Your microphone can sound fine in Windows, Zoom, or another app and still fail in Microsoft Teams. Teams has its own mute state, microphone picker, app permissions, browser permissions, and audio processing, so the fix is usually inside Teams or the layer directly around it.
Start with the quick controls first, then move through device selection, operating system access, browser access, audio processing, app reset, and work or school restrictions. By the end, you will know whether this is a Teams setting you can fix yourself or a meeting policy your organizer or IT team controls.
Make sure Teams is not simply muted
Check the physical mute control before changing settings. If your headset boom mutes when it is upright or moved away from your mouth, lower it into the talking position and make sure any inline headset mute button is off.
On the Teams pre-join screen, turn on the Microphone toggle before selecting Join now. Inside the meeting, select Mic in the meeting controls to unmute.
On Windows, select the mic icon in the taskbar while you are in a Teams meeting, or press Windows + Alt + K. In the Teams desktop app, press Ctrl + Shift + M to toggle mute; on Mac, Microsoft also documents Command + Shift + M for supported meeting workflows.
Pick the right microphone inside Teams
Open Teams and select Settings and more.
Select Settings.
Open Devices.
Under Audio settings, open the Microphone dropdown and choose the mic you want Teams to use.
If you are already in a meeting, select the dropdown arrow next to Mic.
Open More audio settings or Audio settings.
Choose the correct device under Microphone.
Run Make a test call from Settings and more > Settings > Devices so Teams can record and play back a short test message.
The test call feature is available in the Teams desktop app for Windows and Mac; if the test call works but one meeting still cannot hear you, check whether meeting settings or organizer controls muted attendees.
Windows microphone access can block only Teams
The most common Windows cause is that Teams is blocked in privacy settings even though the microphone works in another app.
Open Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone. Turn on Microphone access, then turn on Let apps access your microphone.
Turn on access for Microsoft Teams (work or school). Also turn on Let desktop apps access your microphone, because the Teams desktop app needs that permission.
If those switches were already on, turn the microphone access switches off and back on. Close your apps, restart the device, then try the Teams meeting again.
Next, open Start > Settings > System > Sound. Under Input, choose your microphone in Choose a device for speaking or recording, make sure it is not muted next to Volume, then use Start test, Stop test, and Play to confirm Windows can hear it.
Allow the mic on Mac iPhone iPad or Android
This fixes cases where the Teams app opens normally but the operating system has not given it microphone access.
On a Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone.
Turn access on for Microsoft Teams, or for the browser you use with Teams on the web.
On iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone.
Turn access on for Microsoft Teams.
On Android, open Settings > Apps > Teams > Permissions > Microphone.
Choose Allow.
Some Android phones place the same control under Security and Privacy or Privacy > Permission manager or Privacy dashboard > Microphone.
Fix Teams on the web permissions
Browser Teams needs site permission even when your microphone works in other websites or desktop apps. Go to teams.microsoft.com and choose Allow when the browser asks for microphone access.
In Microsoft Edge, review it from Settings and more > Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Microphone. You can also open Settings and more > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Site Permissions > All sites, select the Teams site, and set Microphone to Allow.
In Chrome, open More > Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Microphone. Allow teams.microsoft.com if it is blocked, remove bad exceptions, and use the default microphone dropdown to choose the correct mic.
In Firefox, open Settings > Privacy & Security, find Microphone under Permissions, select Settings..., set the Teams site to Allow, and select Save Changes. You can also use the permissions icon in the address bar to clear a blocked Teams permission so Firefox asks again.
In Safari, choose Safari > Settings > Websites, select Microphone, then set the Teams site or When visiting other websites to Ask or Allow.
If this method fails, try the installed Teams app instead, then disable any ad blocker for teams.microsoft.com before testing Teams on the web again.
Stop Teams audio processing from hiding your voice
This fixes microphone input that works but sounds missing, too quiet, or filtered in Teams.
Open Settings and more in Teams.
Select Settings.
Open Devices.
Under Audio settings, review Automatically adjust mic sensitivity, Noise suppression, Voice isolation, and High fidelity music mode.
If Teams is filtering wanted audio in a meeting, select the dropdown arrow next to Mic.
Turn off Noise suppression.
For Voice isolation, open Settings and more > Settings > Recognition > Create voice profile.
Choose your microphone.
Select Start voice capture.
Read the text shown by Teams.
Select Stop voice capture.
Select Close.
If voice profile creation fails, reconnect the mic, restart Teams, check Teams for updates, or delete and recreate the voice profile.
Reset Teams when the app is stuck
The most common app-level cause is a Teams desktop glitch or stale cache after the microphone and permissions are already correct.
First, sign out and back in. Select your profile picture at the top right of Teams, select Sign out, reopen Teams after it closes, and sign in again with your email and password.
If Teams still does not use the mic, quit it fully. On Windows, right-click the Microsoft Teams icon in the taskbar and choose Quit; on Mac, right-click the Teams icon and choose Quit.
On Windows, open File Explorer and go to %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams, delete the folder contents, then restart Teams and sign in. On Mac, delete ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams, restart Teams, and sign in again.
Update Teams next. When Update appears at the top of Teams, select Update > Update and restart Teams; on mobile, update Teams through the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.
If the desktop app remains broken, use https://teams.microsoft.com/ as a workaround, or reinstall Teams from Microsoft’s official Teams download page.
When your work or school controls the microphone
On managed Teams accounts, your microphone can be blocked by meeting settings or organization policy even when your computer and headset are fine. If the Mic control is unavailable, ask the meeting organizer to turn on Allow mic for attendees in Meeting options > Participation.
If your account is managed by work or school and audio is blocked across meetings, contact IT and ask them to check whether Teams meeting audio is enabled for your account. Microsoft lists the normal meeting policy default for IP audio as outgoing and incoming audio enabled.
If you joined the same meeting from a second device, Teams turns off the camera and mic on the second device before it enters to prevent echo. After the second device joins, turn the mic on from the meeting controls.
When the meeting invite includes a phone number and conference ID, dial in by phone if app audio is blocked or unavailable.
Skip older fixes that no longer fit Teams
Older Mac instructions may send you to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Microphone. On current macOS, use Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone.
Teams on the web belongs in a current supported browser: Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox. Internet Explorer 11 is not a current Teams web fix.
Do not install Teams from a third-party download portal. Use Microsoft’s official Teams download page for Windows, Mac, mobile, or the Teams PWA on Linux.
If skipping the older instructions does not fix the mic, go back to Teams device selection, operating system microphone permission, and the browser permission for teams.microsoft.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my mic work in Zoom or Windows but not Teams?
Teams can be muted separately, set to the wrong microphone, blocked by app or browser permission, or filtering your audio through Teams audio settings. Start with Teams mute and device settings before changing the whole computer.
Can I test my microphone inside Teams before a real meeting?
Yes. In the Teams desktop app for Windows or Mac, go to Settings and more > Settings > Devices, then select Make a test call under Audio settings.
What should I do if the Teams mic button is grayed out?
In a work or school meeting, the organizer or your organization may have disabled attendee microphones. Ask the organizer to allow attendee mics or contact IT if it happens across meetings.
Is clearing the Teams cache safe?
Microsoft says deleting the Teams cache does not remove Teams, but it does remove cached web client data, icons, thumbnails, local message history, display images, and add-ons.
