Microsoft Teams is a service that became commonplace in pandemic times, and it’s taken on fundamental importance: here’s how to solve a frustrating problem
The pandemic has breathed new life into an industry, that of video conferencing apps, that had enjoyed good results for years but had never been exceptional. The distances to friends, relatives, partners, that before the virus were cancelled out by a dynamic and globalized world, have clashed with the limitations to travel, and have found an answer in apps like Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Teams and other similar apps have suddenly become indispensable, and although we have all found ourselves – for various reasons and in a short time – forced to familiarize ourselves with them, sometimes it happens that we cannot use the microphone during a call. It can be a very frustrating inconvenience, if only because apps like Teams are born to let two or more people communicate, and if you can’t do it because of microphone problems it’s a real trouble. The explanations, and consequently the ways to fix them, can differ quite a bit from one case to another, so below we’ll look at the most common remedies for microphone failure in Microsoft Teams.
The quickest remedy
The simplest but most often unexpectedly effective solution if you are using an external microphone, such as that of a headset, is to try unplugging its cable and reconnecting it to the PC: an attempt that is always worth doing, if only because it doesn’t actually take any time.
Check the permissions granted
If you use Microsoft Teams through the app, you can check that you have granted the necessary permissions for proper operation, including the permission to record audio through the microphone. Often, in the rush to use the app right away, people don’t pay attention to messages and pop-ups on initial startup, so they miss essential information and permissions, such as the one to use the microphone.
To make sure everything is in order, go to Personalization, Device Settings and then App Permissions.
Diversely, if you are using Microsoft Teams from your web browser, be it Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox or Apple’s Safari, you can check the permissions granted by clicking on the lock and then going to Site Settings.
Pending Updates
While talking about the quickest remedies in case of microphone malfunctions in Teams, Microsoft first recommends checking for updates waiting to be installed.
To check for updates in Teams, navigate to the profile picture in the upper right corner of the Teams app and select Check for Updates. Updates are usually installed in the background, but it may sometimes be necessary to check that the update system has not run into errors and does not need manual input.