Green Room

Fix · Microsoft Teams on a Mac

Teams microphone not working? Fix it on your Mac.

Teams can be muted in three places at once: the meeting, your headset, and macOS. Check each, then make a test call.

Quick check first: Try the free mic test. If the meter moves, your mic works and the fix is in Teams (steps 1 to 4). If it doesn't, start with the Mac checks.

Fix it in Teams

  1. Pick the mic in Teams.Select Settings and more, then Settings › Devices. Under Audio settings, choose your mic from the Microphone menu.
  2. Make a test call.On the same page, select Make a test call. The Test Call Bot records a short message and plays it back, then shows which devices worked. It's only in the desktop app, not Teams on the web.
  3. Switch mics during a meeting.Select the arrow next to Mic, then More audio settings, and make sure the right mic is selected. If the Mic button has a line through it, select Unmute mic.
  4. Check the mic sensitivity and noise settings.In Settings › Devices, Automatically adjust mic sensitivity sets your level for you, and Noise suppression filters background sound. If your voice cuts out, try changing them one at a time.

Your headset's mute button

Teams has a Sync device buttons setting so a headset's own mute button controls Teams. Microsoft's help also says to check that a headset boom isn't in the mute position and that an external mic's mute button is off.

New Teams after an update

After Teams updates, macOS can ask for microphone access again. If you clicked Don't Allow, turn Microsoft Teams back on in Privacy & Security.

Then check your Mac

If Teams looks right and the microphone still doesn't work, go through these in order.

  1. Allow Microsoft Teams on your Mac.Choose Apple menu › System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, and turn on Microsoft Teams. Microsoft's help names it Microsoft Teams (work or school). If it's already on, turn it off and on again. Quit and reopen Teams after.
  2. Check your Mac's input.Open System Settings › Sound and click Input. Select your mic, make sure the Input volume slider isn't at zero, and watch the level move when you talk.
  3. Check the mic itself.Look for a mute button, a mute light, or a gain knob turned all the way down. Unplug a USB mic and plug it back in, try another port, and skip the hub if you can.
  4. Watch for Bluetooth call mode.When Teams turns on the mic in AirPods or another Bluetooth headset, the headset switches to call mode and your voice drops to phone quality. If you sound muffled, use your Mac's mic or a USB mic, and keep the headset for listening.

Test it outside Teams

The free microphone test runs in your browser, with nothing to install. If your microphone works there, your Mac and the hardware are fine, and the fix is in Teams's settings above.

Microphone testLive meter, then hear yourself back. Webcam testLive preview, resolution, frame rate, and lighting. Speaker testLeft, right, and a sweep to check every speaker.

On a Mac? See which mic Teams is really using.

Teams keeps its own mic choice, so your Mac can look right while the call uses the wrong one. Green Room shows which app has each mic open, and warns you when Microsoft Teams isn't using your setup. One click switches your Mac back, and it flags a mic that's muted, at zero, or silent. Free, with no account.

Download free See how it works

Questions

Why can't people hear me in Teams on my Mac?

Check the meeting first: if the Mic button has a line through it, unmute. Then select the arrow next to Mic, open More audio settings, and pick the mic you're using. If it's still silent, turn on Microsoft Teams under System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone.

How do I test my mic in Teams?

Open Settings and more › Settings › Devices and select Make a test call. A bot records you and plays it back. It works in the desktop app, not on the web.

Does Teams need permission to use my mic?

Yes. Turn on Microsoft Teams in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone, then close your apps and restart, as Microsoft suggests.

Why does my voice cut out in Teams?

Noise suppression or automatic mic sensitivity can clip a quiet voice. Try turning them off in Settings › Devices, and keep a Bluetooth headset close to your Mac.

Other fixes

Teams camera not workingTeams camera problems on a Mac come down to the Teams version, the camera Teams picked, or a permission macOS never got. Teams audio not workingSilence in a Teams meeting usually means Teams is playing to a different speaker than the one you're listening on. Zoom microphone not workingWhen nobody can hear you, it's usually one of four things: Zoom never joined audio, it's using the wrong mic, you're muted, or macOS is blocking zoom.us. Google Meet mic not workingMeet hears your mic only if the site, the browser, and your Mac all allow it. Discord mic not workingDiscord's mic can pass its own test and still send nothing, because Push to Talk or input sensitivity decides when you're heard. FaceTime microphone not workingFaceTime has its own mic choice and its own Mic Mode.

See every app and device