How to test your camera and mic in Microsoft Teams

Check your devices first

Run the webcam and mic test before you open Teams. It checks your camera, microphone and speakers in your browser, without Teams and without signing in. If a device fails there, the problem is the device or a system setting, so go to the steps for Windows 11 or macOS below. If everything passes there but not in Teams, the fix is in Teams' own settings.

Close the test page before you join a meeting. On Windows, a camera often works with only one app at a time.

Make a test call

1. In Teams, select Settings and more, the three dots next to your profile picture, and choose Settings.
2. Select Devices.
3. Under the audio settings, select Make a test call.
4. Record a short message after the beep. Teams plays it back, so you hear what others will hear, and then shows how your microphone, speaker and camera did.

If you don't see Make a test call, your version or your account may not offer it. Start a meeting on your own instead: the screen before you join shows your camera preview and lets you pick your devices.

Choose your camera, mic and speakers

• In Settings → Devices, pick your speaker and microphone under the audio settings, and your camera under Camera. The camera preview shows what others will see.
• Before you join a meeting, Teams shows a preview with switches for your camera and microphone. Open the device settings there to pick devices for that meeting.
• During a meeting, select the arrow next to the camera or microphone button to switch devices, or open the device settings from the More menu.
• A headset's own mute switch silences you without Teams showing that you're muted, so check it when nobody can hear you.

Noise suppression

In Settings → Devices, Noise suppression controls how much background sound Teams removes from your microphone:

• Auto lets Teams decide, and suits most rooms.
• High removes background sound that isn't speech, such as typing or a barking dog. Use it in a noisy place.
• Low removes only steady noise, such as a fan or an air conditioner.
• Off leaves the sound alone. Use it for music, or with a good headset in a quiet room.

Not every computer offers every level, so if an option is missing or grayed out, pick the closest one.

Teams can't use your camera or mic on Windows 11

1. Open Settings → Privacy & security → Camera. Turn on Camera access and Let apps access your camera, and check that Microsoft Teams is turned on in the list of apps.
2. Turn on Let desktop apps access your camera as well. Depending on how Teams was installed, it may count as a desktop app.
3. Do the same in Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone.
4. Open Settings → System → Sound and check the input and output devices and their volume.
5. Quit Teams completely: right-click its icon in the notification area at the right end of the taskbar and choose Quit. Then open Teams again.
6. If Teams still can't use your devices, open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, select the three dots next to Microsoft Teams, choose Advanced options, and select Repair. If that doesn't help, select Reset; it clears Teams' data on this computer, so you'll have to sign in again.

Teams can't use your camera or mic on a Mac

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera and turn on Microsoft Teams.
2. Open Microphone in the same list and turn on Microsoft Teams there too. If you share your screen in meetings, Teams also needs Screen & System Audio Recording, called Screen Recording in older versions of macOS.
3. Quit Teams with Command-Q and open it again, so the changes take effect.
4. Open System Settings → Sound and check the output and input devices.

Teams in a browser

When you use Teams at teams.microsoft.com, the browser asks for your camera and microphone. If you blocked them:

• In Chrome or Edge, click the icon at the left end of the address bar, allow Camera and Microphone, and reload the page.
• In Firefox, click the crossed-out camera or microphone icon in the address bar, remove the block and reload.
• In Safari, choose Safari → Settings for This Website and set Camera and Microphone to Allow.

The browser also needs the system permission from the Windows or Mac steps above, because the system decides which apps may use the camera at all.

Still not working?

• Restart the computer. It frees a camera or microphone that another app didn't let go of.
• Install updates for Teams and for Windows or macOS.
• Try another headset or USB port, and check the camera on its own with the webcam test.
• At work or school, your IT team can check whether a policy blocks the camera or microphone. Copy the report from the webcam and mic test into your request.