To do proximity chat in Among Us, you need to pair the game with a third-party voice tool like CrewLink and Discord so that players only hear each other when their characters are physically close in-game.
What is proximity chat in Among Us and why you need it
Proximity chat in Among Us is a modded feature that uses external software to simulate real-life voice range. Instead of everyone hearing each other across the map, your voice fades in and out based on how near or far your crewmate or impostor character is to other players. This forces you to rely on eavesdropping, private whispers, and careful positioning, which deepens the core deception and teamwork mechanics. If you want to skip the complexity of mods and Discord entirely, among us crossplay voice chat without Discord offers a simpler built-in alternative. You can only use it with people you add a friend on among us, so build your in-game list first. Without it, you lose the ability to overhear a suspicious conversation or quietly coordinate a sabotage with a trusted ally.
What you need before you start
Before you can set up proximity chat, gather the following three items. First, you need a copy of Among Us installed on your PC; the Steam or Epic Games version is commonly used for modding. Second, you need a Discord account and a server where you can create voice channels; this is where the audio will actually route through. Third, you need a proximity voice application like CrewLink or BetterCrewLink installed on the same device as Among Us. These apps read your in-game position and automatically adjust your Discord audio volume based on distance.
How to do proximity chat in Among Us with CrewLink and Discord
The full integration takes about five minutes once you have all the pieces. Follow these steps in order:
- Download and install CrewLink (or BetterCrewLink, which is a more actively maintained fork) from its official source. Run the installer and launch the app.
- Open Discord and log in. Create a new server or use an existing one, then create several voice channels named after common Among Us locations, such as "Admin," "Electrical," or "Cafeteria." These names are just for organization, the actual proximity logic is handled by CrewLink.
- Launch Among Us and enter any lobby. You do not need to change any in-game voice settings because Among Us has no built-in voice chat; you are simply leaving the game’s text chat as-is.
- Return to the CrewLink window. It should automatically detect that Among Us is running and ask you to link your Discord account. Click the link button and authorize CrewLink to access your Discord server.
- In the CrewLink interface, select the Discord server you created. CrewLink will then create temporary voice channels and move players into them based on their character positions in the game.
- Join the Among Us lobby with your friends. As you move your character, CrewLink will automatically mute and unmute other players in Discord depending on distance. When you are far apart, you hear silence; when you stand next to someone, their voice comes through clearly.
That is the core loop. CrewLink handles all the muting logic in the background, so you do not need to manually switch channels during a match.
How to host a proximity chat lobby for your friends
If you are the host, your job is to set the stage so everyone connects properly. Start by creating a private lobby in Among Us and choosing a game region that is stable for all players, typically the same region everyone lives in. Then share the lobby code privately in your Discord server, not publicly, to keep randoms out. Before anyone joins the match, remind each player to launch CrewLink and complete the Discord link step. If someone joins the Among Us lobby without CrewLink running, they will be silent to everyone else, and they will not hear anyone either. Once all players are in the lobby and CrewLink shows a green indicator for each person, you can start the game. It is also smart to assign a Discord voice channel as a "lobby" channel for pre-game chatter, because CrewLink only activates proximity after the match begins.
Troubleshooting common proximity chat problems
Several issues can arise, but most have quick fixes. If you notice a delay in muting, for example, you still hear someone after they round a corner, check that CrewLink is running with administrator privileges and that your Among Us window is not minimized in a way that pauses the game’s position updates. For mobile players, there is no native solution: proximity chat via CrewLink only works on PC, so you will need to play on a computer or use a workaround like running the game through a cloud PC service, though that adds latency. To balance game sounds and voice, lower the in-game sound effects volume to about half and keep Discord’s user volume at full, then adjust your headset mixer if you have one. If CrewLink cannot detect the Among Us game process, make sure you launched CrewLink after starting Among Us, and verify that your antivirus is not blocking the app’s network access, whitelist CrewLink if necessary.
Proximity chat etiquette and gameplay tips
Proximity chat changes how you play, so adopt some unwritten rules. Stay silent during emergency meetings unless the discussion timer is active, talking over the meeting text is disruptive and gives away information unfairly. If you die, do not ghost by whispering to living players; that ruins the game’s integrity. Instead, use your dead time to watch how others move and react. For living players, whisper strategies are powerful: stand close to a suspected impostor and speak softly so only they hear you, or pull a crewmate aside to share a secret without the whole lobby listening. Remember that impostors can also whisper to each other, so never assume a quiet corner is safe. The key is to treat your voice like a resource, moving closer to someone is a deliberate action that can build trust or expose betrayal.
Key takeaways and next steps
Proximity chat turns Among Us from a game of typed accusations into a live, spatial thriller. The setup requires only Among Us, a Discord server, and CrewLink or BetterCrewLink, and once linked, the app handles all distance-based muting automatically. Host a private lobby, share the code on Discord, and ensure every player launches CrewLink before the match. If you run into issues, check your game process detection, adjust volume levels, and remember that mobile players need a PC to participate. From here, explore related guides such as playing Among Us with friends and crossplay, which explains how to connect with console and mobile players despite the proximity chat limitation, or learn how to kick disruptive players from a private lobby to keep your games clean. With proximity chat active, every footstep, whisper, and sudden silence becomes a clue, so start your next lobby and listen closely.
