How to Fix Microphone Not Working on Teams

A non-working microphone in Microsoft Teams prevents you from participating in meetings and calls. This usually stems from permission settings, incorrect device selection, or driver issues that can be resolved through systematic troubleshooting.

Check Teams microphone permissions. Open Teams and click your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Settings > Privacy, then verify that 'Microphone' is toggled on. If disabled, enable it and restart Teams.
Verify device selection in Teams. In Teams, go to Settings > Devices. Under 'Microphone', confirm your preferred microphone is selected from the dropdown. Click 'Make a test call' to verify the microphone captures audio properly.
Check system microphone permissions. On Windows, open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone. Ensure 'Microphone access' is enabled and Microsoft Teams appears in the allowed apps list. On Mac, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Microphone and check the box next to Microsoft Teams.
Test microphone in other applications. Open Voice Recorder on Windows or Voice Memos on Mac and record a brief audio clip. If the microphone doesn't work in other apps, the issue is hardware-related or driver-related, not Teams-specific.
Update audio drivers. On Windows, right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. Expand 'Audio inputs and outputs', right-click your microphone, and select 'Update driver'. On Mac, audio drivers update automatically through System Updates in System Preferences.
Reset Teams audio settings. Close Teams completely. Press Windows + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams, and delete the contents of this folder. Restart Teams and reconfigure your audio settings. This clears corrupted audio configurations.
Check for hardware issues. If using an external microphone, disconnect and reconnect it. Try a different USB port or audio jack. For headsets with inline mute buttons, ensure the mute switch is not activated. Test with a different microphone if available.