Background noise
You hear
Fans, traffic, keyboards, a TV or people in the room behind your voice.
Most background noise is the room reaching an open mic. Fix the room and the mic distance first, then let the app's suppression clean up the rest.
Likely causes, in order
Check them top to bottom. The room and the mic come first because no setting can remove what a closer mic or a closed door would.
| 01 · Layer | 02 · Likely cause | 03 · Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 01 · Room | A steady noise source near you: a fan, air conditioning, a PC under the desk, traffic through a window | Turn the source off or move away from it, and close the door and windows for the call source off |
| 02 · Mic | The mic is far from your mouth, so the room reaches it almost as loudly as your voice | Bring the mic closer, or use a headset with a boom mic so your voice is much louder than the room closer mic |
| 03 · System | The input volume or automatic gain lifts quiet room noise in the pauses between your words | Lower the input volume in your system sound settings, then move closer to the mic instead of turning it up input volume |
| 04 · App | The app's noise suppression is off or set too low for the room | In Zoom, set Background noise suppression to Auto, Medium or High. In Discord, select Krisp under Noise Suppression suppression on |
By app
- Zoom
- Zoom's Background noise suppression has Auto (the default), Low, Medium and High levels in the desktop app. Medium targets fans and pen tapping; High can remove background speech but uses more CPU.
- Discord
- Discord's Krisp removes noise that is not a human voice, such as dogs, vacuums and doors, and filters only your side of the call.
- Microsoft Teams
- Teams turns noise suppression on by default. On desktop, Background noise only removes the noise around you and Voice isolation also filters out other voices. On iPhone, Low handles steady noise like a fan or air conditioner and High suppresses all background sound that isn't speech.
- Google Meet
- Meet's noise cancellation removes noise that isn't speech, such as typing, a closing door or building work. It does not remove voices from a TV or people talking near you.
Check it with the test
Run the noise test as you normally sit, then again with the fan or other source switched off. The drop in noise floor is what that source adds to every call.
Run the noise test →Questions
Q.01Does noise suppression remove other people talking in my room?
Usually not. Discord's Krisp removes noise that is not a human voice, and Google Meet says voices from a TV or people talking won't be canceled. Zoom says its High level can remove background speech, at the cost of more CPU.
Q.02Why does my voice sound worse with suppression on?
Suppression works by cutting sound it takes for noise, and in a quiet room with a good mic it can take some of your voice too. Discord notes this for Krisp. If your noise floor is already low, try it off.
Q.03Should I turn suppression up to the highest level?
Only if noise still gets through at a lower level. Zoom notes that High may use more CPU, and Discord notes that Krisp can lower voice quality in a quiet room with a good mic.
Related problems
Checked against
Vendor help pages and manufacturer guides, last checked :
- support.zoom.com · Setting Up Professional Audio for Zoom Meetings
- support.discord.com · Krisp FAQ
- support.google.com · Filter Out Noise from Your Meeting on Google Meet
- support.microsoft.com · Reduce Background Noise in Microsoft Teams Meetings
- support.microsoft.com · Manage Audio Settings in Microsoft Teams Meetings