No audio or microphone in Teams meetings, then removes all audio input/output from PC

Anonymous
2026-02-03T06:38:54.16+00:00

New laptop. New Teams install. Up to date. The following is only an issue in Teams, no other programs have this issue.

No audio or microphone with any devices in Teams.

~50% of the time the Test Call does not load at all, or does not close and i have to force close.

Audios device is shown and selected in Audio Settings.

Once i attempt a Test Call, all audio on the computer ceases to work for ~2-5mins before it starts working again.

Windows audio toolbar shows "no audio device is installed" during this time, regardless of the bluetooth setting showing the connected headphones/device.

Potentially a conflict with Spotify program. As if i disable Spotify autostart, restart my computer, then try, it works. But then as soon as i open spotify again, it wont work until i do the same again.

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Meetings and calls | Audio and video
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  1. AI answer

    2026-02-03T06:39:06.68+00:00

    It sounds like you're experiencing significant audio issues specifically with Microsoft Teams, which may be related to device conflicts or settings. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem:

    1. Check Audio Drivers: Ensure that your audio drivers are installed and up to date. You can do this by opening Device Manager and checking for any issues with the audio drivers. If necessary, visit your device manufacturer's website to download the latest drivers.
    2. Audio Settings in Teams: Make sure the correct audio device is selected in Teams. Go to Settings > Devices and confirm that your desired microphone and speaker are selected.
    3. Test Call Issues: If the Test Call feature is not functioning properly, it may indicate a problem with Teams itself or a conflict with other applications. Since you mentioned Spotify, try disabling its autostart feature and see if that resolves the issue when you restart your computer.
    4. Playing Audio Troubleshooter: Run the Playing Audio troubleshooter from the Settings app. Navigate to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters and select the troubleshooter for audio.
    5. Reinstall Teams: If the problem persists, consider reinstalling Microsoft Teams. This can help resolve any installation-related issues that might be causing the audio problems.
    6. Check for Conflicts: Since you suspect a conflict with Spotify, try using Teams without Spotify running to see if the issue continues. If it resolves the problem, you may need to adjust the settings in Spotify or Teams to prevent conflicts.
    7. Windows Audio Service: Ensure that the Windows Audio service is running. You can check this by typing "services.msc" in the Run dialog (Win + R) and looking for the Windows Audio service. Restart it if necessary.

    If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider reaching out to Microsoft support for further assistance.

    References:

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  2. Liora D 18,955 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-02-03T08:39:48.8333333+00:00

    Dear @anon,

    Welcome to Microsoft Q&A. 

    Thanks for the detailed description, I understand how disruptive it is when audio suddenly disappears during Teams meetings, especially on a new laptop. Based on what you’ve described (Teams losing audio after a Test Call, Windows showing “No audio device installed,” and the issue reappearing when Spotify is opened), this usually points to a driver or audio‑service conflict rather than a problem inside Teams itself.

    To help you narrow it down, here are a few practical checks you can do directly on your device:

    1/ Restart Windows audio services when the issue happens

    This confirms whether Windows is losing the audio driver.

    Press Win + R and type: services.msc

    Find and restart these two services:

    Windows Audio

    Windows Audio Endpoint Builder

    If audio returns immediately, the issue is a driver crash, not Teams.

    2/ Check if Exclusive Mode is enabled (common conflict with Spotify)

    Spotify often locks the sound device if Exclusive Mode is active.

    Right-click on the Speaker icon in the taskbar and select Sound Settings.

    User's image

    Scroll down and click on More Sound Settings under the Advanced section.

    User's image

    In the Playback tab, right-click on your active audio device and select Properties.

    Navigate to the Advanced tab.

    Uncheck both boxes under the Exclusive Mode section.

    Click Apply and then OK.

    Repeat the same steps for your input device if needed.

    3/ Update the laptop’s audio & Bluetooth drivers (critical for new devices)

    For new laptops, OEM audio packages (Realtek / Intel SmartSound / Bluetooth LE) often fix instability:

    Open Device Manager (Press Win+X and select Device Manager) > Expand Bluetooth to view the list of Bluetooth devices and adapters.

    Right-click your Bluetooth adapter, and then select Update driver.

    Select Search automatically for drivers.

    Follow the on-screen instructions.

    Restart your PC after the update completes.

    4/ Turn off audio “enhancements”

    Enhancement filters from Windows, Spotify, or OEM tools sometimes cause device resets.

    Go to Sound settings

    Open your output device > Enhancements

    Turn off any processing like Spatial Audio, Bass Boost, or custom manufacturer effects.

    5/ Test Teams with a non‑Bluetooth device

    This helps determine if the issue is with Bluetooth LE switching.

    Plug in a simple USB headset or wired earphones.

    Do a Teams Test Call.

    If audio works consistently, the root cause is likely Bluetooth codec switching triggered by Teams + Spotify. If you can share the exact audio device model (Bluetooth or wired), I can help pinpoint the cause more precisely.

    Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution.  

    I hope this information helps point you in the right direction. If you run into any issues while trying the steps, or if something still doesn’t feel quite right, please don’t hesitate to reach out again. I’ll do my best to support you however I can.  

    Looking forward to hearing back from you with any updates or additional details. 

    Warm regards, 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".    

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.   

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  3. Verbeek, Rene 0 Reputation points
    2026-10-30T08:59:29.3233333+00:00

    Reproducible Teams audio bug – Windows loses speaker output after switching off a Jabra headset

    On a brand-new Dell computer, the following happens:

    The built-in speakers work perfectly.

    I pair my brand-new Jabra headset.

    Microsoft Teams works correctly with the Jabra headset.

    I switch off the Jabra headset.

    I expect Windows to switch back to the built-in speakers. Instead, Windows literally reports: "No audio output device is installed."

    I open Device Manager, where the audio driver is still visible.

    I uninstall the speaker device and let Windows scan for hardware changes.

    And voilà, the speakers work again. YouTube plays audio without any problems.

    I repeated this entire procedure twice, with exactly the same results. The issue is reproducible.

    This is not simply a matter of selecting the wrong audio output device. Windows actually reports that no audio output device is installed, even though the driver is visible in Device Manager.

    This strongly suggests a problem with audio device state management in Teams or an underlying Windows audio component.

    For ordinary users, this behaviour is completely unacceptable. They should not have to uninstall audio devices and force Windows to rediscover hardware just because they switched off a headset.

    It is 2026. Basic audio device switching should work reliably.

    I also find it unacceptable that users experiencing such a straightforward, reproducible problem are confronted with pages of generic troubleshooting instructions instead of a proper investigation into the underlying issue.

    Can Microsoft please acknowledge this issue, investigate the audio device switching logic, and provide a permanent fix?

    Sorry for the rant, but this really should not be happening in 2026.

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