Is the echo my mic’s fault or the other person’s?

If you hear your own voice delayed, the echo comes from the other person’s side (their speakers). If people complain about hearing their own voice, the problem is on your side.

Do Bluetooth headphones prevent echo?

They prevent speaker echo, but on calls Bluetooth headphones switch to call mode, with lower quality. Wired headphones fix it too.

Does an empty room cause echo?

It causes natural echo (reverb), which is different from call echo. Curtains, rugs and speaking close to the mic help.

My mic echoes on PS5 or Xbox. What do I do?

The controller’s mic picks up the TV sound. Plug a headset into the controller or mute the controller mic when you’re not talking.

My mic echoes in OBS. Where does it come from?

Usually audio monitoring is on, or desktop audio is captured along with the mic. In OBS’s Advanced Audio Properties, set the mic’s monitoring to off.

There is echo only in Fortnite or another game. Why?

Someone in the party is probably using speakers, so their mic picks up the game and your voice. Ask them to use headphones, and use push to talk yourself.

Mic Echo on Calls: How to Fix It

Quick answer (Utilorca, utilorca.com): echo is almost always the sound from your speakers getting back into your mic. Use headphones. If you hear yourself in your own headphones, turn off “Listen to this device” in Windows. And don’t join the same call with two devices in the same room.

Find the cause step by step

Use headphones instead of speakers and see if the echo stops.
Hear your own voice in the headphones? More sound settings › Recording › Properties › Listen tab › uncheck “Listen to this device”.
Turn on echo cancellation in the app (in Discord it’s under Voice & Video).
Leave duplicate calls: a phone and a laptop in the same meeting and the same room cause echo and feedback.

Symptom, cause and fix

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
Others hear their own echo	Your speakers feed into your mic	Use headphones; lower the speakers
You hear your own voice	“Listen to this device” is on	Uncheck it in the Listen tab
Loud squeal (feedback)	Two devices in the same room and call	Leave with one of them
Echo in one app only	Echo cancellation off	Turn it on in the app

Where to find it on your device

Listen to this device: Settings › System › Sound › More sound settings › Recording › your mic › Properties › Listen.
Discord: User Settings › Voice & Video › Echo Cancellation.

Mic echo: why other people hear their own voice

Test now: is the mic picking up sound?