the Recording tab.
3. Double-click the microphone you use, marked with a green check.
4. Open the Enhancements tab.
5. Tick Noise Suppression. If you are using speakers rather than a headset, also tick Acoustic Echo Cancellation.
6. Click Apply and OK.

The Enhancements tab only appears if your audio driver supports it, which depends on your PC maker and sound chip. Many Realtek and Conexant drivers include it. If it is missing, try the next methods.

Method 2: Use your audio driver’s control panel

Many PCs install an audio app that has its own noise suppression setting. Look in the Start menu for one of these:

• Realtek Audio Console or Realtek HD Audio Manager: open the microphone tab and turn on Noise Suppression and Acoustic Echo Cancellation.
• Dolby Access, Waves MaxxAudio, Smart Sound or a PC maker’s audio app (Dell, HP, Lenovo): look for a voice, microphone or conference setting with noise reduction.

If the app is missing, download the latest audio driver from your PC maker’s support page. See how to install a microphone driver in Windows 10 for help.

Method 3: Use NVIDIA Broadcast (NVIDIA graphics cards)

If your PC has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card, the free NVIDIA Broadcast app offers AI-based noise removal that works very well, even with loud background noise.

1. Download NVIDIA Broadcast from NVIDIA’s website and install it.
2. Open it, go to the Microphone section, choose your mic, and turn on Noise Removal.
3. In your call or recording app, choose Microphone (NVIDIA Broadcast) as the input.

Method 4: Turn on noise suppression in your call app

Most communication apps have their own noise suppression, which works no matter what hardware you have:

• Microsoft Teams: go to Settings > Devices and set Noise suppression to Auto or High.
• Zoom: go to Settings > Audio and set Suppress background noise to Auto, Low, Medium or High.
• Discord: go to User Settings > Voice & Video and choose a Noise Suppression option.
• Google Meet: open Settings > Audio and turn on Noise cancellation (available on some account types).

Use either the app’s noise suppression or a driver-level one, not several at once. Stacking them can make your voice sound robotic or cut out.

Method 5: Reduce mic boost and adjust levels

Too much microphone boost amplifies background noise along with your voice.

1. Open Sounds > Recording, double-click your microphone, and open the Levels tab.
2. Set Microphone Boost to 0 dB or +10 dB.
3. Raise the main Microphone slider if your voice is now too quiet.

See how to turn up mic volume in Windows 10 for more on levels, and how to remove static noise from a mic in Windows 10 if you hear hiss or crackle rather than room noise.

Test the result

Go to Settings > System > Sound and watch the Test your microphone bar while you stay silent. It should barely move. Then speak normally; it should rise clearly. Recording a short clip in the Voice Recorder app is a good way to hear the difference. Our guide on testing a microphone in Windows 10 has more options.

Other tips for clearer audio

• Use a headset or a directional USB microphone instead of a laptop’s built-in mic.
• Position the microphone close to your mouth and away from fans and keyboards.
• Close windows and turn off nearby fans during important calls.
• Soft furnishings such as curtains and rugs reduce echo in a room.

Using Windows 11?

Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. If you have moved to Windows 11, it has more built-in options, including Voice Clarity on some PCs.

Summary

1. Check Sounds > Recording > mic Properties > Enhancements for Noise Suppression.
2. Use your audio driver’s app, such as Realtek Audio Console.
3. Use NVIDIA Broadcast if you have an RTX graphics card.
4. Turn on noise suppression in Teams, Zoom or Discord.
5. Lower Microphone Boost and test the result.

Kermit Matthews

Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.