How to Fix Your Microphone or Camera Not Working in Teams
"Can you hear me?" Nothing. "How about now?" Still nothing. Work through these in order and you'll find the problem before the meeting's over.
1. Check the obvious
• Is the Mic button muted (a line through it)? Click it or press Ctrl + Shift + M.
• Headsets often have a physical mute button or a dial on the cable.
• Laptop cameras sometimes have a privacy shutter or an F-key that turns them off.
• Is the headset actually plugged in, or the Bluetooth connected?
• Headsets often have a physical mute button or a dial on the cable.
• Laptop cameras sometimes have a privacy shutter or an F-key that turns them off.
• Is the headset actually plugged in, or the Bluetooth connected?
2. Pick the right device in Teams
1. In the meeting, click ⋯ More > Settings > Device settings.
2. Check the Speaker, Microphone and Camera drop-downs. Choose your headset or webcam by name, not "Default".
3. Say something and watch the microphone level bar move.
2. Check the Speaker, Microphone and Camera drop-downs. Choose your headset or webcam by name, not "Default".
3. Say something and watch the microphone level bar move.
Outside a meeting, the same options are under ⋯ Settings and more > Settings > Devices.
3. Make a test call
Under Settings > Devices, click Make a test call. Teams rings a bot, you say a few words, and it plays them back with a report on each device. If the test works, the problem is specific to the meeting.
4. Check privacy permissions
Windows: go to Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone and Camera. Make sure access is on and Let desktop apps access your microphone/camera is on.
Mac: go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and Camera and tick Microsoft Teams. Restart Teams afterwards.
5. Close whatever else is using it
Only one app can use the camera at a time. Close Zoom, Skype, OBS, the Windows Camera app and any browser tab with video, then toggle the camera off and on in Teams.
6. Check Windows sound settings
Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and choose Sound settings. Under Input, pick your microphone and check the level bar moves when you speak. Click Troubleshoot if it doesn't.
7. Update or restart
Restart Teams first. Then restart the computer. If the device still isn't listed, open Device Manager, find the microphone or camera, right-click and choose Update driver or Uninstall device, then restart so Windows reinstalls it.
8. Try the browser
Go to teams.microsoft.com in Edge or Chrome and join from there. If it works in the browser, the desktop app needs reinstalling. If it doesn't, the device or permission is the problem.
Common error messages
• "No audio devices found" — nothing is selected or connected. Check steps 1, 2 and 6.
• "Your camera is unavailable" — another app has it, or permissions are off. Steps 4 and 5.
• "Microphone is muted by the system" — Windows privacy setting. Step 4.
• "Your camera is unavailable" — another app has it, or permissions are off. Steps 4 and 5.
• "Microphone is muted by the system" — Windows privacy setting. Step 4.
Wrapping up
Unmute, pick the right device under Device settings, run a test call, then check privacy permissions and close other apps. Nine times out of ten it's one of those four.
