TP-Link Tapo Camera Audio Not Working? Here’s How to Fix It
Tapo smart cameras from TP-Link are popular for their ease of use and great features, including two-way audio and sound detection. However, it can be puzzling when you suddenly can't hear any sound from your camera. The good news is that this problem is almost always caused by a simple setting in the app or on your phone.
This guide will quickly walk you through the essential checks to get the audio on your Tapo camera working again.
## Identifying the Audio Problem
Are you experiencing one of these common issues?
- No sound on live view: The video is streaming, but it's completely silent.
- Recorded clips have no audio: You can play back recorded events, but there's no sound.
- Two-way 'Talk' or 'Voice Call' isn't working: You can't speak through the camera, or you can't hear the response.
- The camera's alarm doesn't make a sound: You trigger the siren in the app, but the camera remains quiet.
All these problems can usually be solved with the following steps.
## Step-by-Step Fixes for Tapo Audio Issues
Let's start with the most common and quickest solutions.
### 1. Check Your Phone's Volume
It might sound too simple, but it's a very common oversight.
- Increase Media Volume: While the Tapo app is open and you're viewing your camera, press the volume-up button on the side of your phone. Your phone has different volume controls for ringer, notifications, and media. You need to make sure the media volume is turned up.
- Unmute the Live View: On the live view screen for your camera, there is a speaker icon. If this icon has a line through it, the stream is muted. Tap the speaker icon to unmute it and hear the audio from the camera.
### 2. Enable the Camera's Microphone in the Tapo App
This is the most important setting to check. For privacy, you can disable the camera's microphone, and sometimes this setting can be accidentally turned off.
- Open the Tapo app and select the camera you're having issues with.
- Tap the gear icon at the top right to go to Device Settings.
- In the settings list, make sure the toggle switch next to Microphone is turned ON (it should be blue).
- If you also want your recordings to have sound, tap on Recording Schedule or Detection & Alerts, go into the settings, and ensure Record Audio is also enabled there.
### 3. Grant Microphone Permissions to the Tapo App
If you can hear sound from the camera but the two-way talk feature isn't working, the problem is likely with your phone's permissions. The Tapo app needs your permission to access your phone's microphone to send your voice to the camera.
-
On iPhone:
- Go to your iPhone's Settings.
- Scroll down and tap on Tapo.
- Make sure the Microphone toggle is switched ON.
-
On Android:
- Go to your phone's Settings.
- Tap on Apps > Tapo > Permissions.
- Ensure that Microphone is in the Allowed category.
### 4. Restart Your Camera and App
A simple restart can often clear up temporary software glitches that might be affecting the audio stream.
- Close and Reopen the App: Fully close the Tapo app on your phone (swipe it out of your recent apps) and then launch it again.
- Power Cycle the Camera: The easiest way to do this is to unplug the camera from its power adapter, wait about 30 seconds, and then plug it back in. Give it a couple of minutes to reboot and reconnect to your Wi-Fi.
### 5. Check for Updates
Running the latest software ensures you have all the recent bug fixes and performance improvements.
- Update the Tapo App: Go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and see if there is an update available for the Tapo app.
- Update Camera Firmware: In the Tapo app, go to your camera's settings. If a firmware update is available, you will usually see a notification here. Follow the on-screen instructions to update your camera.
Following these five steps will resolve audio issues for the vast majority of Tapo camera users. If the problem persists, try removing the camera from the app and adding it again as a final step.