using mute and hold on 365 calls

Megan Davis 0 Reputation points
2026-11-12T17:56:48.1+00:00

When you are on a call and you put the call on hold the conversation is transcribed. If you mute the call can the caller hear what is being said and transcribed?

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

    2026-11-12T17:57:48.0766667+00:00

    Muting your Teams microphone prevents the caller from hearing speech around you through that microphone, and that local speech should not appear in the normal Teams transcription.

    • Mute: Only your outgoing microphone audio is stopped. You can still hear the caller, and their speech can continue to be transcribed. A crossed-out microphone icon indicates that Teams has muted your microphone.^1^
    • Hold: Audio is blocked in both directions. Neither side can see or hear the other, screen sharing is suspended, and a PSTN caller hears hold music until you select Resume.^2^

    A transcript may remain active or visible while you are muted or on hold. That does not mean speech near your muted microphone is being sent to the caller. Existing transcript text remains, and audio from other active participants may still be transcribed.

    For a sensitive conversation, verify that the Teams Mic icon has a line through it. Also check for another unmuted device joined to the call, such as a phone, room system, or second computer. Where explicit recording consent is enabled, a participant who declines consent remains muted and cannot speak into the recorded or transcribed call.^3^

    References

    1. My microphone isn't working in Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Support
    2. [Desktop](https://support.microsoft.com/teams/calls-devices/put-a-call-on-hold-in-microsoft-teams)
    3. Configure call recording, transcription, and captions in Teams
    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. Hani-Ng 2,835 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-11-12T18:26:04.52+00:00

    Hi Megan Davis

    You can refer to AI's answer first, as it correctly explains the difference between Mute and Hold in Microsoft Teams. To directly answer your question: if you mute your microphone during a Teams call, the caller should not be able to hear conversations taking place around you, and speech captured locally by your muted microphone should not be included in the call transcription.

    The transcription may continue to update while you are muted because it can still capture speech from other active participants in the call. Seeing the transcript continue to grow does not mean audio from your muted microphone is being transmitted or transcribed.

    If confidentiality is important, make sure the Teams microphone icon shows as muted and verify that there are no other connected devices (for example, a phone, Teams Room device, or another computer) joined to the same call with an active microphone.

    Therefore, under normal operation in Microsoft Teams, muting your microphone prevents your local conversation from being heard by the caller or captured in the Teams transcript.

    I hope this information helps.

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