Can't Hear Anyone in a Microsoft Teams Meeting? Fix No Audio from Your Speaker

You’re in a Teams meeting and can’t hear anyone — no incoming voice, no join sound — even though your mic works and others can hear you fine.

Why: This is an output (speaker) problem, separate from your mic. Usually Teams is sending sound to the wrong device (HDMI monitor, a Bluetooth headset that’s connected elsewhere, or a “virtual” speaker), the speaker is muted at the device or Windows level, or Windows itself has switched to a different default output than the one you’re listening on.

Fix 1: Pick the right speaker inside the meeting

The fastest fix is to point Teams at the device you’re actually using:

1. In the meeting, select the dropdown arrow next to Mic, then More actions → Audio settings.
2. Under Speaker, choose the correct device (your headset or actual speakers, not “Stereo Mix,” HDMI, or a disconnected device).
3. Make sure the speaker shown there isn’t muted, and turn its volume up.

Fix 2: Run a test call

Teams’ test call confirms the output path end-to-end:

1. Outside the meeting, go to Settings → Devices.
2. Under Audio settings, confirm the right Speaker is selected.
3. Select Make a test call, follow the Test Call Bot, and record a short message — it plays back through your selected speaker. If you hear the playback, audio is working; if not, move to Fix 3.

Fix 3: Check the Windows sound output

If Windows is routing sound elsewhere, no app will play through your headset:

1. Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and open Sound settings (or Settings → System → Sound).
2. Under Choose where to play sound, select your actual speaker/headset as the output device.
3. Confirm the volume isn’t at zero or muted next to Volume.
4. Test by playing any audio (a YouTube clip or system sound). If Windows itself is silent, fix that first — Teams can’t play what Windows can’t.

Fix 4: Reconnect the device

Hardware connection issues mimic a software bug:

1. For a Bluetooth headset, make sure it’s charged and not still paired to your phone or another PC at the same time. Disconnect and reconnect it.
2. For wired headphones or speakers, unplug and replug them.
3. If the device doesn’t appear in the Teams Speaker dropdown, use Add device in the audio settings, then reselect it.

FAQ

I can hear sound everywhere except Teams. Teams is set to a different output than the rest of Windows. Match the Speaker in Teams audio settings to your Windows default output (Fixes 1 and 3).

Audio works on the web version but not the app. That confirms a device-selection or driver issue in the desktop app — recheck the Teams Speaker setting and your Windows output device.

I’m on a Remote Desktop session. In Remote Desktop Connection → Local Resources → Remote audio → Settings, choose Play on this computer so meeting sound reaches your local speakers.

Sources: Microsoft Support — My speaker isn’t working in Microsoft Teams