Windows 11 allows you to quickly disable or enable sound devices with a few clicks. When you disable a device, it is connected and functioning, however, it will not output any sound. You don’t have to uninstall or disconnect it, simply disable the audio output to it and that should be it. To get started with disabling or enabling sound devices on Windows 11, follow the steps below.
How to disable a sound device on Windows 11
As mentioned above, one can simply disable a sound device in Windows Settings with a few clicks. To do that, open the Windows Settings app. Windows 11 has a centralized location for the majority of its settings app. From system configurations to creating new users and updating Windows, all can be done from the System Settings pane. To get to System Settings, you can use the Windows key + I shortcut or click on Start ==> Settings as shown in the image below: Alternatively, you can use the search box on the taskbar and search for Settings. Then select to open it. Windows Settings pane should look similar to the image below. In Windows Settings, click System, and select Sound on the right pane of your screen shown in the image below. On the Sound settings pane, under Output, click the sideways caret (right arrow) beside the audio output device that you want to disable. There, under General, click the Don’t allow Button for “Allow apps and Windows to use this device for audio”. That will disable the output device and stop all sound to it.
How to enable a sound device on Windows 11
If you change your mind about disabling a sound device on Windows 11 and want to re-enable it, simply reverse the steps above by going to Start ==» Settings ==> System ==> Sound and selecting the device under Output. Click on the sideways caret (right arrow) of the device you want to reenable, and on the device settings pane, under General, click Allow button for “Allow apps and Windows to use this device for audio”. That should reenable the sound device. Conclusion: This post showed you how to easily disable or enable sound devices on Windows 11. If you find any error above or have anything to add, please use the comment form below to do so.
