Microphone not Working in Microsoft Teams? Here’s What to Do

January 11, 2021

By Alex Balaniuc

Microsoft Teams is a great service for organizing online meetings with whoever you want, but some problems may arise when using the app, like your microphone unfortunately not working. In this article we’ll see how to troubleshoot this major inconvenience.

Check for updates

First of all, if you’re having trouble hearing sound from your microphone, make sure you have the latest Windows update or Mac OS update and also the Teams app version installed.

To check for updates in Teams, go to your profile picture in the upper-right of the Teams app and select “Check for updates”; updates typically install in the background if they’re available.

Make sure that your microphone is in use

Your microphone could simply be disabled, so to make sure you can use your microphone in Teams, follow these steps:

close all other apps that might be using your microphone (like Skype or FaceTime)
if you’re using an external microphone, try unplugging it and plugging it back in
you can often save time and effort by restarting your device

Make a test call

Making a test call can let you know if your microphone is working properly. Select your profile picture, then choose Settings > Devices. Then select “Make a test call” under “Audio devices”.

In a test call, you’ll see how your mic, speaker, and camera are working. Follow the instructions from Test Call Bot and record a short message; the message will play back for you. After that, you’ll get a summary of the test call, and you can go to your device settings to make changes. Keep in mind that:

the test call feature is only available in English for now. Additional languages are coming soon
Teams will delete your test recording immediately after the call. It won’t be retained or used by Microsoft
the test call feature is currently unavailable for Teams on the web.

Troubleshooting for Windows

If you are still having trouble with your microphone on your Windows computer even after attempting every step above, here are some more solutions to try:

Check your app permissions

You might need to change one of your privacy settings. Here’s how to check:

open Settings
under Privacy, select Microphone
make sure the setting for “Microphone access” for this device is turned on. If the setting is already turned on, try turning the setting off then back on again
then close all apps and restart your device

Check your drivers

When your microphone isn’t working in Windows 10, there might be a problem with your drivers. Go here for step-by-step instructions for checking your Windows drivers.

Troubleshooting for Mac OS

If you are still having trouble with your microphone on your Mac computer even after attempting every step above, here are some more solutions to try:

Check your app permissions

You might need to change one of your privacy settings. Here’s how to check:

open System Preferences
select “Security & Privacy”
under Privacy, choose Microphone on the left
make sure “Microsoft Teams” is selected
then close all apps and restart your device

ATTENTION: These settings only apply to Mac OS 10.14 and higher.

Troubleshooting for Teams on the web

Wether you’re using Teams on the web, here is something you can do to make sure your microphone and camera are set up properly:

Check your browser settings

First thing you’ll have to do is checking your browser permissions and settings, since you may need to “allow” your camera and/or microphone to work in Teams.

ATTENTION: Microsoft Teams on the web is currently supported in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Internet Explorer 11.

In the case that you’re using Chrome or other browsers (like Microsoft Edge or Firefox), you can start with Settings (or Options) and then find the microphone and camera.

For example, in Chrome:

go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings > View permissions and data stored across sites
from here, enter “teams.microsoft.com” in the Search field
open the “Microsoft.com” group and scroll down to find “teams.microsoft.com” and select it
here, set the Microphone and Camera to Allow access to these devices