I was watching a movie the other day.
And I was blown away. Why?
Because I thought that the director’s decision to make a silent film in 2022 was brave.
That is, until I realized that my TCL’s audio simply wasn’t working.
Great movie though…
My TCL, however, needs to be fixed.
Maybe yours does too.
Keep reading to discover:
- How to fix the muted Roku glitch on TCL.
- Which audio settings could mute your TV.
- 9 easy ways to fix your TCL TV that have no sound.
- And so much more…
Why does my TCL TV have no sound?
Your TCL TV has no sound because you have bad speakers, buggy software, or outdated firmware. Settings like the menu sounds, auto volume, and L-R balance can also cause this issue. Otherwise, it’s because your streaming device is faulty.
TCL TV no sound: 9 ways to fix it
#1: Troubleshoot your TV
The first step to solving any problem with your devices?
Troubleshooting.
It’s the process of ruling out potential issues until only the most probable cause is left.
Got it? Good.
Now, how can you troubleshoot your TV?
Thankfully, TCL themselves wrote a guide for this. So give it a try:
- Check if your power socket is working.
- Try to use the TCL TV on a different socket.
- Press the Volume Up button.
- Ensure that your TV isn’t on mute.
- Check if there are any broadcasting issues in your area.
#2: Power cycle your device
If there’s anything I learned from my childhood, it’s this:
Turning something off and then on usually solves 95% of its problem.
Back then, I never knew why but it worked.
However, now I know that this process is called a power cycle.
And power cycling gets rid of all the charges on your TV.
Which then restarts its mainboard. And makes the stuck processes on its software work again.
Yes, all of that comes just from a restart. Pretty cool, huh?
But a power cycle isn’t just a restart. Instead, you need to:
- Turn your TV off.
- Unplug your TV from the socket.
- Wait 30 seconds.
- Plug your TV back in.
- Turn your TV on.
#3: Factory reset your TV
Now, let’s talk about factory reset.
I know what you’re going to say:
“Is a factory reset really necessary?”
And I understand your hesitance.
After all, a factory reset will delete all of your files and settings change.
However, consider this:
You can recover all of the things you lost after a factory reset…
But there’s a chance you might not fix your TV without it.
Convinced? Okay, let’s start with:
TCL Roku
- Press the Home button on your remote.
- Head to the Settings menu.
- Under System, go to Advanced System Settings.
- Tap Factory Reset.
- Select Factory Reset Everything.
- Enter the code on your TV to confirm the reset.
TCL Android
- Press the Settings button on your remote.
- Head to More Settings.
- Select Device Preference.
- Go to Reset.
- Next, press Factory Data Reset.
- Tap Erase Everything.
- Enter your PIN to confirm the reset.
#4: Buy speakers
Do you have a pair of earphones?
I want you to try something.
Insert them into the audio jack of your TV.
Can you hear anything at all?
Feel free to skip this step if you hear nothing.
However, if there’s even a little bit of a sound…
That means that your problem is with the TCL’s hardware.
So, in this case, what can you do?
I suppose you can try to replace your audio board by itself…
But that’s risky. You might end up losing more than just sound.
Instead, buy a pair of speakers. Which one?
Well, how about I give you a list of my favorite speakers or soundbars on the market?
- JBL Bar Studio: $189.95.
- Sony HT-A7000: $1399.99.
- Sonos Beam Gen 2: $564.95.
- Bluesound Pulse Soundbar+: $999.99.
- Bowers & Wilkins Panorama 3: $999.99.
#5: Check your audio inputs
Speaking of speakers…
Are you certain that you plugged them right?
If your answer’s no, check them. And if it’s yes, check them anyway.
It’s better to leave no stone unturned.
And make sure that the cables are:
- Not broken.
- Tightly plugged into the port.
- Inserted into the correct port.
#6: Update your firmware
Next, try updating your firmware.
Wait, I’m getting ahead of myself…
First, what’s firmware?
