If Teams audio is not working, first identify whether the problem is your microphone, speaker, meeting permissions, device access, or the network. Check your headset’s mute switch, select the intended devices in Teams, then test them in the operating system. If audio works elsewhere but not in Teams, troubleshoot the app; if several people are affected, look at meeting settings or the network.
Identify which Teams audio path is failing
“Teams audio isn’t working” can describe several different problems. Other people may not hear you, you may not hear them, your microphone control may be disabled, or audio may connect but drop or sound distorted. These failures have different causes, so note whether the issue affects one person, one device, one meeting, or everyone in the meeting.
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- Only your microphone fails: check the mute state, selected input, and operating-system or browser permissions.
- Only your speakers fail: check the selected output and Windows per-app routing, if applicable.
- The microphone control is unavailable: the organizer may have disabled attendee microphones.
- Audio drops or distorts: the device may be configured correctly, but the network path may be poor.
- Audio works in another app or Teams on the web: the problem may be isolated to the desktop client.
These instructions apply to the current Teams client. Classic Teams reached end of availability on July 1, 2025, so its old cache instructions are no longer the right default for current desktop troubleshooting. See Microsoft’s classic Teams availability notice.
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Check mute controls and choose the right microphone
- In the meeting controls, check Mic. If it is muted, select Unmute mic.
- Check the headset itself: a raised boom, hardware mute button, or Bluetooth mute control can silence the microphone independently of Teams.
- Outside a meeting, open Settings and more (…) > Settings > Devices. Under Audio settings, choose the intended device from Microphone.
- During a meeting, select the arrow next to Mic > Audio settings, then select the intended microphone.
If the device is missing, reconnect the USB device or charge and reconnect the Bluetooth headset, then reopen the device list. A device appearing in Teams does not by itself prove that the operating system permits access or that the device is unmuted. Microsoft’s steps are in My microphone isn’t working in Microsoft Teams and Manage your device settings.
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Check Windows microphone access
- Open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone.
- Turn on Microphone access and Let apps access your microphone.
- If shown, turn on the Microsoft Teams (work or school) toggle, and also turn on Let desktop apps access your microphone.
- If access was already enabled, Microsoft recommends switching the relevant toggles off and on again to reapply the permission state.
- Open Settings > System > Sound. Under Input, select the intended microphone and make sure its input volume is not muted.
If Windows does not list the microphone, investigate its connection, Bluetooth pairing, hardware, driver, or device-management policy rather than changing Teams settings.
Check macOS microphone access
- Open the Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone.
- Turn on access for Microsoft Teams, then quit and reopen Teams.
This is an operating-system permission, separate from the device selection in Teams. Current macOS uses System Settings; older instructions mentioning System Preferences apply to older releases. See Apple’s guide to controlling microphone access on Mac.
Run a desktop test call
In the Teams desktop app, open Settings and more (…) > Settings > Devices, then select Make a test call under Audio settings. Follow the Test Call Bot prompts and record a short message; Teams plays it back and provides a summary. Microsoft says the recording is deleted immediately rather than retained. The test call is available in the Windows and Mac desktop apps, not Teams for the web, and Microsoft currently documents it as English-only. A test call can help distinguish a local device or microphone problem from a meeting-specific issue. Details are in Manage your call settings in Microsoft Teams.
Fix a speaker when you cannot hear the meeting
Select the output device in Teams
- Outside a meeting, open Settings and more (…) > Settings > Devices.
- Under Audio settings, select the intended device from Speaker.
- In a meeting, select the arrow next to Mic > Audio settings, then choose the intended speaker, headset, dock, or monitor.
If a Bluetooth device is missing, make sure it is charged, not connected to another phone or computer, and visible to the operating system. Reopen Teams after reconnecting it. See Microsoft’s speaker troubleshooting steps.
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Check Windows output and Teams volume routing
- Open Settings > System > Sound and select the intended device under Output.
- Open Volume mixer. Under Apps, make sure Teams is not muted and is routed to the intended output device.
- If all audio from the device is silent, check that the output volume is not muted. Open More sound settings > Playback, right-click the intended device, and select Set as default if needed.
Windows can route Teams to a different output from the system default, which explains why system sounds may work while meeting audio does not. Microsoft’s guidance covers app audio that fails while system sounds work and no sound from speakers or headphones.
When the microphone button is disabled
A dimmed microphone control may be a meeting permission, not a broken microphone. The organizer can restrict attendee microphones before or during the meeting.
Before the meeting
The organizer can open Calendar, open the meeting, select Options > Participation, turn on Allow mic for attendees, and select Apply. If attendee microphone access is disabled, their controls may appear dimmed.
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During the meeting
An organizer, co-organizer, or presenter can select Controls > View more options > Participation, turn on Allow mic for attendees, and select Apply. The separate Manage what attendees see option can also limit attendee microphone and camera use. Microsoft documents these controls in Manage attendee audio and video permissions and Meeting options in Microsoft Teams.
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Mute all and disabling attendee microphones are not the same: muting participants does not necessarily prevent them from unmuting. Microsoft also notes that this attendee-permission control does not prevent people who dial in using the meeting phone number from turning on their microphone.
Fix audio in Teams for the web
Teams on the web is supported in Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox. The browser’s site permissions are separate from Windows or macOS microphone permissions. Microsoft’s current overview is Troubleshoot device features in Teams on the web.
Check the browser’s microphone permission
- Edge: select Settings and more (…) > Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Microphone, then turn on Ask before accessing (recommended).
