One of the most common issues many Windows users face when using the microphone for voice chat is background noise. Whether it is your AC, ceiling fan, a public place like a coffee shop, or simply your desktop PC humming beside you, background noise is inevitable unless you are using some specific setup. The good thing is that, with the recent v24H2 update, Microsoft added a new feature called Voice Focus that reduces the background noise when using the microphone and improves the voice chat audio quality.
In this quick and easy tutorial, let me show you the steps to enable Voice Focus in Windows 11 to reduce microphone background noise while voice chatting or performing voice calls from your PC.
Before You Begin
- Voice Focus is only available in Windows 11 v24H2 and higher. If you don’t know your version, follow this guide to find your Windows 11 version.
- If your laptop has an NPU (Neural Processing Unit), Voice Focus uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to reduce the microphone background noise. On regular PCs, it uses regular software to get the job done. In general, you don’t have to worry about this as Windows automatically manages it depending on your system hardware specifications.
Steps to Enable Voice Focus in Windows 11
- Open the Settings app by pressing “Windows key + I”.
- Go to the “System” tab on the sidebar.
- Click the “Sound” option.
- Click on your microphone under the “Input” section.
- Turn ON the “Voice Focus” toggle.
- With that, Voice Focus is enabled and the microphone background noise is reduced.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
As always, the first thing you need to do is open the Settings app. You can press the “Windows key + I” shortcut or right-click the Start button and choose the “Settings” option.
Once the Settings app opens, go to the “System” tab on the sidebar. Next, click the “Sound” option on the right page.

In the “Sound” page, expand the “Choose a device for speaking or recording” section under “Input” and click on your microphone.

Now, scroll down and turn ON the “Voice Focus” toggle.

As soon as you do that, the Voice Focus feature is enabled and it automatically runs in the background and reduces the microphone background noise.
Wrapping Up — Reducing Background Noise and Improving Voice Quality When Using Microphone
As you can see, enabling Voice Focus is a fairly simple task. Keep in mind that, depending on your PC/laptop specs, the feature uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) or good old software-based algorithms to reduce the background noise. The difference in both is miniscule and you won’t notice that much of a difference in the real world. That being said, sometimes the feature can go overboard and mess with the actual voice quality. In that case, turn OFF the Voice Focus feature via the Settings app.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.