# Audacity is not detecting the audio device I just connected ## Causes If you connect an external audio device (such as a USB microphone or USB headset) to your computer while Audacity is already running, it won't be detected automatically by Audacity. ## Fixes To solve this, make sure the device is detected by the operating system, then go to **Audio Setup -> Rescan Audio Devices** . The new device should appear as an option on the Recording or Playback device selection dropdown in the Device toolbar. {% hint style="success" %} If the troubleshooting steps aren't working for you, feel free to ask in our communities: * [Forum](https://forum.audacityteam.org/) * [Discord](https://discord.gg/audacity) {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://support.audacityteam.org/troubleshooting/solving-recording-problems/audacity-is-not-detecting-the-audio-device-i-just-connected.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.