How to Make Voice Calls in Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams lets you place audio-only calls to people in your organization, to external Teams users your administrator allows, and, with the right license, to regular phone numbers. This guide covers starting a voice call in the desktop, mobile and web versions of Teams, confirming that your microphone and speakers work, and fixing the problems that most often get in the way.

Before you start

Teams calling does not run locally. Audio is carried through Microsoft's cloud service, so you need an internet connection and a signed-in account. What you are able to call depends on your account type and on policies set by your organization, so some options described below may be missing for you.

• A work, school or personal Microsoft account signed in to Teams on desktop, mobile or the web.
• A microphone and speakers, or a headset, connected before you open Teams so they are detected.
• Microphone permission granted to Teams, or to your browser if you use Teams on the web. An audio-only call does not require camera permission.
• For calls to landlines and mobile numbers: a phone number and calling license assigned by your administrator. Without one, you can still call other Teams users.
• If your organization records or transcribes calls, check its policy on how that data is stored and who can access it rather than assuming either way.

Step-by-step instructions

Choose your audio devices

• In Teams desktop, open Settings and more (the three-dot menu near your profile picture) and select Settings.
• Open Devices.
• Under audio devices, pick the speaker and microphone you want to use, or select your headset.
• The selected camera only matters if you later switch the call to video, so you can leave it as it is for now.

Call someone from a chat

• Select Chat and open a one-to-one or group conversation.
• At the top of the chat, select the audio call button (the phone icon). In some versions, audio and video share a single Call button with a menu; choose the audio option.
• Wait for the other person to answer. In a group chat, the call goes to the members of that chat.

Use the Calls app and dial pad

• Select Calls in the app bar on the left. If you don't see it, look under the three-dot menu for more apps; if it is still missing, your organization may not have enabled it.
• Type a person's name in the dial pad box to call a Teams user, or enter a phone number if your account is set up for calls to phone numbers.
• Select Call to start.

On iPhone, iPad or Android

• Open the Teams app and go to a chat with the person you want to call.
• Tap the phone icon at the top of the chat to start an audio call, or use the Calls tab and dial pad if your account shows them.
• When your device asks for microphone access the first time, allow it. If you denied it earlier, turn microphone access back on for Teams in your phone's settings.

In a web browser

Teams on the web supports calling in supported browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. When the browser asks to use your microphone, allow it. If you dismissed the prompt, open the site permissions from the browser's address bar, set the microphone to Allow, and reload the page.

During the call

Use the Mic button to mute and unmute, and Leave to hang up. To switch to another microphone or speaker mid-call, open the More menu in the call controls and look for device settings; the exact label differs between versions. If you turn the camera on, the call becomes a video call, so check the selected camera and your lighting before you do.

Check the output

If your version of Teams offers it, run a test call from Settings, then Devices, then Make a test call. Teams asks you to record a short message, plays it back, and shows whether your microphone, speaker and network were detected. Hearing your own voice clearly in the playback is the simplest confirmation that the right microphone is selected.

In a real call, ask the other person to confirm they can hear you without echo or dropouts. If you start speaking while muted, Teams may show a notice that your mic is off. Audio quality depends largely on your network and your headset or microphone, not on a setting you can raise inside Teams.

Common problems and next steps

The call button or Calls app is missing. Calling options are controlled by your account type and your organization's policies. Ask your administrator whether calling is enabled for your account.

You can't call phone numbers. Calls to landlines and mobile numbers need a phone number and calling license assigned to your account. Calls between Teams users don't need either.

Teams doesn't detect your microphone. Check operating system permissions first. On Windows, open Settings, then Privacy & security, then Microphone, and make sure microphone access is on for apps, including desktop apps. On macOS, open System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Microphone, and enable Microsoft Teams. Then close other apps that might be using the microphone, reconnect the device, and select it again in Teams under Devices.

People can't hear you, or you can't hear them. Confirm that the correct microphone and speaker are selected in Teams, not just in your operating system. Bluetooth headsets can appear more than once in the device list; if one entry gives no microphone, try the other.

Echo or feedback. Use a headset instead of laptop speakers, lower the speaker volume, and mute yourself when you aren't speaking.

Choppy or dropping audio. This usually points to the network. Move to a wired or stronger Wi-Fi connection, pause large downloads or uploads, and keep video off.

You can't reach someone outside your organization. External calling depends on access settings in both organizations. If the problem continues, note the date and time of the failed call and share it with your IT administrator, who can review call quality data on their side.