Microsoft Teams Microphone Not Working — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

Your microphone isn't being picked up by Teams. This usually means the wrong microphone is selected, or Teams doesn't have permission to use it. A quick settings check normally fixes this.

Affected Models

Microsoft Teams for Windows
Microsoft Teams for Mac
Microsoft Teams on Web
Microsoft Teams Mobile

Common Causes

Teams is set to use the wrong microphone device
Windows or macOS has blocked Teams from accessing the microphone
The microphone is muted in Windows sound settings
A recent Teams or Windows update changed audio permissions
Another app (like Zoom or Discord) is using the microphone exclusively

How to Fix It

Check your microphone inside Teams. Click the three dots (...) in a meeting, then 'Device settings'. Make sure the correct microphone is selected.

If you see 'No microphone' or the wrong device listed, this is your problem.
Check Windows microphone permissions. Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Microphone. Make sure 'Allow apps to access your microphone' is turned On and Microsoft Teams is allowed.

On Mac, go to System Settings > Privacy and Security > Microphone and enable Teams.
Check that your microphone is not muted in Windows. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar, click 'Sounds', go to the 'Recording' tab, and check your microphone isn't muted or disabled.

A muted or disabled mic in Windows will stop all apps from hearing you.
Close other apps that might be using your microphone — like Zoom, Discord, or Google Meet. Then restart Teams and try again.

Some apps take exclusive control of the microphone and block other apps.
Restart Teams completely. Right-click the Teams icon in the system tray and choose 'Quit'. Then reopen Teams and rejoin the meeting.

A full restart clears audio device conflicts that a simple refresh won't fix.

When to Call a Professional

If you've tried all steps and nothing works, your microphone hardware may be faulty. Contact your IT department or a tech support professional for further help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can others hear me sometimes but not always?

This is often caused by an unstable audio driver or a flaky USB connection. Try unplugging and replugging your headset, or updating your audio drivers.

My microphone works in other apps but not in Teams — why?

Teams may not have been granted microphone permission on your system. Check Privacy settings in Windows or macOS and make sure Teams is allowed.

Will uninstalling and reinstalling Teams fix microphone issues?

It can help if the problem is caused by a corrupted Teams installation. Before reinstalling, try clearing the Teams cache first — it's faster and often works.