“You’re on mute” is a joke; a mic that genuinely won’t work 30 seconds before a client call is not. These checks go from most likely to least – most people are fixed by step 3.
Work down the list
- Check Teams is using the right device. In Teams, click the three dots next to your picture > Settings > Devices. Laptops often have two or three “microphones” listed (headset, webcam, built-in) and Teams loves picking the wrong one after you dock or plug in a monitor. Use the Make a test call button on the same page.
- Check Windows permissions. Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone: make sure microphone access is on, and that desktop apps are allowed. Repeat for Camera. A Windows update quietly flipping these off is a classic.
- Close the app that’s holding the camera. Only one app gets the webcam at a time – Zoom, a browser tab from an earlier meeting, or the Camera app will block Teams silently. Close them or just restart the machine.
- Restart Teams properly. Right-click the Teams icon in the system tray (bottom-right, near the clock) and choose Quit – closing the window doesn’t actually exit it – then reopen.
- Update Teams and Windows. Teams: three dots > Settings > About Teams. Old versions have known device bugs that were fixed months ago.
Still silent?
If the mic fails in every app (test at Settings > System > Sound – the input bar should move when you speak), it’s a driver or hardware issue rather than Teams. Raise a ticket or start a remote session and we’ll take a look before your next call.