Anyone who occasionally switches between headphones and speakers on the computer will quickly encounter an annoying problem with TeamSpeak: The default output device in TeamSpeak is not the default output device in Windows. In this post you will learn how to easily switch between two output devices.

If you change from the speakers to the headphones in Windows, you have to set the whole thing again in TeamSpeak. TeamSpeak does not automatically adjust to the Windows settings. There is no direct solution to this, but with a hotkey for a second playback profile the device can be switched much faster.

The Workaround

Under Tools > Options > Playback you can find the playback profiles with their respective settings. With the small "plus" you can add a profile.

Teamspeak 3 Playback Settings on Windows
I now have a profile for my headphones, as well as for the speakers. It is important that the playback device has been selected correctly.

Under Tools > Options > Hotkeys you can now set a hotkey to switch between the playback profiles. Next:

+ Add > Show Advanced Actions > Playback Profile > Toggle Playback Profile

Now we see the two playback profiles we just created: Headphones and Speakers. Click one of them, which does not matter. Click No Hotkey Assigned and select the desired hotkey to toggle. Confirm with OK.

Teamspeak 3 Hotkey Settings on Windows
I selected "5" on the numpad and my headphones as a hotkey. Of course, it works the same with speakers.

This way, the TS3 sound can be switched from speakers to headphones and vice versa with one touch of a button.

Important for Bluetooth Headphones

If you use bluetooth headphones instead of wired headphones, it is important to set the headphones for the second playback profile. TS3 always uses the top profile as the default profile and will also try to select this when launching. If that does not work because the headphones are still switched off, an error message will occur.

It is therefore generally advisable to always set the speakers for the upper playback profile and the headphones for the lower playback profile.