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Hello.
I was wondering, is there any way to completely get rid of the microphone icon on the system tray without including adding it onto the "Show hidden icons"?
It's really annoying having that.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
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Then some other software is either using the mic OR in the past used the mic and not releasing it correctly.
You will also see that a bunch of people posting about “Your webcam is currently being used by another Application” error. Well some app used the webcam and not released it correctly.
There are simpler explanations that just complaining.
As a use case, that "microphone in use" is preventing the taskbar from auto-hiding.
This means that when I'm using webex to share the screen (which is the app using the microphone, causing the issue in the first place) the task bar is there even if I don't want it to show.
So, it's an issue for me.
If it has to be there (for some reason I'm not getting into), then it shouldn't prevent the autohide of the taskbar.
I don't have to be the smartest person in the room.
I just happen to be the most normal person in the room.
The rest of you are just arguing for arguing sake.
- if R-y-a-n's special mixing software causes the mic icon to show up, then complain to the mixing software developer. Why aren't you complaining to mixing software developer? Because you would be laughed off by mixing software developer.
- if people are using Voicemeeter or virtual audio cable and the mic icon show up, then complain to the Voicemeeter or virtual audio cable. Why aren't you complaining to Voicemeeter? Because you would be laughed off by Voicemeeter developer.
- EU's GDPR is the most strict privacy law in the world. So it's not an "american" thing. I just use the American states law as an example.
- if you set up your computer to always listen to "hey cortana" that causes the mic icon to show up. Then turn off Cortana.
This is what normal people would do.
Complaining to any of these software developers is wrong, their software **needs** to access the microphone at all times in order to provide their functionality. They could at least make it possible for a user to select specific applications for which not to show the icon.
I just reinstalled my pc, an noticed this icon too.
I had Windows 11 22h2 before and never had this icon, even when I talked on discord or whatever, why have I suddenly an unncessary icon that I can't remove ?
I recently had the microphone icon appear on my system tray as well, but after installing the Windows Update, 2023-09 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5030310) the icon was no longer there.
So try and do a Windows Update to see if it removes the icon.
