Microsoft Teams audio support

Below is a list of common issues you may encounter with audio when working in Microsoft Teams. You can scroll through the entire page or click on a specific topic from the following list:

• Restart Microsoft Teams on my computer or phone
• Teams audio is muted
• Device audio is physically muted
• Teams has not automatically selected my audio device
• Allow Teams app to access my microphone
• Increase your built‑in microphone volume on Windows 10
• Select my audio output device
• Change my Mac’s privacy settings
• Allow microphone and camera access
• Check if the audio problem persists with Teams on the web

Restart Microsoft Teams on your computer or phone

Restarting Teams, computers, and phones clears the RAM and cache and resolves most common problems.

Windows

Click the Windows Start button, select the Power button, and then click Restart.

Mac

Click the Apple icon at the top left‑hand corner, select Restart, and then click Restart again.

Android

Hold the Power button on your Android device, and then tap Restart.

iOS

Press and hold the side button and the volume button at the same time until the power off slider displays, and then drag the slider to the right to restart.

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Teams audio is muted

While in a Teams meeting, check if the microphone is turned off. If so, then you might have been silenced by the meeting organizer or you accidentally silenced yourself. Your microphone is muted when the microphone button displays with a diagonal line through it.

To unmute yourself, click the microphone icon and the microphone button will display without a diagonal line through it. You should now be able to speak during a meeting.

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Device audio is physically muted

If your microphone is not muted in Teams, check if your device’s microphone is not muted. Some keyboards have a dedicated mute button that blocks audio on both your speakers and your microphone. Press the key again to unmute it.

Some audio devices like headsets with a microphone have switches to mute/unmute the microphone. Check this switch to make sure your microphone is not muted.

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Teams has not automatically selected my audio device

If you have more than one audio device connected to your system, Teams may not select the primary audio device for meetings.

Change your audio device while in a Teams meeting

1. Click the click the More options () icon on the meeting controls at the bottom, and then select Show device settings.
2. Under the Audio devices section, select your primary audio device from the drop‑down menu. (You also can choose your preferred Speaker and Microphone devices.)
3. Check if you are now able to speak during a meeting and if your voice is being heard by others.

Change your audio device when not in a Teams meeting

1. Click on your Teams user icon on the top right‑hand side, select Settings, and then click Devices.
2. Select the device you want using the drop‑down for both Speaker and Microphone.

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Allow Teams app to access my microphone

In Windows 10, apps and services need your permission to control some elements of your system, like the use of your camera or microphone. This is a security feature to protect users from unknown apps and malware that could take advantage of these access points.

To enable microphone access for Teams on Windows:

1. Click the Windows button, select Settings, select Privacy, and then select Microphone.
2. On the Settings screen, make sure that the Allow apps to access your microphone option is turned On.
3. Scroll down to Allow desktop apps to access your microphone, and make sure this option is turned On.

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Increase your built‑in microphone volume on Windows 10

When you are in a meeting and using your laptop’s built‑in microphone, you will need to speak closer to the laptop. If the other participants are having a hard time hearing you, follow the directions below to increase your microphone’s volume:

1. Right‑click the Speakers icon in the bottom right‑hand side of the taskbar of your desktop, and then select Open Sound Settings.
2. Click the Sound Control Panel link on the right‑hand side.
3. On the Sound window, select the Recording tab, right‑click on Microphone Array, and then click Properties.
4. On the Levels tab, move the slider to adjust your microphone volume, and then click OK to confirm the volume change.

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Select my audio output device

When you plug in your headphones, they become the default for audio. Please check the connection to ensure it is completely plugged into your laptop, monitor, or device.

If the connection is secure and you still cannot hear, click the Speakers icon on the bottom right‑hand side of your taskbar, click the chevron (^) icon, and then select a different output device.

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Change my Mac’s privacy settings

Recent versions of macOS allow you to control which apps and websites can use the microphone in order to capture or record audio. If your Teams app is not able to use your audio from the built‑in microphone, or any other device when using a Mac, you may need to allow the app to access your microphone inside Mac’s privacy settings.

To give your Mac access to your microphone:

1. Click the Apple icon on the top left‑hand corner, click System Preferences, then click Security & Privacy, and then click Privacy.
2. On the Privacy screen, click the Microphone option on the left‑hand pane, and then select the Microsoft Teams check box to allow access to the microphone.

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Allow microphone and camera access

If you are accessing Teams on the web rather than the Teams desktop app, please visit the appropriate webpage below to allow microphone and camera access on your browser:

• Google Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Safari
• Mozilla Firefox

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Check if the audio problem persists with Teams on the web

If the solutions above do not resolve your audio issues while using the Teams desktop client, the Teams web app might fix the problem. The Teams web client is fully functional with support for video calling, screen sharing, and‑more.

You can use Teams on the web by visiting https://teams.microsoft.com and signing in with your College account. Only Microsoft Edge (Chromium‑based) and Google Chrome provide full Teams support, but some features are missing on Safari and Mozilla Firefox. Please visit Microsoft’s Web client page for a list of compatible browsers.

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