Microsoft Teams audio and video issues are one of the most common help desk requests in any small office. The good news is that most problems come down to one of three things: Teams has selected the wrong audio or video device, Windows is blocking microphone or camera access, or a driver needs to be updated. This guide walks through each scenario with specific steps so you can get back into your meeting quickly.
Quick Fix: Check the Basics First
Before diving into detailed troubleshooting, run through these quick checks. They resolve the majority of Teams audio and video problems in under a minute.
Is the microphone or headset connected? If you are using a USB headset, confirm it is plugged in. If it is Bluetooth, verify it is paired and connected by clicking the Bluetooth icon in the Windows taskbar. Bluetooth devices sometimes silently disconnect.
Is the microphone muted in Teams? Look at the meeting controls bar at the bottom of the Teams window. If the microphone icon has a line through it, click it to unmute. This is the single most common cause of "nobody can hear me."
Is the system volume turned up? Click the speaker icon in the Windows taskbar and check the volume slider. Also check that the output is not set to a disconnected device.
Restart Teams completely. Closing the Teams window does not fully shut it down; it keeps running in the background. Right-click the Teams icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner of the taskbar) and select Quit. Then reopen Teams from the Start menu.
Restart the computer. If a Teams restart does not help, a full reboot clears out audio driver issues and releases hardware locks that other applications may have on your microphone or camera. This fixes a surprising number of audio and video problems.
Problem: Others Cannot Hear You (Microphone Not Working)
If you are in a Teams meeting and other participants cannot hear you, work through these steps in order.
Check Teams device settings. While in a meeting, click the three dots (...) in the meeting controls bar and select Device settings. A panel will open on the right side of the screen showing your selected Speaker, Microphone, and Camera. Verify that the correct microphone is selected. If you have multiple audio devices connected (laptop built-in mic, USB headset, webcam mic), Teams may have picked the wrong one. Select the device you are actually using and speak. The audio level indicator next to the microphone selection should move when you talk.
Check Windows microphone permissions. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone. Make sure the toggle for "Microphone access" is turned on. Scroll down the list of apps and confirm that Microsoft Teams is allowed to access the microphone. If it is toggled off, turn it on. You may need to restart Teams after changing this setting.
Check Windows sound settings. Go to Settings > System > Sound > Input. Verify that the correct microphone is selected as the input device and that the input volume is not set to zero. Speak into the microphone and watch the input level meter on this screen. If the meter does not move at all, Windows is not receiving audio from the microphone, which points to a hardware issue, a connection problem, or a driver issue.
Run the Teams test call. In Teams, click your profile picture in the top right, then go to Settings > Devices. Click Make a test call. Teams will call you, play a prompt, record a short clip of your voice, and play it back. If you can hear your own voice in the playback, the microphone is working correctly in Teams and the issue may be meeting-specific (check your mute status again or ask the other participants if the issue is on their end).
Problem: You Cannot Hear Others (Speaker or Audio Output Not Working)
If you have joined a Teams meeting but cannot hear anyone speaking, the issue is on the output side.
Check Teams device settings. In the meeting, click (...) > Device settings and verify the correct speaker or headset is selected for audio output. Click the Test button (if available) to play a test tone through the selected device.
Check Windows sound settings. Go to Settings > System > Sound > Output. Verify the correct output device is selected and the volume is not at zero or muted.
Check physical volume controls. If you are using a headset with an inline volume control, make sure it is turned up. If you are using external speakers, confirm they are powered on and the volume knob is not turned down.
Test with another application. Play a video on YouTube or any other website, or play a system sound. If you can hear audio from other applications but not Teams, the problem is specific to Teams (most likely the wrong device selected in Teams device settings). If you cannot hear audio from anything, the issue is with Windows sound settings, the output device itself, or the audio driver.
Problem: Camera Not Working
If your video is not showing in Teams meetings, work through these steps.
Check Teams device settings. In the meeting, click (...) > Device settings and verify the correct camera is selected. If you see a preview image in the device settings panel, the camera is working. If the preview is black or blank, continue troubleshooting.
Check Windows camera permissions. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Camera. Make sure "Camera access" is turned on and that Microsoft Teams is listed and allowed. If Teams is not in the list, try reinstalling Teams.
Check if another application is using the camera. Only one application can use the camera at a time on most Windows devices. If you have Zoom, Webex, or another video application open, close it completely (including from the system tray) and try Teams again.
Check for a physical camera shutter or switch. Many business laptops, especially Lenovo ThinkPads and HP EliteBooks, have a physical privacy shutter that slides over the camera lens. Look for a small slider near the camera at the top of the screen. Slide it open.
Update the camera driver. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. Expand the Cameras section, right-click your camera device, and select Update driver. Choose "Search automatically for drivers." If Windows finds an update, install it and restart Teams.
Problem: Echo or Feedback During Calls
Echo is caused by audio from your speakers being picked up by your microphone and sent back to other participants. This creates a loop that everyone hears as echo or feedback.
Use a headset. The most reliable fix for echo is to use a headset instead of the laptop's built-in speakers and microphone. When audio plays through a headset's earpieces, it does not leak into the microphone.
Multiple devices in the same room. If two or more people in the same physical room are each joined to the same Teams meeting on their own laptops, you will get echo. One person should mute their microphone and speakers entirely, or one person should disconnect from audio and let the other person's device handle it. In conference rooms, use a single shared speakerphone device (like a Jabra Speak or Poly Sync) instead of multiple individual laptops.
Disable "Listen to this device." Go to Settings > System > Sound, click your input device, and look for a "Listen" option. If "Listen to this device" is checked, uncheck it. This setting plays your microphone input through your speakers in real time, which creates a feedback loop in calls.
Keep your microphone muted when you are not speaking. In meetings with many participants, muting when you are not talking reduces the chance of background noise and echo being picked up.
Problem: Video Is Choppy or Freezing
Choppy video in Teams is almost always a bandwidth or network issue, not a camera problem.
Check your internet speed. Run a speed test at speedtest.net or fast.com. Teams video calls need at least 1.5 Mbps upload and 1.5 Mbps download for acceptable quality, and 4 Mbps or higher in both directions for HD video. If your speeds are below these thresholds, video quality will suffer.
Close bandwidth-heavy applications. Pause any cloud backup services, large file downloads or uploads, and streaming video on other devices. In a small office sharing a single internet connection, one person running a large backup can degrade video quality for everyone.
Turn off your camera. If bandwidth is limited and audio quality is more important than seeing faces, turning off your video can dramatically improve the stability of the call. Click the camera icon in the Teams meeting controls to toggle it off.
Use a wired Ethernet connection. Plug your laptop into an Ethernet cable instead of relying on Wi-Fi. Wired connections are more stable and have lower latency, both of which matter for real-time video calls. If your laptop does not have an Ethernet port, a USB-to-Ethernet adapter costs around $15 and is well worth it for anyone who takes frequent video calls.
Lower video quality in Teams settings. In Teams, go to Settings > General or Settings > Appearance and accessibility and look for video quality or bandwidth options. Reducing the resolution setting can help on slower connections.
For businesses where Teams is a critical daily tool, having a reliable network makes all the difference. If your team regularly experiences choppy video or dropped calls, the root cause is often the office network itself rather than individual computers. A network assessment can identify bottlenecks and recommend improvements.
Need Help?
If you have worked through these steps and your Teams audio or video is still not cooperating, contact Athencia. We can troubleshoot remotely, check your device settings, and make sure your team's meeting experience is reliable.
