Teams · Fix-itDraft

Teams can't hear me (mic and audio fixes)

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You’re in a Teams meeting, you’re talking, and nobody can hear you. This is usually mute, the wrong microphone, or a Windows permission, not a broken headset. Work through the checks in order and stop when a test call can hear you.

These steps are for the Teams desktop app or Teams in a browser, on Windows. If you’re on a work account and your organization manages devices, some settings may be locked. Use the meeting’s Call me option if you need a stopgap so you can talk on your phone while the rest of the meeting stays on the PC.

1. Make sure you aren’t muted

  1. In the meeting controls, look at the mic icon. If it has a line through it, select it to unmute.
  2. Check the headset or mic itself. Many headsets mute when the boom is flipped up, or they have a hardware mute button on the cord or ear cup.
  3. If several audio devices are connected (laptop mic, USB headset, Bluetooth buds), Teams may still be listening to a mute or disconnected device. You’ll pick the right one in step 3.

Ask someone in the meeting if they can hear you after each change, or use a test call instead of troubleshooting live.

2. Give Teams permission to use the microphone

Windows can block the mic even when Teams looks unmuted.

  1. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone.
  2. Turn on Microphone access.
  3. Turn on Let apps access your microphone.
  4. If you see a Microsoft Teams or Microsoft Teams (work or school) toggle, turn that on too.
  5. Turn on Let desktop apps access your microphone. The Teams desktop app needs this one. Microsoft’s support page includes it as its own step.
  6. If those toggles were already on, turn them off and on again, then close your apps and restart the PC so the change applies.

On a Mac, check System Settings (or System Preferences) > Privacy & Security > Microphone, and allow Microsoft Teams. On iPhone, it’s Settings > Privacy > Microphone.

If you’re using Teams in a browser

Allow the microphone for the Teams site in the browser:

  • Microsoft Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Microphone. Turn on Ask before accessing (recommended), and make sure the Teams site isn’t blocked.
  • Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone. Select the correct input device, and allow sites to ask to use the microphone.
  • Safari: Preferences or Settings > Websites > Microphone, and set other websites to Ask or Allow.

Microsoft lists Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari among the browsers people use for Teams on the web. If the browser’s address bar shows a blocked-mic icon, click it and allow access, then refresh.

3. Pick the correct mic in Teams and make a test call

Before a meeting

  1. In Teams, open Settings and more (…) > Settings > Devices.
  2. Under audio settings, choose your microphone from the Microphone list. Choose the headset or USB mic you intend to use, not “Default” if Default keeps picking the laptop.
  3. Select Make a test call. You’ll get a short recording played back, then a summary. (Microsoft notes that this test is currently available in English, the recording is deleted after the call, and the test call isn’t available in Teams for the web.)

During a meeting

  1. Select the arrow next to Mic.
  2. Open More audio settings.
  3. Select the correct microphone.

If the mic isn’t in the list, unplug it and plug it back in. For Bluetooth, confirm the headset is charged, not connected to your phone at the same time, and then pair it again.

4. Check Windows sound settings

  1. Open Settings > System > Sound.
  2. Under Input, choose the same mic you selected in Teams.
  3. Next to Volume, make sure the input isn’t muted. Speak and watch the input meter move.
  4. If the meter never moves, go to More sound settings (or the older Sound control panel) > Recording, right-click the mic, and choose Enable if it’s disabled. You can also set it as the default device.

Then go back to Teams and confirm the same device is selected.

If you use Remote Desktop, Microsoft also has you check Remote Desktop Connection > Local Resources > Remote audio > Settings: play on this computer, and record from this computer.

5. If it still doesn’t work

  1. Install the latest Teams and Windows updates, then restart.
  2. Try a second headset or the laptop’s built-in mic to see whether the problem follows the device.
  3. Close other apps that might have exclusive control of the mic (another meeting app, a recorder, or a browser tab still in a call).
  4. As a backup during a live meeting, use Call me if Teams offers it. Enter your phone number so Teams calls you. Audio then comes from the phone, while screen sharing can stay on the PC.

What not to do

  • Don’t buy a new headset until you’ve checked mute, permissions, and the device list. Those three fix most of these calls.
  • Don’t give a random “mic booster” app access to your microphone.
  • Don’t assume the meeting is broken if only you can’t be heard. That’s usually a local device or permission issue.

Still stuck?

If you’ve allowed the mic, picked the right device, and a test call still fails, I can connect remotely and walk through it with you. Support is after-hours, nationwide, with local help in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. See the Work with me page.

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