How to Turn It Offįirst, access the Control Panel. Thankfully, the option is very easy to get to, so we can tell Windows not to drop the volume (or, if you like the feature, drop it even further!). This explains why this feature is currently activating, yet you have zero recollection of actually telling Windows to perform this action for you. If your voice is clear, then your mic is working just fine. Click on the playback option to hear your voice message. Simply search for Echo/Sound Test Service on your contact list. This causes Windows to drop the volume by however much the option states it should drop.īut hold on a minute – what if you’re sure you’ve never touched, or even seen, this option before? The problem we’re experiencing at that point is a Windows machine being set up to drop the volume by default. If you have a Skype account, you can use it to test your Skype mic audio. When you make or receive a Skype call, your computer is detecting that you’re currently in a phone call. If Windows detects a telephone call being made by your computer, it can drop the volume by a set amount. This drop can range from a 50% drop to a total muting of all other system sounds. What’s actually happening here? First of all, it’s good to realise that Windows has an option that handles this. So, before you complain to Skype about the lack of options, give these steps a try and see if they work. This kind of behavior can be very irritating, especially for users that go through Skype’s options and settings and find no way to turn it off. There’s a good reason for this: the audio drop has nothing to do with Skype whatsoever! It’s built in to Windows itself and isn’t an official Skype feature.