How to fix Microsoft Teams meeting attendees not being able to join or hearing no audio

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix Microsoft Teams meeting attendees not being able to join or hearing no audio. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Microsoft Teams meetings can fail in a few common ways: attendees can't join at all, they join but can't hear anyone, or no one can hear them. Most of these problems come down to meeting permissions, audio device settings, or network issues. This guide walks you through the most likely fixes, starting with the quickest checks.

Quick Fix Steps

Try these in order before moving to the detailed troubleshooting below.

1. Confirm the meeting link or meeting ID is correct and hasn't expired.
2. Ask the affected attendee to leave the meeting and rejoin using a fresh link.
3. Check that the meeting organiser has set the lobby to let guests in, or has admitted them.
4. Have the attendee click the More actions menu (three dots) in the meeting controls and select Device settings to confirm the correct microphone and speakers are selected.
5. Test the attendee's audio outside Teams using the Microsoft Teams Call Test tool at https://aka.ms/TeamsCallTest.
6. If the issue is internal only, ask the organiser to check the meeting Options page in Teams calendar for any restrictions.

Detailed Troubleshooting

1. Verify Meeting Access Settings

The most common reason external attendees can't join is the lobby or who-can-bypass-lobby setting. The meeting organiser needs to check this.

1. Open Microsoft Teams and go to the Calendar tab.
2. Open the affected meeting and click Options (or Edit then Meeting options).
3. Under Who can bypass the lobby?, choose Everyone if external guests need direct access, or People in my organisation and Guests if you want to admit them manually.
4. Under Who can present?, ensure the attendee's role allows them to join as at least Attendee.
5. Click Save and ask the attendee to rejoin.

2. Check the Attendee's Audio Device

If an attendee joins but can't hear or be heard, the wrong device is usually selected. This is especially common when users have multiple audio devices connected, such as a headset, monitor speakers, or a webcam with a built-in microphone.

1. Once in the meeting, click the More actions menu (three dots) in the meeting control bar.
2. Select Device settings.
3. Under Audio devices, confirm the correct Speaker and Microphone are chosen from the dropdowns.
4. Use the Make a test call button at the bottom of the panel to confirm both input and output are working.
5. If no devices appear, check that the headset or peripheral is plugged in and not muted at the hardware level.

3. Allow Microphone and Camera Access in the Operating System

Operating system privacy settings can block Teams from accessing the microphone entirely, which often shows up as "no audio" on the other end.

Windows 11 or Windows 10

1. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone.
2. Ensure Microphone access is turned On.
3. Scroll down and confirm Let desktop apps access your microphone is On.
4. Make sure Microsoft Teams is listed and toggled on.

macOS

1. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone.
2. Toggle Microsoft Teams on.
3. Restart Teams fully (quit using Cmd + Q, not just closing the window).

4. Test on the Teams Web App

If the desktop app is misbehaving, the web version at https://teams.microsoft.com is a reliable fallback for isolating the problem.

1. Open Chrome or Edge and go to https://teams.microsoft.com.
2. Sign in and join the same meeting.
3. When prompted, allow microphone access for the browser.
4. If audio works in the browser but not the desktop app, the issue is local to the Teams desktop installation. Continue to step 5.

5. Clear the Teams Desktop Cache

Corrupted cache files are a frequent cause of audio devices not appearing or audio failing mid-meeting.

Windows

1. Fully quit Microsoft Teams. Right-click the Teams icon in the system tray and select Quit.
2. Press Win + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams, and press Enter.
3. Delete the contents of the following folders:
   • Cache
   • blob_storage
   • databases
   • GPUCache
   • IndexedDB
   • Local Storage
   • tmp
4. Restart Teams and sign in again.

macOS

1. Quit Teams completely using Cmd + Q.
2. Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, and enter ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams.
3. Delete the same folders listed above.
4. Restart Teams and sign in again.

6. Check for Network and Firewall Issues

Teams requires access to specific Microsoft endpoints. If a firewall or VPN is blocking these, audio may fail even when joining succeeds.

1. Confirm the attendee is not connected to a VPN, or has split-tunnelling enabled for Teams traffic.
2. Ask the attendee to run the Microsoft 365 connectivity test at https://connectivity.office.com.
3. Review the results for any failed checks under Microsoft Teams.
4. If using a corporate firewall, ensure the following ports are open:
   • TCP 443 and 80
   • UDP 3478, 3479, 3480, 3481
5. Allowlist *.teams.microsoft.com, *.skype.com, and *.office.com.

7. Update or Reinstall Teams

Outdated or corrupted installations can cause persistent audio issues that the steps above won't fix.

1. Open Teams and click the More actions menu (three dots) > Check for updates.
2. If updates are available, install them and restart Teams.
3. If the problem persists, uninstall Teams completely:
   • Windows: Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft Teams > Uninstall.
   • macOS: Open Finder > Applications, drag Teams to the Trash, then empty it.
4. Download and install the latest version from https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/microsoft-teams/download-app.

Common Scenarios and Likely Causes

• External guest stuck in lobby: Lobby settings in meeting options are too restrictive.
• Attendee joins but no sound in either direction: Wrong audio device selected, or microphone access blocked by operating system privacy settings.
• Audio works in browser but not desktop app: Corrupted Teams desktop cache or installation.
• Audio cuts out or is choppy: Network instability, VPN interference, or firewall blocking Teams media ports.
• Internal attendees can't join at all: Meeting policy in the Teams admin centre may be restricting participation.

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