- Chrome: open Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Permissions > Microphone. Choose the correct device and set the default behavior to Sites can ask to use your microphone. Alternatively, use the site controls icon in the address bar to allow microphone access for Teams, then reload the page.
- Safari: open Safari > Settings > Websites > Microphone, set Teams to Ask or Allow, and reload the tab.
Some device-enabled apps running inside Teams have a separate permission: select More options (…) in the app, open App permissions, enable the relevant device access, close the dialog, and refresh the app.
Reset the current Teams client if only the app fails
Use this step when the microphone and speaker work in the operating system but Teams alone fails. Resetting or clearing the app is not a substitute for fixing a blocked operating-system permission, meeting restriction, incorrect Windows routing, or network problem.
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Reset Teams from Windows Settings
- Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Find Microsoft Teams, select More options (…), then Advanced options.
- Under Reset, select Reset, then restart Teams.
Resetting deletes Teams app data, including personalization settings.
Clear the new Teams cache on Windows
- Quit Teams.
- Press Windows key + R and enter
%userprofile%appdatalocalPackagesMSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbweLocalCacheMicrosoftMSTeams. - Delete the files and folders in that directory, then restart Teams.
The first restart may take longer while Teams rebuilds its cache. Do not use %appdata%MicrosoftTeams as the current new-client cache path; that path belongs to classic Teams.
Clear new Teams data on macOS
- Quit Teams with Command (⌘) + Q.
- Open Terminal and run these commands separately:
rm -rf ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams
rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2Restart Teams after the commands complete. Microsoft’s cache guidance covers the current client’s cleanup steps: Clear the Teams client cache.
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Update Teams and device software
To check for a Teams update, select your profile picture or avatar > Check for updates. Teams updates while idle, and users must be signed in for updates to download. Microsoft notes that installations placed in Program Files through deployment scripts may not update automatically like installations in the default user location; see Teams doesn’t automatically update. Keep Windows or macOS current, and check for headset or speakerphone firmware and computer Bluetooth or audio-driver updates. Microsoft notes that Bluetooth performance can also be affected by the host computer’s radio, multiple paired devices, dense radio environments, and poorly performing Bluetooth hardware; see personal peripherals certified for Microsoft Teams.
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When a Bluetooth or USB device is intermittent
- For Bluetooth, check charge, pairing, other active connections, and whether the device appears in the operating system before reopening Teams.
- For USB audio peripherals, check external power, reseat the cable at both ends, try a replacement cable if a fault is suspected, and verify that a firmware update completed. Avoid unsupported or excessive USB extenders.
Microsoft identifies insufficient power, faulty cabling, incomplete firmware, and unreliable extenders as possible causes of unhealthy Teams Rooms audio peripherals. See microphone or speaker status troubleshooting for Teams Rooms.
Redirect audio in a Windows Remote Desktop session
- Open Remote Desktop Connection and select Local Resources.
- Under Remote audio, select Settings….
- Set Remote audio playback to Play on this computer and Remote audio recording to Record from this computer, then select OK.
If these options send audio to the remote computer, Teams may use remote-session audio devices rather than the local microphone and speakers.
Audio drops, clips, or sounds distorted
When the devices work but meeting audio is unreliable, the issue may be media transport rather than the microphone or speaker selection. Microsoft identifies blocked firewall or proxy traffic, congested or under-provisioned networks, VPN configurations that block or discourage UDP, overloaded Wi-Fi access points, and outdated audio, USB, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet drivers as possible organizational causes.
Teams media uses UDP ports 3478–3481 when available. If they are unavailable, Teams can fall back to TCP port 443; Microsoft says TCP fallback can affect call quality. If multiple people on the same office network or location are affected, ask IT to compare locations or subnets in the Teams Call Quality Dashboard (CQD) and check firewall, proxy, VPN, UDP, and Microsoft 365 network configuration. A cache reset will not repair a blocked media path. See Microsoft’s guide to using CQD for call and meeting quality and Teams client connectivity troubleshooting.
Computer audio sharing has a separate setting
If you can hear and speak normally but people cannot hear audio from a video or other content you share, select Share in the meeting controls and turn on Include sound. On Windows, Teams and Windows must use the same speaker. On Mac, the latest Teams audio driver is required for sharing computer audio and avoiding issues such as echo. This is distinct from ordinary meeting microphone and speaker audio. See Share sound from your computer in Teams meetings or live events.
Restart Windows audio services if app audio remains broken
If Windows audio is inconsistent or only some apps are silent, restart the audio services and check the driver:
- Press Windows key + R, enter
services.msc, and press Enter. - Right-click Windows Audio and select Restart.
- Right-click Windows Audio Endpoint Builder and select Restart.
- To update the driver, open Device Manager, expand Sound, video and game controllers, right-click the audio device, select Update driver, and restart Windows.
Windows per-app routing, audio services, and drivers can all affect one application while other system sounds continue to work. Microsoft’s related steps are in Fix app audio not working while system sounds work in Windows.
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Use the shortest troubleshooting route
- Check the headset boom and physical mute controls.
- In Teams, open Settings and more > Settings > Devices and select the correct microphone and speaker.
- Run Make a test call in the desktop client.
- Check Windows or macOS microphone access; in Windows, also inspect System > Sound and Volume mixer.
- Try the same meeting in Teams on the web. If web works but desktop does not, reset or clear the current Teams client.
- If attendees cannot unmute, ask the organizer to check Meeting options > Participation > Allow mic for attendees.
- If several people experience degraded audio, ask IT to investigate network media routing and CQD rather than resetting each client.
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