How to fix sound and microphone issues in Microsoft Teams

Sound and microphone failures in Microsoft Teams They are one of the most common incidents, both in the professional and educational fields. They affect the quality of meetings, prevent fluid conversations, and can significantly hinder online collaboration. Although the app evolves and is frequently updated, there are always situations where the audio suddenly stops working or we can't be heard properly by others.

If you've made it this far, you've probably already tried several solutions without success. Your microphone may even work in other apps but not work in Teams. Don't worry, because we've prepared a complete guide that goes over all the possible causes and solutions so you can identify the source of the problem and solve it easily. Let's get to it!

Main reasons why sound or microphone fails in Microsoft Teams

Before you start fiddling with settings blindly, it's important to understand why these errors can arise. There are multiple factors and each requires a different approach:

• Incorrect audio and default device settings.
• Microphone or speaker access permissions blocked by the operating system.
• Outdated or corrupted drivers in Windows o Mac.
• Conflicts with connected devices such as Bluetooth headphones or speakers.
• Changes after a problematic Teams update or installation.
• Errors specific to the Teams application itself.

Step-by-step solutions for audio and microphone issues in Teams

1. Check the physical controls and buttons

It may seem like the most basic thing, but the solution is often right under your nose.. Check if the The microphone icon is crossed out in the Teams interface., because in that case you're muted. Press the corresponding button to unmute it. Similarly, if your headset has a physical mute switch or button, make sure it's in the open microphone position.

Some keyboards and headsets have dedicated microphone mute keys. It's easy to accidentally press these, especially if you frequently switch between devices.

2. Review your Teams device settings

Incorrect speaker or microphone selection can block sound in meetings.To adjust it correctly, follow these steps:

• Accede to Settings and more (three dots top right).
• Sign in DevicesHere you'll see all available audio devices.
• Manually choose the microphone and the speaker you want to use in the drop-down menus. If you're using a Bluetooth headset or other peripheral, make sure Teams has detected it.
• You can directly make a test call to verify that everything is working. This connects to a bot that records your voice and plays it back so you can check the sound.

If you have multiple menu options and the problems persist, try switching between different microphones and speakers. This will help you determine if the problem is with the hardware or the application itself.

3. Update Teams and your operating system

Many Teams sound errors disappear after installing the latest update.Both the application and your system (Windows or Mac) receive frequent patches to improve compatibility and fix bugs. To do this:

• Click on your profile picture in Teams and look for the option Search for updates. Install any new updates and restart Teams.
• On Windows or Mac, go to Settings and check for operating system updates. Don't forget to restart your computer when they're finished.

Do not neglect the drivers from the microphone or speaker. En el Device administrator, find the sound section and update the drivers. If you have any questions, there are programs that do this automatically.

4. Control microphone and speaker access permissions

Windows, Mac, and browsers have their own permission system to protect your privacy.If Teams doesn't allow microphone access, you may experience no sound even if your device works fine in other apps.

• On Windows, go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone y Settings > Privacy > Speaker. Turn on app access and look for Teams listed.
• On Mac, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Microphone and activate the Teams box.
• If you use Teams in the Web navigator, check the microphone permissions in the settings of the browser itself (Edge, Chrome, etc.).

After changing the permissions, restart your computer and try again.

5. Disconnect and reconnect external devices

A common cause of conflicts is having multiple devices connected at once.Disconnect all headphones, cameras, speakers, and audio adapters you're not using. Sometimes the system gets confused and sends audio or voice input to the wrong device.

If the issue goes away after unplugging a specific peripheral, reconnect it and manually select that device from the Teams drop-down menus.

6. Correctly configure the sound in Windows

In many cases, the fault lies in the sound configuration of the operating system itself.. To check:

• Click on Home and search sound settings.
• In the section Tickets, select the correct microphone. If it doesn't appear, click Add device.
• Check that the volume is not too low or muted.
• En Advanced > More sound settings, access the tab Recording, right click on your microphone and select Enable if it were disabled.

The same applies in the section of Sound output for speakers. You may also find it helpful to consult our guide for (https://mundobytes.com/solving-the-most-common-webcam-problems/) if any of these solutions do not work.

7. Perform an automatic diagnosis with the Windows troubleshooter

If you are using Windows 10 or 11, you can run the automatic audio recording solver.:

• press Windows + I to open the settings.
• Go to Update and security > Troubleshoot.
• Choose Additional troubleshooters and run Audio recording.

Windows will scan for common issues and suggest automatic fixes for your microphone.

8. Use the web version of Microsoft Teams

Sometimes desktop software can cause problems that are difficult to solve.If all else fails, try using the web version of Teams Accessing it from teams.microsoft.com. Sometimes it works perfectly even if the app gets stuck. It's not a definitive solution, but it'll get you through if you have an urgent meeting.

9. Advanced Settings: Remote Desktop and Meeting Rooms

If you're accessing Teams through a remote desktop connection, make sure your audio settings allow you to use devices on your local computer.. In the remote desktop connection window:

• Click on Show Options > Local Resources > Settings.
• Check that both audio playback and recording are checked for Play on this team y Record from this computer.

If you join a physical meeting room, your audio will be transferred to the room's system. Follow the on-screen prompts to select the room's system as the source.

10. Specific solutions for screen and sound sharing

When you share your screen during a meeting, you can include your computer sound. so that attendees can hear the audio playing on your computer:

• Join the meeting and select Share.
• Activate the option Include sound before choosing the window you want to share.

This is useful for showing videos, music, or any multimedia content during your presentation.

11. Noise suppression, auto-tuning and audio modes

Teams has advanced features to improve audio quality according to your needs.:

• Activate the noise suppression to eliminate background noise and improve the atmosphere in noisy meetings.
• Active voice isolation to filter out other voices and ensure that only yours is heard.
• Use the option to automatically adjust microphone sensitivity so that everyone can hear you correctly even if you speak softly or loudly.
• You can activate the Hi-Fi music mode if you are going to share musical fragments.
• El spatial audio provides an immersive experience if you have compatible hardware.

12. Quick Access: Mute, unmute, and switch between devices during the meeting

You can quickly manage audio both before and during a meeting:

• Before joining, select your audio device from the previous screen.
• During the meeting, use the microphone and speaker icons to mute or unmute the sound.
• You can switch between microphones and speakers on the fly from the devices menu.

If you find that the speaker is not playing, unplug it and plug it back in, or check if it is selected correctly in the menu.

13. What if nothing works? Last resorts

If after all the above the microphone or sound still doesn't work in Teams but does in other apps, try these options:

• Uninstall Teams completely from Settings> Applications and reinstall the latest version.
• If the problem is with the drivers and you don't know how to update them manually, use automatic driver update programs.
• Check that no other applications are using the microphone in the background and close them.
• If it only crashes on the desktop app, use the web version of Teams.

14. Alternative solutions and extra tips

In specific situations, you can use the phone's audio.If Teams offers the option to call you, enter your number and you'll receive a call so you can participate by voice from your mobile phone while maintaining the meeting on your PC.

Additional tools like recorders or Teams extensions can help you record meeting audio, automatically create transcripts, or store recordings in the cloud. If you need to manage a lot of meetings, these tools can be helpful.