How to Use Your USB Phone and Speakers at the Same Time (Windows)

Left to its own devices, Windows will normally choose the last USB audio device you plugged into your computer as the default audio device for your whole system.  But you may want to use your USB phone for Skype audio only, while using your computer's speakers for music and other non-skype audio. 

 

We recommend specifically selecting the USB device(phone, adapter, headset) you want to use for Skype conversations, separate from your default Windows audio device(typically your sound card): 

1. In Windows --> Control Panel --> Sounds and Audio Devices --> Audio --> Sound playback, select your sound card as Default device.
   
   
2. In Skype --> Tools --> Options --> Sound Devices, select "USB Audio Device" for Audio in and Audio out.

 

See detailed instructions below:

 

1. Go to Windows Start --> Settings --> Control Panel

 

2. Select Sounds and Audio Devices.

 

 

3. Click the Audio tab and select your sound card as the Default device for Sound playback. (Your PC's sound card will likely have another name than shown below).

 

Do not select "USB Audio Device".

 

 

4. Click the Voice tab and select USB Audio Device as the Default device for Voice playback.

 

Note: some versions of Windows don't have a Voice tab. In this case, you will only need to make the changes in the Audio tab(step 3).

 

5. Click OK to save changes and exit Windows Sounds and Audio devices properties.

 

 

We have set the PC's sound card as the default Windows audio device. In the next steps we set the USB phone as the audio device to be used by Skype (separate from Windows audio device settings).

 

6. Open Skype --> Tools --> Options:

 

7. Go to Sound Devices and select USB Audio Device for both Audio In and Audio Out:

Optional settings:

• Ringing- select device you prefer to ring for incoming calls
• Check "Ring PC speaker"
  If checked, the ringing of an incoming call will be played through the computer's internal speaker. This is useful in case your speakers are muted, or the volume is turned down.

8. Click Save to exit Skype options.

 

Troubleshooting USB Phone Connection:   How to Use Your USB Phone and Speakers at the Same Time   Allowing SkypeMate Access to Skype   Windows Internet Settings