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How to Join Voice Chat in Iracing

Stuck on how to join voice chat in iRacing? This quick, driver-focused guide shows you the exact settings and steps to get talking fast—hear, be heard, and race smarter.

If you’re stuck on how to join voice chat in iracing, here’s the short version: set your mic and speakers in Options > Sound, bind a Push-to-Talk button, pick the right radio channel, and unmute. You’re in the right place—follow the quick steps below and you’ll be talking in your next session.

Quick Answer

To join voice chat in iRacing, choose your microphone and output in Options > Sound, enable voice chat, and bind a Push-to-Talk button in Options > Controls. In a session, open the Radio black box, select the Drivers (or Team) channel, and hold Push-to-Talk while speaking.

What’s Really Going On

iRacing uses an in-sim “radio” for voice chat. You transmit only when you hold a Push-to-Talk button, and you talk on the radio channel you’ve selected. If people can’t hear you (or you can’t hear them), it’s usually because the audio devices are wrong, the mic is muted, the wrong channel is selected, or you’re testing alone where no one else is present.

How to join voice chat in iracing: step-by-step

Set your devices
Go to Options > Sound. Pick your microphone for “Voice chat input” and your headset/speakers for “Voice chat output.” Enable voice chat and set volumes to around 80–100% to start.
Bind Push-to-Talk
Go to Options > Controls and assign a convenient Push-to-Talk button (ideally on your wheel). The default is sometimes Numpad +, but it varies—bind your own to be sure.
Join a session with other drivers
Voice chat won’t be active in a solo Test session. Join Practice, Qualifying, Race, or an open Practice with other cars.
Select the right radio channel
Open the Radio black box in-sim (cycle black boxes with the bracket keys [ and ] until you see “Radio”). Choose “Drivers” to talk to everyone, or “Team” in team events to talk to your teammates only.
Check you’re not muted
In the Radio box, make sure your mic isn’t muted and you’re scanning/listening. Also confirm Windows hasn’t muted iRacing in the volume mixer.
Transmit
Hold your Push-to-Talk, speak clearly, then release. Watch for the transmit icon or a brief on-screen indicator. If drivers reply, you’re good.

Extra Tips / Checklist

Quick mic test: In Options > Sound, talk and watch for input activity. If there’s no movement, Windows may be using the wrong mic.
Windows privacy: On Windows, allow apps to access your microphone (Settings > Privacy > Microphone).
One device only: Close other apps that might “grab” your mic (Discord, OBS) to avoid conflicts.
Levels: If you’re quiet or clipping, adjust mic level in Windows Sound settings and fine-tune “Voice chat volume” and “Mic boost” in iRacing settings.
Channel discipline: Use Drivers channel for race-critical calls; use Team channel for strategy so you don’t spam the field.

FAQs

Why can’t anyone hear me?
Your Push-to-Talk isn’t bound or held, the wrong mic/output is selected, or you’re on the wrong channel. Recheck Options > Sound and Options > Controls, then verify the Radio black box channel.
I can hear others, but they can’t hear me—fix?
Make sure your mic isn’t muted in the Radio box or Windows. Confirm the correct mic is selected and that the level moves when you talk in Options > Sound.
How do I change my Push-to-Talk to a wheel button?
Options > Controls > find the voice “Talk” binding > click and press the wheel button you want. Save.
Can I mute a loud driver?
Yes. In the Radio box, you can mute specific drivers or lower voice volume in Options > Sound. You can also disable scanning if needed.

Short Wrap-Up

Set your mic and output, bind Push-to-Talk, pick the right channel, and you’re on the air. Do a quick level check in Options > Sound, then test in a populated practice. Once it’s working, bind that PTT to a comfortable wheel button and focus on driving.