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To send one app’s sound to a different speaker, headset, or monitor in Windows 11, open Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer. Under Apps, find the app and choose a device from its Output device menu. This changes that app’s output without changing the system-wide default.
Change an app’s audio output in Windows 11
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Open the app you want to route and, if necessary, start playback. An app may not appear in Volume Mixer until it is active.
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Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer. Microsoft’s support instructions use this path for app-specific audio settings: Fix app audio not working while system sounds work in Windows.
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Under Apps, locate the app. Check that it is not muted and raise its volume slider if needed.
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Open the app’s Output device menu and select the speaker, headset, monitor, or other available endpoint you want it to use.
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Test the app’s sound. If it is still silent, continue with the checks below.
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You can also open Volume Mixer with the Settings URI ms-settings:apps-volume. Microsoft lists this and other sound-related Settings URIs in its Launch Windows Settings documentation.
How app output differs from the Windows default
The system-wide default output and an app’s selected output are separate choices. Windows supports application-specific endpoint preferences, so you can leave the normal default in place for most sound while selecting another output for a particular app. Microsoft describes this endpoint-selection behavior in Default Audio Endpoint Selection.
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The app menu can only offer endpoints Windows currently recognizes as active. If the device you want is missing, connect it and make sure it is enabled before checking the menu again. Adding or removing an audio device can change the available endpoints and may affect which device Windows selects by default.
If the app is silent or the device is missing
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Check the app’s Volume Mixer controls. Make sure its slider is raised, it is not muted, and its Output device is the intended one. These are Microsoft’s first checks when one app has no sound but system audio works.
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Confirm the endpoint is available. Check that the desired device is connected and enabled. Microsoft’s sound and audio troubleshooting guide includes checking device status in Sound settings and the Sound control panel.
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Restart audio services if the basic checks fail. Microsoft recommends restarting Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder, then testing again.
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Update the audio driver if needed. Driver updates are another step in Microsoft’s documented troubleshooting guidance.
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Try restarting the app. The available Microsoft guidance does not establish that every app switches outputs immediately during active playback, so close and reopen it if changing the selection does not take effect.
When you need another output device
You do not need an adapter or extra software to change the Windows setting. If you want to route audio to a destination that is not already available—such as adding a separate headphone output—a compatible audio adapter may create another endpoint for Windows to use. It is optional; the per-app control itself works with devices already connected and enabled.
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