Why does my microphone work in Zoom but not in Teams?

Teams and Zoom request microphone access separately at the OS level. If Zoom was granted permission but Teams wasn't, or if Teams noise suppression is filtering your voice, the mic can be mute only in Teams. Follow steps 2 and 4 above.

How do I enable microphone for Teams on Windows 11?

Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone. Turn on 'Microphone access' and 'Let apps access your microphone'. Scroll to 'Let desktop apps access your microphone' and enable it. Restart Teams.

Why is Teams muting my mic automatically?

Teams has a 'Mute when joining large meetings' setting and some tenants enforce auto-mute via admin policy. Check Settings → Notifications and activity / Meetings. Click the mic icon in the meeting toolbar to manually unmute.

Why is the mic dropdown greyed out in Teams?

Greyed-out mic dropdown usually means Teams cannot enumerate audio devices at all. Causes: OS permission denied (step 2), another app is holding the microphone exclusively, or a driver is crashed. Restart the computer if steps 1–3 don't help.

Why does Teams say 'We can't access your microphone' after I allowed it?

Windows sometimes reports this after a big system update. Go to Device Manager → Audio inputs and outputs → right-click your microphone → Uninstall device → reboot. Windows will reinstall the driver automatically on next startup.

Does Teams work in the browser without the desktop app?

Yes. Teams web (teams.microsoft.com) works in Edge and Chrome and uses browser microphone permissions instead of OS-level. If the desktop app is broken, joining via browser is often faster than debugging.

My headset mic is not detected by Teams. What do I do?

Unplug the headset, wait 10 seconds, plug it back in. Verify Windows/macOS sees it as an input device in system sound settings. If Windows sees it but Teams doesn't — check Teams is set to your default device (Settings → Devices → Microphone: Default).

Teams Microphone Not Working? Fix It Right Now

Test your microphone in the browser below. If the level bars move here but Teams can't hear you, the fix is almost always one of the 6 steps below.

Quick Microphone Test

How to Fix Teams Microphone Not Working — 6 Steps

Quit and restart Microsoft TeamsRight-click the Teams icon in the system tray (Windows) or menu bar (Mac) and choose Quit. Reopen Teams. This clears stuck audio sessions in ~40% of cases.
Give Teams permission to use your microphoneWindows 11: Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone → enable Microsoft Teams and 'Let desktop apps access your microphone'. macOS: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone → enable Teams.
Select the correct microphone inside TeamsIn Teams click your profile → Settings → Devices. Under Audio devices, pick the correct microphone. If you use a headset, its mic must be selected here — not the built-in laptop mic.
Turn off noise suppression (temporarily)Settings → Devices → Noise suppression → Off. Teams' AI suppression sometimes eats quiet voices entirely. If your mic becomes audible after turning it off, try 'Low' setting instead.
Sign out and sign back inProfile icon → Sign out. Close Teams, reopen, and sign in again. This refreshes tenant policies that can silently disable the microphone.
Check for IT/tenant mic policy (work accounts)On managed work devices your IT department can block mic access via Intune or Teams admin policies. If the mic dropdown in Teams shows 'No devices available' but the OS sees your mic, contact IT.

Test other devices:Camera test·Speakers test

Teams Microphone Not Working? Fix It Right Now

Quick Microphone Test

How to Fix Teams Microphone Not Working — 6 Steps

Teams Microphone FAQ

Why does my microphone work in Zoom but not in Teams?▼

How do I enable microphone for Teams on Windows 11?▼

Why is Teams muting my mic automatically?▼

Why is the mic dropdown greyed out in Teams?▼

Why does Teams say 'We can't access your microphone' after I allowed it?▼

Does Teams work in the browser without the desktop app?▼

My headset mic is not detected by Teams. What do I do?▼