Microsoft Teams Microphone Not Working — How to Fix It

Your microphone not working in Microsoft Teams is a common problem with a short list of causes — almost all of which are fixable in under five minutes. Work through these steps in order.

1. Check the Right Microphone is Selected in Teams

If you have multiple audio devices (a headset, a webcam with a built-in mic, and a laptop microphone), Teams may be using the wrong one.

1. In Teams, click the three dots (···) next to your profile picture → Settings → Devices
2. Under Microphone, check which device is selected
3. Change it to your intended microphone from the dropdown
4. Speak — the grey bar next to the microphone should move to show it is picking up sound

Also check Speaker is set correctly — if others cannot hear you through your headset but can hear you on their end, you may be unmuted but using the wrong output.

2. Check You Are Not Muted

The simplest cause. In an active call:

• Look at the microphone icon in the meeting controls at the bottom of the screen — a red slash means you are muted
• Click the microphone icon or press Ctrl + Shift + M to unmute
• Also check your physical headset — many headsets have a mute button on the cable or ear cup

3. Check Windows Microphone Permissions for Teams

Windows 11 requires apps to be granted microphone permission explicitly. If Teams was installed or updated, this permission may have been reset.

1. Go to Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone
2. Ensure Microphone access is toggled on
3. Ensure Let apps access your microphone is on
4. Scroll down and confirm Microsoft Teams is toggled on in the list

4. Test the Microphone in Windows Settings

Check if Windows itself can hear the microphone — this tells you whether the issue is with the microphone/driver or with Teams specifically:

1. Go to Settings → System → Sound
2. Under Input, select your microphone
3. Click Start test and speak — a bar should move to indicate input

If there is no activity in Windows Sound settings, the problem is the microphone itself or its driver — not Teams. If Windows detects the microphone fine but Teams does not, the issue is in Teams.

5. Set the Correct Default Microphone in Windows

1. Go to Settings → System → Sound → More sound settings
2. Click the Recording tab
3. Right-click your microphone and select Set as Default Device
4. Also right-click → Properties → Levels — make sure the volume is not at zero and the microphone is not muted here

6. Check the Microphone Driver

An outdated or corrupted audio driver stops microphones working. To update:

1. Right-click Start → Device Manager
2. Expand Audio inputs and outputs
3. Right-click your microphone → Update driver → Search automatically

If your headset or microphone came with manufacturer software (Logitech G Hub, SteelSeries GG, Jabra Direct etc.), make sure it is installed and up to date — these apps manage audio settings that Windows alone cannot access.

7. Disable Exclusive Mode for the Microphone

Windows lets apps take exclusive control of an audio device, which can prevent Teams from accessing the microphone if another app has claimed it.

1. Go to Settings → System → Sound → More sound settings → Recording tab
2. Right-click your microphone → Properties → Advanced
3. Untick Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device
4. Click OK

8. Restart the Windows Audio Service

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter
2. Find Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder
3. Right-click each → Restart

After restarting the audio services, reopen Teams and test the microphone.

9. Clear the Teams Cache

A corrupted Teams cache can cause the microphone to stop working within Teams even though it works elsewhere. Clear the cache:

1. Fully close Teams (sign out and quit from the system tray)
2. Press Win + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams
3. Delete the Cache folder contents
4. Reopen Teams

Microphone Works in Teams But Sounds Bad

If the microphone is detected but the audio quality is poor:

• In Teams Settings → Devices, adjust Noise suppression — High suppression can sometimes muffle speech on low-quality microphones. Try Low or Off.
• Check you are not too far from the microphone — laptop mics are omnidirectional but still need you within 60–90 cm
• Avoid placing the laptop on a vibrating surface (fans, desk with heavy typing) as this is picked up by the microphone

Related Guides

• Microsoft Teams Calls Keep Dropping — How to Fix
• How to Change Your Background in Microsoft Teams
• How to Mute Everyone in a Teams Meeting