Microsoft Teams Mic Test & “Microphone Not Working” Fix

Step 1: Does your mic work at all?

Click Test my microphone above and speak:

• The bar moves here — your mic and drivers are fine; the problem is in your Microsoft Teams settings. Go to Microsoft Teams audio settings.
• The bar does not move here — the issue is system-level (permission, device or driver), not Microsoft Teams. See System-level fixes.

Step 2: Fix Microsoft Teams audio settings

Open … (More) → Settings → Devices, then:

1. Open Device settings before/in a call. Click your profile picture → Settings → Devices, or in a call click … → Device settings.
2. Pick the right Microphone. Under Audio devices set Microphone to the device that worked above, then use Make a test call to confirm Teams hears you.
3. Unmute & check Hard mute. Confirm the mic toggle in the call is on and the organiser has not enabled Hard mute for attendees.
4. Clear the Teams cache. If the device list is empty or wrong, quit Teams and clear its cache, then reopen — this fixes a stale device list.

Microsoft Teams-specific gotchas worth checking

The most common Teams-only failure is a stale device cache: the Microphone dropdown lists a mic you unplugged or shows it greyed out. Fully quit Teams (right-click the tray icon → Quit, not just close the window) and clear %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams (classic) or reset the new Teams from Windows Apps → Installed apps → Teams → Advanced → Reset, then reopen. The new Teams and classic Teams keep separate device settings, so check the one you are actually calling from.

In organised meetings the host can enable Hard mute, which locks your mic regardless of your settings — you will see a notice and must raise your hand to speak. Teams' built-in Make a test call (Settings → Devices) records and plays back your voice and is the fastest way to prove Teams itself is capturing.

Step 3: System-level fixes (if the test above also failed)

If the volume bar did not move in the test, the problem is your device or OS, not Microsoft Teams. Fix it here, then retest.

Windows 10 / 11

1. Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone: enable Microphone access and allow desktop apps (and your browser).
2. Settings → System → Sound → Input: select the correct device and confirm the meter moves.
3. Right-click the speaker icon → Sound settings → Recording: set your mic as the Default device and enable it.
4. Close other apps holding the mic (Zoom, Teams, Discord, OBS) and restart Microsoft Teams.

macOS

1. System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone: enable Microsoft Teams (or your browser), then quit (Cmd+Q) and reopen — macOS only applies the permission after a restart.
2. System Settings → Sound → Input: choose the right device and check the level.

Microsoft Teams in the browser (web client)

If you joined Microsoft Teams from a browser, click the mic icon in the address bar, choose Allow, and reload. The web client uses the same browser microphone permission as the test on this page.

Microsoft Teams on phone (iOS / Android)

Open your phone Settings and enable the Microphone permission for Microsoft Teams, then reopen the app and rejoin. In the call, tap the screen and confirm you are not muted.

Step 4: Last resorts

• Update Microsoft Teams to the latest version (older builds have audio device bugs).
• Update or reinstall your audio/headset driver and reboot.
• Sign out and back in, or do a clean reinstall of Microsoft Teams.
• On a USB headset, try a different port and confirm it is selected as both the microphone and speaker.

FAQ