Think of it as the “software for your hardware.”
You see, without firmware, your TV is nothing but a bunch of hardware glued together.
The only reason your TV’s parts can communicate with each other is because of the firmware.
Now that we got that out of the way…
It’s time to update.
TCL Roku
For this, you’ll need a flash drive with at least 256 Mb of free space.
Do you have 1? Great. Proceed to:
Step 1: Get the update file from Roku
- Go to the Roku TV Update page.
- Choose TCL as your TV brand and then type your TV’s model number.
- Select Download Software.
- Copy the downloaded file to your flash drive.
- Insert the USB into your TV.
Step 2: Update your TV
- Press the Home button on your remote.
- Head to the Settings menu.
- Go to System.
- Under System Update, press “I can’t connect.”
- Enter the 12-digit code from your TV to the textfield on your computer.
- Enter the 6-digit code from your computer to the TV.
TCL Android
- Press the Settings button on your remote.
- Head to More Settings.
- Select Device Preference.
- Go to the About section.
- Tap System Update, and then Network Update.
- Press OK to confirm the update.
Need more help updating your TCL TV? You can use this video as a guide:
#7: Tweak your settings
Let’s get rid of the settings that may be affecting your audio, shall we?
Namely, these 3:
- Auto volume.
- Menu sounds.
- Audio balance.
And here’s how you access them:
Note: This only applies to TCL Roku TVs.
- Press the Settings button on your remote.
- Head to Sound.
- Select Advanced Settings.
After that, you’ll be able to see the settings that I mentioned. Simply toggle them off or on from there.
But wait, what exactly do these settings mean? Which ones should I turn off or turn on?
Don’t worry. I’ll tell you.
Auto volume
Have you ever had a commercial so obnoxiously loud you’d think there’s someone inside your home?
I do.
Not just from traditional TV either, but also from streaming apps like Hulu.
So, TCL (and other brands) made software that can automatically lower your volume.
The result was auto volume.
It’s a great setting but…
Sometimes, it just malfunctions.
When it does, the setting may lower all of the sound coming from your TV until it’s muted.
To avoid this, turn this option off.
Menu sounds
Do you hear sounds when you’re watching something…
But not when you’re navigating through the menu?
If so, that means that your menu sounds are off.
The option to turn this off should be between the Auto Volume and Balance settings.
Simply toggle the slider on to get the soft notes back on your menu.
(Audio) balance
Is the left side of your TV louder than the right? Or vice versa?
In that case, you should recalibrate the balance settings on your TV.
Use the slider under Balance until you get the perfect, well…balance.
#8: Fix your HDMI connection
Sometimes, it’s not your TV that’s the problem…
But what you’re putting into your TV.
Let me ask you this:
What were you doing on your TV when the sound went out?
Were you:
- Mirroring your laptop?
- Watching via streaming devices?
- Playing a game on your gaming console?
In that case, try to watch something on the TV itself. Does your sound work?
If your answer is yes, then you can first try to disconnect and reconnect your external input.
Did it work? No?
Next, try to clean your HDMI ports. Here’s how:
- Lightly dampen a microfiber cloth with isopropyl alcohol.
- Wrap the wet part around a thin object, like a toothpick for example.
- Run the pointy part through every crevice of your HDMI port.
- You can also use a can of compressed air to loosen any dust sticking to your port.
- Wait for everything to dry before connecting any cable.
Note: Are you using a Roku streaming device with your TCL? If so, you might be suffering from an audio glitch that’s native to Roku. Here’s how people usually fix it:
- Press the Home button on the remote of your Roku device.
- Head to the Settings menu.
- Under Audio, select Audio Mode.
- Tap Auto (Stereo).
You may also be interested in: Does Roku Work On Any TV? 5 Surprising Answers
#9: Contact TCL
As a last resort, I implore you to give up…
No. Not in fixing your TV.
But give up on fixing your TCL by yourself.
Instead, give TCL a message.