Dota 2 Voice Chat Not Working? Mic & Push-to-Talk Fixes

Dota 2 voice chat fails for three reasons: your mic never reaches the game, the game is set up wrong, or the game does not let you talk. The first two you fix in five minutes with the checklist below. The third one is your communication score, and that one you fix by being nice for a while. Axe was muted once for shouting “COME AND GET IT”. He says it was a strategy call.

Which voice chat problem do you have?

Nobody hears me

Mic, Windows or Dota settings
Or your voice is restricted

Mic checklist

Voice chat locked

“Your communication score prevents you from using voice”
Or muted for this match

Why it is locked

I hear nobody

Voice volume, mute settings
Muted players on the scoreboard

Fix it

Dota 2 mic not working: the checklist

Tick off each point as you go. Your progress stays saved in this browser, so you can come back after a restart.

Get your mic into Dota 20 / 8

Windows lets desktop apps use the micSettings → Privacy & security → Microphone: turn on “Microphone access” and “Let desktop apps access your microphone”.
Windows hears your micSettings → System → Sound → Input: pick your mic, open its properties and use “Start test”. No bar moving? It is the mic or the cable, not Dota.
Dota uses the right deviceIn Dota: Settings → Audio → Voice → Microphone Device. Pick the same mic. Dota points to Steam’s voice settings for recording devices, so check the device there too.
Dota hears youUse Test Mic in the Voice settings and watch the “Current recording level”.
A key is set for team voiceHotkeys: Voice Chat (Team). According to Liquipedia it is G in the default hotkeys. Or set Voice Chat (TEAM) to Open Mic.
Open Mic is not too strictWith Open Mic, a high Open Mic Threshold means quiet voices never get through. Lower it a bit and test again.
No other app hogs the micWindows lets apps take exclusive control of a device (Sound → Recording → your mic → Properties → Advanced). Turn that off if another program blocks the mic.
Dota stops changing your mic volumeIf your mic gets louder or quieter every time Dota starts, add -nomicsettings to the launch options.

The Dota 2 voice settings in one place

SettingsAudioVoice

Microphone Device and Current recording level: which mic Dota uses and how loud it hears you.
Voice Chat ( PARTY ) and Voice Chat ( TEAM ): each one on Push To Talk or Open Mic. Party open mic also works in the dashboard.
Open Mic Threshold: how loud you must be before Open Mic sends your voice.
Voice volume slider: how loud you hear the others.

In the console, voice_vox switches open mic, voice_modenable turns voice on or off completely, and snd_voipvolume sets the voice volume from 0 to 2. All three are in the Console Commands Lookup Tool.

Dota 2 voice chat locked: the communication score

If the game says “Your communication score prevents you from using voice”, no setting will help. Since 2023 Dota 2 has two scores, behavior and communication, both up to 12,000. In Valve’s words, the communication score “will affect pinging ally abilities, coaching, tipping, text and voice chat. If a communication score gets low enough, that player will be text and voice muted.”

What your communication score unlocksThresholds as listed by Liquipedia. Valve confirms the 12,000 maximum and the mute at low scores.

Throttled under 3,000
No chat. Pings, alerts and chat wheel on a shared 30-second cooldown.
Pings only 3,000–5,999
Pings and chat wheel without cooldown. Map drawing from 5,000.
Text chat 6,000–7,999
You can type again, but your mic stays off for others.
Voice chat 8,000–12,000
Everything unlocked, voice included.

Muted for one match: reported chat is checked right away. If Valve finds it toxic, the player is muted for everyone for the rest of the game. Pings and chat wheel still work, on a 30-second cooldown.
Getting it back: according to Liquipedia your conduct summary updates every 15 matches. Play clean games and the score can recover.

Axe got his voice back by saying “good game” for 15 matches in a row. Even the ones he lost. That was the hard part.

Can’t hear your teammates in Dota 2?

Voice volume: Settings → Audio, the Voice slider must not be at zero.
Mute settings: “Mute all incoming chat” and “Mute chat from enemies” in the settings. Turned on by accident, the game goes very quiet.
Scoreboard: players you muted show “Unmute Voice”. Team Mute mutes a whole team except your party and friends.
Their side: teammates with a low communication score are muted for everybody. Nothing you can do about that one.

Tools for this

LookupConsole Commands LookupEvery console command that still works.

Steam ToolLaunch Options GeneratorBest launch options in one line.

FAQ

Why is my mic not working in Dota 2?

Most often Windows blocks desktop apps from the microphone, Dota uses the wrong recording device, no key is set for Voice Chat (Team), or your communication score is too low for voice chat. Go through the checklist in this post from top to bottom.

What is the voice chat key in Dota 2?

The hotkey is called “Voice Chat (Team)” (and “Voice Chat (Party)” for your party). In the default hotkeys Team voice is on G, according to Liquipedia. You can change both in the hotkey settings.

Why is my voice chat locked in Dota 2?

Your communication score is too low, or you were muted for this match. Valve says players with a low enough communication score are text and voice muted. Liquipedia lists 8,000 communication score for voice chat.

How do I test my mic in Dota 2?

Open Settings → Audio, pick your Microphone Device in the Voice section and use Test Mic. The recording level shows if Dota hears you.

Why can’t I hear my teammates in Dota 2?

Check that the Voice volume slider is not at zero, that “Mute all incoming chat” is off and that you did not mute the players on the scoreboard. They may also be muted for low communication score.

Dota 2 Voice Chat Not Working: Mic and Push-to-Talk Fixes