In Windows 11, open Start > Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer. Under Apps, find the app and choose the speaker, headset, monitor, or other device you want in its Output device menu. This changes that app’s audio route without changing Windows’ system-wide default.
Change the output device for one app in Windows 11
- Open Start > Settings > System > Sound.
- Select Volume mixer.
- Under Apps, locate the app whose audio you want to route.
- Open its Output device menu and select the desired device.
- Play audio in the app to check the result. If it is still silent, check that app’s volume slider and make sure it is not muted.
The app must be available in the mixer for its per-app setting to appear. Windows’ app-specific selection can differ from the system default; Microsoft notes that “Apps can use a different output device than the system default.” Microsoft’s app-audio troubleshooting guide documents this route.
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Windows 10: use the legacy controls
Windows 10’s documented controls differ from the Windows 11 Settings path. Microsoft support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025, but these steps may still help with an existing installation.
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- To check an app’s volume, right-click the taskbar Volume icon and select Open Volume mixer. Find the app and make sure its volume is up and it is not muted.
- To check the output device, right-click the taskbar Volume icon and open Sounds.
- On the Playback tab, check whether the device you intend to use is set as Default.
- Return to Volume mixer and check that the app is using the intended device.
This legacy workflow uses the Playback tab to check the default output; it is not the same interface as Windows 11’s per-app Output device menu. See Microsoft’s app-audio guide for the Windows 10 instructions.
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App output versus Windows’ default output
A per-app output choice routes one application to a selected device. Changing the system default instead changes the normal output route for Windows and apps that follow that default. In Windows 11, make the per-app choice in Volume mixer; use the main Sound settings when you want to change the default device. On Windows 10, check the Playback tab for the device marked Default.
Troubleshoot when the app still has no sound
The app plays through the wrong device
Reopen Volume mixer and verify the affected app’s Output device. Do not assume it follows the system default: its selection may be different.
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Only one app is silent
Check that app’s individual volume slider and mute state in Volume mixer. This is separate from the device selection.
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First check whether Windows detects the output device and whether it is enabled. If it does not appear, device detection or a driver issue may be involved. Microsoft’s guide to audio issues when no sound plays covers these system-level checks.
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No sound remains after checking the app and device
For a broader Windows audio problem, Microsoft identifies the Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder services, as well as audio drivers, as follow-up troubleshooting areas. These are system-level checks rather than the first step for a single app routed to the wrong device. Consult Microsoft’s app-audio guide.
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