How to enable Push to Talk on Discord for Windows, Mac, Mobile

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Discord app

Discord is the most popular communication platform in online gaming. It offers seamless VOIP communication among gamers in multiplayer sessions. Also, it allows personalization of text command, creation of custom channels, push to talk, among other amazing features.

This article will focus on the Push to Talk (PTT) feature. From how to enable and disable Push to Talk, how to use Push to Talk on Discord, to its benefits. But, first, you must know its meaning.

What is Push to Talk?

Push to talk is simply a feature that lets you turn ON the microphone by pushing a key that has been configured for that function.

This was developed to help and avoid consistent background noise that’s irritating and messes up a team’s communication, concentration, and ultimately their performance.

So, when you enable push to talk on Discord, your microphone stays muted until you press the required key.

That said, let’s look at how to setup push to talk on discord for different platforms

How to Push to Talk on Discord for Windows

First, to enable push to talk on Discord for your desktop, you must have the latest Discord version to avoid bugs.

If it’s the first time you’re downloading Discord, allow it to access your microphone and camera. Next, follow the steps below to activate the Push to Talk feature on Windows:

  1. Launch the Discord app for Windows.
  2. Go to the bottom left corner of the Discord user interface and click on the User Settings. It has a gear icon.
  3. On the left side of the User settings, look for the App Settings then click on Voice & Video.
  4. Find the input mode option and select Push to Talk.

Read Also: The best apps for making calls over the internet on iPhone

How to enable Push to Talk on Discord for Mac

First, you must grant Discord access to your microphone using the following steps:

  1. Press CMD + Space keys simultaneously on the keyboard.
  2. Type System Preferences and open it.
  3. Select Security and Privacy.
  4. Click the Security tab.
  5. Click the lock and the bottom and input your password.
  6. Go to the left pane and select Microphone.
  7. Check the Discord box. This will give Discord access to your MacBook mic.

Now, to enable Push to Talk on Discord for MacBook, follow this guide:

  1. Open Discord on MacBook.
  2. Click the gear icon adjacent to your profile to open settings.
  3. Click on Voice and Video.
  4. Check the Push to Talkbox.

Now that you’ve enabled push to talk on the discord app for windows and Mac, you need to configure it. This involves setting the Push to Talk key, then adjusting the Push to Talk Release Delay. Use the guide below:

How to Input the Push to Talk Key

Discord keybind

  1. Open the User Settings and tap on the Keybinds.
  2. When it opens, select Add a keybind. It’s in the top-right corner.
  3. Under the Action option, select Push to Talk.
  4. Next, tap on Record Keybind then press the key that will act as your Push to talk button. Click Stop Recording to save your selection. You can add multiple keys.
  5. You should consider different games when selecting the Push to Talk key—to avoid intrusion. Fortunately, you can follow the process above to reset the key when you’re switching to another game.

How to set the Push to Talk Release Delay

  1. Go back to User settings, then to the Voice & Video. Scroll down to Push to Talk.
  2. You’ll see a slider to the right called Push to Talk Release Delay. This modifies the time that the mic stays ON after you’ve released the Push to Talk key. Its lowest value is 20ms while the maximum is 2 seconds.
  3. Move the slider to your release delay preferred time.

That wraps up the setup and configuration of push to talk on Discord for PC. Now, when you’re ready to talk, simply press the assigned key to unmute the microphone and talk, then release it once you’re done talking.

How to enable on Discord Mobile

Mobile users can also push to talk on the Discord app while gaming. Check out the guide for both Android and iOS devices.

Android

To get started, download the Discord app from the Play Store for free then follow these steps:

  1. Launch the Discord Application and log in to your account.
  2. Touch the profile picture to open the menu.
  3. Scroll down and select Voice & Video.
  4. Next, pick Input Mode then select Push to Talk from the pop-up.
  5. Once enabled, a Push to Talk button appears at the bottom of the channel. There’s no need for a keybind.

When you press the Push to talk button, a green circle will appear around your profile picture. This means the microphone is ON, and your voice or any surrounding sound is being broadcasted over the channel.

iOS

For iOS devices, you must also download the Discord application from the App Store then follow this guide to enable the Push to Talk feature.

  1. Launch the Discord App then join a Discord server voice channel.
  2. Tap on the App settings. It has a gear icon.
  3. Select Voice then tap “Input mode” to change the mode.
  4. Choose Push to Talk.
  5. Tap Close at the top-right corner to finish the process.
  6. Push to Talk is now enabled on your iOS device.

The Push to Talk button will appear on your screen whenever you’re on a call. Tap it and your voice will be broadcast on a channel.

You will know the microphone is ON when a green circle appears around your username. The mic goes OFF immediately after you release the Push to Talk button.

The only shortcoming with using Push to Talk on Discord mobile is that you can’t multitask. You must open the app and press the Push to Talk button when you want to talk and close the app to continue with the game.

NOTE: Make sure you keep the screen backlight ON when using the Push to Talk on Discord feature.

How to create a Push to Talk Only channel for your Discord server

If you want everyone on your Discord server to use the Push to Talk feature—regardless of their Discord setting, you simply create a new Push to Talk channel or convert an existing one to Push to Talk.

Here is how to do it:

  1. Launch the Discord App on your PC then open your server from the sidebar.
  2. Click the (+) button next to the channel category that you want to create.
  3. For the CHANNEL TYPE, select “Voice Channel”.
  4. Give the channel your preferred name and press the “Create Channel” button.
  5. The new channel will now appear on the server sidebar. Hover over it and click the gear icon on the right to open Settings.
  6. Next, look for “Permissions” then make sure you deny the “Use Voice Activity” permission.
  7. Click “Save Changes” to save the new settings.
  8. The voice channel is now a Push to Talk only channel. So, everybody joining the channel must use their programmed Push to Talk key to speak.

How to enable Push to Talk for a specific person on a voice channel

Discord also allows you to set Push to Talk for a specific individual on a voice channel. Here is how to go about it:

  1. Go to any voice channel and click the gear icon to open the settings.
  2. Select channel permissions.
  3. Go to “Advanced Permissions” and click the (+) button next to “ROLES/MEMBERS”.
  4. Add the server member that you want to use Push to Talk on the channel.
  5. Next, you must deny “Use Voice Activity” permission for that member.
  6. Click “Save Changes” to save the new channel settings.
  7. The Push to Talk feature is now activated for that member only. Other members can use their default voice input settings.

To activate the Push to Talk feature for more than one server member on a voice channel you’ll have to create a new Discord role then add those members to that role. Add the role to a voice channel whose “Voice Activity” permission is denied.

How to disable Push to Talk

  1. Open your Discord App and go to Settings.
  2. Open Voice and Video.
  3. Select Voice Activity to enable it. This automatically disables Push to Talk.

It takes very little time to enable and configure the Push to Talk on Discord. In turn, you’ll enjoy clear communication with other players throughout your gaming sessions.

You won’t have to worry about the background noise activating your microphone and overwhelming your team members. Try it out today and let us know your experience.