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How to Change the Audio Output for Individual Apps in Windows 11

Choose a separate audio output for an individual Windows 11 app in Volume mixer without changing the system-wide default.
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To send one app’s sound to a different speaker, headset, or monitor in Windows 11, open Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer. Under Apps, find the app and choose a device from its Output device menu. This app-specific choice is separate from Windows’ system-wide default output.

Change an app’s output device

  1. Open the app you want to route and, if necessary, start playback. Windows may show the app in Volume mixer when it is active; Microsoft does not promise that every app appears before it is running. See Microsoft’s app-audio instructions.

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  2. Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer. You can also open the page with the Settings URI ms-settings:apps-volume, documented by Microsoft in Launch Windows Settings.

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  3. Under Apps, locate the app. Check that it is not muted and adjust its volume slider if needed.

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  4. Open the app’s Output device menu and choose the speaker, headset, monitor output, or other endpoint you want it to use.

  5. Test playback. If the app is still silent, follow the checks below. If the change does not seem to take effect during playback, close and reopen the app, then test again; Windows does not guarantee that every app switches immediately mid-playback.

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How per-app routing relates to the Windows default

The Output device choice in Volume mixer applies to that app; it does not change the system-wide default output used by Windows and other apps. Microsoft’s technical documentation describes application-specific endpoint preferences and how Windows selects among active audio endpoints in Default Audio Endpoint Selection.

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For example, you can leave the system default set to your speakers and select a headset only for one app. The device must be connected and enabled to be available as a choice. Installing or connecting an endpoint can alter which devices Windows considers active and may affect default selection.

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If the app is silent or the device is missing

The app appears, but has no sound

The desired output is not listed

Check the connection and whether Windows has the device enabled. Microsoft’s broader sound troubleshooting guide includes checking device usage in the Sound control panel. Only active endpoints are candidates for routing.

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If you do not have a second output device, an adapter may provide another endpoint, but it is optional; Windows’ per-app setting does not itself require one.

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