In Windows 11, open Start > Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer. Under Apps, find the app and select the speaker, headset, monitor, or other device you want in its Output device menu. This changes that app’s output—not the system-wide default.
Choose an output device for one app in Windows 11
- Open Start > Settings > System > Sound.
- Select Volume mixer.
- Under Apps, find the app you want to route.
- Open that app’s Output device menu and choose the desired device.
- Play audio in the app to check the result.
The app must be running or otherwise present in the Apps list for its controls to appear. The selected output can differ from the system default. Microsoft notes that “Apps can use a different output device than the system default.” Microsoft’s app-audio troubleshooting guide documents this route.
Windows 10: use the legacy audio controls
Windows 10’s controls differ from Windows 11’s per-app Settings route. For app volume, right-click the taskbar Volume icon and choose Open Volume mixer. To inspect the output device, right-click Volume, open Sounds, and select the Playback tab. Set the intended device as Default if you want it to be the system’s default output, then return to Volume mixer and check the app’s volume.
This legacy workflow is not the same as choosing an app-specific output in Windows 11. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025; these steps describe controls that may still be present on existing installations, not a statement that the operating system remains supported. Microsoft’s app-audio guide covers the legacy controls, and its audio troubleshooting guide notes the support end date.
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App output versus the Windows default
Use the app’s Output device setting in Windows 11 when only one program should use a different device—for example, a game through headphones while other audio stays on the speakers. Change the system default in Windows Sound settings when you want the default route for audio generally. In Windows 10, the Playback tab’s Default selection sets that system-wide route; it is not a per-app choice.
If the app still has no sound
- It plays through the wrong device: Reopen Volume mixer and verify the affected app’s Output device. The app can use a different output from the system default.
- Only one app is silent: In Volume mixer, check that app’s volume slider and make sure it is not muted.
- Your intended device is missing: Check whether Windows detects and enables the output device. If it does not appear, investigate device detection or its audio driver before changing the app’s setting. Microsoft lists detection and driver issues among possible causes of missing output devices.
- The device is detected but the problem continues: Microsoft’s troubleshooting guidance includes the Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder services, as well as audio drivers, as follow-up checks. These are additional troubleshooting paths, not the first step for a simple routing mistake.
- All apps use the wrong output: Check the system-wide output in Sound settings. In Windows 10, inspect the Playback tab’s default device; this changes the default route rather than an individual app’s selection.
Some apps may also have their own audio-device controls. If the Windows selection appears correct but that app behaves differently, check its in-app audio settings as well.
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