Jump to section

How do I fix voice chat issues in Fortnite?

Note: If you are in Egypt or the United Arab Emirates, you won't be able to use voice chat in Fortnite due to the countries' blocking VOIP technology.

(Opens in a new tab)Check the Community Issues Trello board

Our Fortnite Community team updates this Trello board with the latest known issues, which may include voice chat problems. Be sure to check out the Fortnite Community Issues Trello board (Opens in a new tab) first for the latest information to see if there are any known voice chat issues.

(Opens in a new tab)Check the Epic Games server status

Check the Epic Games Server Status (Opens in a new tab) page to make sure all systems are operational. If voice chat is affected by an outage or system-wide issue, your issue may be fixed when the outage is resolved. 

(Opens in a new tab)Turn up your voice chat volume

Ensure your volume is turned up (at least 50%) so you can hear it clearly. If the volume is too low or the volume of your headset or speakers is too low, you won't be able to hear your teammates.

(Opens in a new tab)Check your Fortnite voice chat channels

Ensure you're in the correct voice chat channel. If you're in the incorrect channel, this may cause issues hearing teammates if you are cross-playing on multiple platforms.

Fortnite has two channels to use: Party Channel and Game Channel. In-game, you can switch between chat channels using the Social menu:

  • Party Channel connects players in the same party (queued up in the lobby together).
  • Game Channel connects players on the same team but in different parties (filled into a team-based game mode).

You might also be in Xbox or PlayStation Party Chat, both of which will keep Fortnite's voice chat from working. 

Note: If you want to use Fortnite’s voice chat, you must leave Xbox or PlayStation Party Chat to use Fortnite voice chat, even if nobody else is there. If you don't know how to leave Xbox or PlayStation Party Chat, please check the Xbox (Opens in a new tab) or PlayStation (Opens in a new tab) support resources.

(Opens in a new tab)Adjust parental control settings

If your account is currently cabined (your parent/guardian has not finished the parental consent process), you will not be able to use voice or text chat until they finish the process. More information on cabined accounts can be found in the Cabined Account FAQ (Opens in a new tab)

If your account has parental controls enabled in Fortnite, you may need to work with your parent or guardian to adjust your settings so that voice and text chat functions properly.

To enable text or voice chat from the parental control settings page, make sure the Text Chat or Voice Chat is set to either Friends Only, Friends and Teammates, or Everybody (voice and text chat will not work if this option is set to Nobody).

If under 10, and your parents have given permission, you can chat with:

  • Friends Only

If 10 to 12, and your parents have given permission, you can chat with:

  • Friends Only
  • Friends and Teammates

If you are 13 or older, you can chat with:

  • Friends Only
  • Friends and Teammates
  • Everyone

For more information on Parental Controls, check out: Parental Controls (Opens in a new tab).

(Opens in a new tab)Open required network ports

Our voice chat uses a protocol called XMPP. This protocol requires that the network ports 5222 and 433 are opened to be able to connect to it.  For more information on how to open your network ports, refer to How to unblock ports to connect to the Epic Games Launcher and Fortnite..

(Opens in a new tab)Xbox troubleshooting

Ensure you are connecting to Fortnite Game Chat

If you are in an Xbox party, you may need to manually swap to Fortnite game chat by:

  1. Pressing the Xbox button on your controller.
  2. Navigate to the Parties & chats panel.
  3. Select your party.
  4. Press the View button on your controller.
  5. Select Switch to game chat.

Adjust DNS settings 

Refer to How do I switch to a public DNS to strengthen my connection?

Set your privacy and online safety settings for cross-platform play

Ensure your privacy and online safety settings are configured for cross-platform play. 

  1. On Xbox, press the Xbox button to open the guide, and then go to System > Settings > Account.
  2. Select Privacy & online safety > Xbox Live privacy > View details and customize > Communication & multiplayer.
    Note: If you’re setting up voice chat for a family member, from Account, select Family settings > Manage family members. Choose a family member, and then follow Step 2 above.
  3. Choose settings for the following options:
    • You can play with people outside of Xbox Live.
      This allows or prohibits all cross-network play. Click Allow to use voice chat.
    • You can communicate outside of Xbox Live with voice & text.
      When you allow cross-network play, you control who can communicate with you. Choose Everybody, Block, or In-game friends.
  4. Retry voice chat.

