Open Settings → System → Sound → Volume mixer. Under Apps, expand the active application and choose its output device. Play audio from that app and another app to verify that they use the intended devices.
Prepare two working outputs
Connect both devices before opening the mixer. Use a pair you can distinguish easily, such as built-in speakers and wired headphones. Set their volume low enough that playing the wrong source will not disrupt anyone nearby. Under Sound, check that both devices appear. Play a familiar local file through each in turn. That test establishes that Windows can use both devices before you introduce a separate rule for one application.
If one device is missing, follow Microsoft’s missing audio output guidance. Check the intended connection and whether another device appears when you reconnect it. If headphones are connected through Bluetooth but silent, our Bluetooth headphone guide covers that case. Get predictable playback through both outputs first. The mixer can only select a device Windows has made available.
Change the output of one app
Start audio in the application you want to route. Open Settings, then System, Sound and Volume mixer. Inspect the Apps list and expand the relevant entry. Choose the desired output device. Keep the system default where you want most programs to play. Try two distinct sounds, such as a local music track and a browser video, so you can tell which app is reaching each endpoint. Pause one source at a time to confirm what the other is doing.
If the app does not appear, start an audible source and reopen the mixer. Some applications create their audio sessions only when playback begins. A browser may group sounds under its own entry. Check whether the tabs are grouped before expecting separate routing for each page. You can also use a different browser or player for a second source if you need independent output and the application provides no finer control.
Check the app’s own audio settings
Meeting software and games sometimes choose an output independently. Open the application’s audio settings and check whether it is set to a specific device or follows the system default. Use its own speaker test if one is available. Select the same intended device in the app or use its default behavior and test which Windows rule it follows. Change one control at a time so you can explain how the final setup works.
Speaker selection and microphone selection are separate choices. A call can play through headphones while still listening to a laptop microphone. Test each direction with the application’s built-in check. Our Windows USB microphone guide describes a way to compare a system recording with the call app’s input. If you only changed playback, confirm the app has not chosen a different microphone when you switched to your headset.
Diagnose sound that goes to the wrong device
If both sounds still come from one endpoint, confirm that the app entry you changed corresponds to the program actually playing. Close any duplicate windows or background player first. Try restarting the app after changing the route. An app that starts a new audio session can behave differently from one that keeps an existing stream running. Compare a fresh launch with playback that was already open when you made the change.
If the sound jumps to a monitor after docking, check whether Windows added a new display audio endpoint. Give the physical devices distinctive names where Windows allows it and check the system default again. Our dual-monitor guide explains how to identify the displays themselves. This is useful when two devices have similar names. Test once with the dock unplugged and once after reconnecting it to see whether the change follows the hardware.
Use a repeatable test for calls and recordings
Before joining a meeting, play the app’s test tone and verify that it comes from the private output you expect. Start a second ordinary sound and check whether it stays on the intended default. Repeat after changing headsets. On a shared desk, another person may have changed the default while your application remembered a device of its own. Check both settings when using the computer again.
For a recording, verify the saved sample separately. Sending playback to a headset does not establish what a recorder captures. A recorder may use its selected microphone or desktop audio endpoint independently. Our screen recording guide uses a short sample to check that the saved output contains the audio you wanted. Label the test sources clearly and listen to the completed file with the setup you intend to use.
Return an app to the default output
Select the app in Volume mixer and choose the default output option if you no longer need separate routing. Test with the same two sound sources. If several apps were changed, restore only the ones you intend to follow the default. A reset of sound settings can also affect levels and choices for other programs. Record any useful configuration before applying a broad reset, particularly if a shared computer has settings for accessibility or audio production.
For a repeatable desk setup, write down which output is the Windows default and which apps have a specific selection. Add the case where a dock or headset is disconnected. If the problem returns later, test the same audio first, then compare settings with the note. This avoids changing drivers for a problem that originated when a familiar endpoint disappeared. Keep the simplest configuration that meets your needs and test the real meeting, browser or player after any change.
If you are comparing two headsets, use the same recording and note its volume before swapping devices. A louder sample can make one setup seem clearer even when the route is the only issue you needed to test.
A common example is sending a browser’s training video to headphones while keeping a desktop player on external speakers. Start the video first, apply its route, then start the player and listen at a low level. Reconnect the headphones and repeat. If the browser falls back to speakers when they disconnect, pause it before unplugging in a place where private audio could be heard. For a docked laptop, test with the lid in its normal position and the same monitor connected. Windows may expose a different set of outputs after you undock. Save a short note with the device names, the default selection and the app override. That note is especially useful when the hardware name looks similar to an HDMI or Bluetooth audio endpoint.
Frequently asked questions
Can I set separate outputs for browser tabs?
Check how your browser exposes audio sessions. Windows may group tabs under one application entry.
Will changing the system default change every app?
Apps that follow the default can change with it. An app can also have a separate route or preference.
Why is the app missing from Volume mixer?
Start playback and check again. Confirm you are looking for the process that is producing the audio.
