Microsoft Teams Not Working? 7 Common Problems and How to Fix Them

It’s 10:00. The client call is booked, the agenda is sent, and five people have joined. Then:

“Can you hear me?”

“No, we can see you but there’s no sound.”

“Hang on, I’ll try the headset.”

“Now you’re on mute.”

By the time anyone says anything useful, it’s 10:06. It doesn’t seem like an issue, right? Nobody is going to put “six minutes of technical difficulties” on a timesheet, or raise an IT support ticket. But do the sum. Six minutes, five people, one call a week, 48 working weeks: that’s 24 hours. Three full working days a year, spent on “can you hear me?”

Most Microsoft Teams problems have a short list of causes, and most take under five minutes to fix once you know where to look. So here are the seven we get asked about most, in the order we’d check them.

A quick note: Microsoft moves Teams menus around fairly often, so the exact wording may differ slightly on your version. The settings are in the same places, even if the labels shift.

1. Teams Says it Can’t Find Your Microphone or Speakers

The usual cause is that Microsoft Teams is looking at the wrong device, or Windows is blocking it. So here’s how to avoid this issue:

• In Teams, open Settings → Devices and check that the right microphone and speaker are selected. Laptops often have several, and Teams may default to one you’re not using.
• In Windows, go to Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone and make sure access is on for apps, including desktop apps.
• Check whether another app has grabbed the microphone, such as a second video call app left open in the background.
• Bluetooth headsets are the biggest offender. Switch the headset off and on, or remove it and pair it again.

You can also use the ‘test call’ option in Microsoft Teams before an important meeting. It takes thirty seconds and tells you more than guessing, and scrambling to fix a potential problem.

2. Teams Says it Can’t Find Your Camera

The same logic applies in this scenario as the previous one, with a few extras.

• Check Settings → Devices and choose the right camera.
• Check Windows Privacy & security → Camera and allow access.
• Look for a physical shutter or an F-key that switches the camera off. This catches out more people than you’d expect.
• If you use an external webcam, unplug it and plug it into a different USB port.
• If you’re joining from a browser, check the camera permission next to the address bar.

3. Your Notifications Aren’t Arriving

We’ve all been here. The classic version is the message sent at 9:15 that you only see at 11:00. And by then, you’ve missed an important call and have to deal with a fair bit of embarrassment. But not if you follow these steps:

• Check Settings → Notifications and activity inside Microsoft Teams.
• Check Windows too. After all, Do not disturb or Focus mode silences Teams even when its own settings are fine.
• On a phone, battery saver modes often stop apps from running in the background, which delays alerts.
• If you only get notifications when Teams is open, sign out and back in. It sometimes re-registers the notification service.

4. Guests Can’t Join Your Meeting

The only thing worse than being left in the lobby until someone lets you in, is not getting there in the first place. This is the one that’s embarrassing in front of a client, and there are usually two likely causes.

• The lobby. Check the meeting options to see who bypasses the lobby. External guests may be sitting in it waiting to be let in, and nobody has noticed.
• Your organisation’s settings. Guest and external access are often controlled by your administrator, and some organisations restrict them. So if guests regularly can’t join, that’s a settings question for whoever manages your Microsoft 365, not something you can fix one meeting at a time.

For a guest stuck at the last minute, suggest they join from a browser instead of the app, and without signing in if the option appears. This sidesteps most account issues.

5. Screen Sharing Doesn’t Work

How many times have you asked or been asked, “Can you see my screen?” only to get a sullen or annoyed “Still not” in response. Often, this problem depends on your hardware.

• On a Mac: Microsoft Teams needs permission under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording. Without it, sharing silently fails. After granting it, restart Teams.
• On Windows: check you’re a presenter in the meeting. If the organiser has limited who can present, the share button either won’t appear or won’t work.
• Try sharing a single window instead of the whole screen. It’s lighter and often succeeds when full-screen sharing doesn’t.
• If it’s still stuck, leave and rejoin the meeting.

6. Your Status Keeps Showing as “Away”

You’ve been at your desk all morning and Teams has told everyone you’ve gone for lunch.

Remember that Microsoft Teams decides you’re away based on inactivity. If your computer locks or goes to sleep, or you’re reading a document without touching the keyboard, your status changes. The calendar and your phone also feed into it. So here’s how to prevent this:

• Check your Windows sleep and lock settings. Short timeouts push your status to Away fast.
• If you’re on a phone, the Teams app going into the background can set you to Away.
• You can set your status manually and choose how long it lasts.

It’s worth knowing this isn’t a bug. It’s Teams doing what it was designed to do, which is why it feels so annoying.

7. Teams is Slow, Frozen or Stuck on ‘Loading’

This is definitely the Teams issues that make our clients the most frustrated. And it’s very easy to empathise. Below, you’ll find the last resort that often works first.

1. Close Teams fully, including from the system tray at the bottom right, not just the window. Then reopen it.
2. Restart your computer. It sounds boring, and it’s effective, because Teams gets sluggish after days of uptime.
3. Check for updates, in both Teams and Windows.
4. If it still misbehaves, reset or clear the Teams cache. On Windows, this is usually under Settings → Apps → Installed apps → Microsoft Teams → Advanced options → Reset. This clears stored data and signs you out, so you’ll need to log in again.

If a particular machine is slow on everything, not only Microsoft Teams, then the problem is probably your machine. Low memory and an old hard drive are common culprits, and no Teams setting will fix them.

When it’s Not Teams

Here’s the useful test. If you hit one or two of these a month, that’s normal software life. If your team hits several a week, and the same ones keep coming back, then the problem isn’t Teams. It’s how it’s been set up, which devices are in use, or how permissions are managed.

So here’s a quick self-check to discover the real problem:

• Do the same people run into problems repeatedly?
• Are guests regularly blocked from joining?
• Does anyone have to “wait for IT” before a call?
• Is anyone using a personal device or home headset because the work one doesn’t behave?

If you answered yes to two or more, the fix is probably structural, and you’ll save more time by sorting it out once than by fixing it every Monday.

This is one of the everyday issues we cover in more detail in Seven Everyday IT Issues, if you want the wider list.

Want a second pair of eyes on it?

If Microsoft Teams problems keep coming back, our Free IT Health Check is a good place to start. We’ll look at how your setup works day to day, explain what’s causing the repeat problems, and tell you plainly what’s worth fixing and what isn’t. No hard sell. 

Call: 01707 378455
Email: hello@tristartechsolutions.co.uk

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Microsoft Teams so slow? The common causes are a long-running session, an out-of-date app, a full cache or an under-powered computer. Closing Teams fully, restarting the machine and updating usually fixes it. If it doesn’t, the problem is likely the hardware.

Why can’t people hear me on Teams? Usually the wrong microphone is selected, or Windows is blocking access. Check Settings → Devices in Teams and the microphone privacy setting in Windows.

Why do guests get stuck in the lobby? The meeting is set to hold external guests until someone admits them. Check the meeting options, and watch the lobby at the start of the call.

Why does Teams say I’m away when I’m not? Teams treats inactivity, a locked screen or sleep mode as being away. Adjusting your computer’s sleep settings or setting your status manually helps.

How do I clear the Teams cache? Close Teams, then use the reset option for the app in your Windows settings. You’ll need to sign in again afterwards.