Clear Xbox cache

Refer to How do I clear my Xbox Series S|X cache?

Enable UPnP on your router

  1. Navigate to your router login page.
    Note: For more details on logging in to your router, search online for guides related to your specific model.
  2. Log in to your router.
  3. Navigate to the UPnP menu on your router.
    Note: The steps to find this menu vary between routers, so search for specifics on your router. If UPnP isn't available, we recommend port forwarding.
  4. Enable UPnP.
  5. Save your changes.
  6. Open the Settings app on your Xbox.
  7. Select the Network tab.
  8. Select the Test NAT type tile. You should now have Open NAT on your Xbox.
  9. Retry voice chat.

(Opens in a new tab)PlayStation troubleshooting

Disable the Mute Game Voice Chat setting on PlayStation 5

  1. Click the PS button on the controller while in the PlayStation 5 main menu.
  2. Select Sound.
  3. Disable the Mute Game Voice Chat setting.
  4. Restart Fortnite.

Adjust DNS Settings

Refer to How do I switch to a public DNS to strengthen my connection?

Note: Players on PlayStation 5 will experience voice chat interruptions when loading Fortnite, but it should return after you successfully load into Fortnite.

(Opens in a new tab)Nintendo Switch troubleshooting

Adjust DNS Settings

Refer to How do I switch to a public DNS to strengthen my connection?

Note: Users may experience issues with voice chat if they are using a 3.5mm headset while the console is docked. If the console is docked, we recommend using a USB connection from a USB receiver, USB headset, or a USB-to-3.5 mm adapter.

(Opens in a new tab)PC troubleshooting

Windows Updates

Voice chat requires that Windows is fully updated. Refer to Install Windows Updates (Opens in a new tab).

Adjust DNS Settings

Refer to How do I switch to a public DNS to strengthen my connection?

Voice chat settings

Ensure that voice chat is set to Friends Only, Friends and Teammates, or Everybody, and verify whether you’re using Push-to-Talk to communicate.

The default options should work for input and output devices as long as your Windows settings are set to the sound device you are using. 

If you are experiencing issues with voice chat not working, you can try changing your input or output devices to the sound device you are using. 

To change your default devices:

  1. Click on Start.
  2. Type Control Panel and press Enter.
  3. Click Sound.
  4. On the Playback tab click the output device (Speakers/Headphones) you want to use as your default, and then right-click it and select Set as Default Device.
  5. Click the Recording tab, then select the input device (microphone) you want to use as your default. Right-click it and choose Set as Default Device.
  6. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Note: If you have Parental Controls enabled, you’ll have to enable voice chat in your Parental Controls settings to use it. Parental Controls settings can't be changed in the normal audio settings.

Adjust Application Permission Settings

Ensure that your Windows operating system's privacy settings allow Fortnite to use the microphone.

Windows 11:

  1. Click on Start.
  2. Open the Settings application.
  3. On the left menu, select Privacy and Security.
  4. On App permission search for Microphone.
  5. Make sure the Fortnite option is enabled.

Windows 10:

  1. Click on Start.
  2. Open the Settings application.
  3. Select the Privacy option
  4. Select the Fortnite application.
  5. Make sure the microphone permission is enabled.

You can learn more about application permissions in this Microsoft Support article: App permissions (Opens in a new tab)

(Opens in a new tab)Mac troubleshooting

Microphone permissions

Microphones on Macs need to be granted access to function in Fortnite.

To use your microphone successfully on your Mac, make sure Fortnite has permission to access it. Refer to Control access to the microphone on Mac (Opens in a new tab) to ensure Fortnite can use your microphone.

(Opens in a new tab)Adjust the SIP-ALG router setting

If you are using a router to connect to the internet, you may need to disable the SIP-ALG setting to allow voice chat to work. Contact your router manufacturer for instructions on how to perform this step, as the procedure varies by model.

(Opens in a new tab)Ensure your time zone and time are correct

To check your time zone and time, refer to How to set your time and time zone (Opens in a new tab)