Fix "no microphone found" in Microsoft Teams
"No microphone found" in Teams means Teams can't see any input device at all — a different problem from a permission error, and usually caused by something else holding the mic, a stale device list, or, least often, a genuinely disconnected mic. Work through these in order.
Step-by-step fix
-
Confirm the mic works outside Teams first: run the CheckMyMic microphone test. If it's picked up there, the hardware is fine and the fault is Teams' device detection — skip to step 2. If it's silent there too, fix the mic at the OS level first with our mic not working on Windows 11 guide.
-
Close anything else that might be holding the mic exclusively — Zoom, Discord, Voicemeeter, OBS, even a second Teams instance in a browser tab. Only one app can hold some microphones at a time, and Teams reports that as "no microphone found" rather than "microphone busy".
-
Open Settings → Devices in Teams and look at the Microphone dropdown — if it's empty even though the mic works elsewhere, Teams' device list is stale. Unplug and replug a USB/Bluetooth mic so it re-enumerates, then reopen the dropdown.
-
Fully quit Teams (system tray icon → Quit) and relaunch — Teams builds its device list once at startup and doesn't always notice a microphone that was connected afterward.
-
Clear the Teams cache: close Teams completely, then delete the contents of the %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams cache folders (classic Teams) or use Settings → General → "Reset the app" in new Teams. A corrupted cache is a common cause of a persistently empty device list.
-
Sign out of Teams and back in, and if you're on the web version, try a different browser — Teams on the web depends on the browser's own device enumeration, which can go stale independently of Windows.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Teams say "no microphone was found" when my mic works everywhere else?
Teams builds its device list once when it starts, and doesn't always refresh it when a mic is connected afterward or when another app is holding it exclusively. Confirm the mic works with the CheckMyMic microphone test, then close other audio apps and fully restart Teams so it re-scans for devices.
The microphone dropdown in Teams is empty — what does that mean?
Teams isn't seeing any input device at all, which usually points to another app holding the mic exclusively, a stale device list, or, for a Bluetooth mic or headset, a dropped connection. Replug or reconnect the microphone, then fully quit and relaunch Teams so it rebuilds the list.
Does reinstalling Teams fix "no microphone found"?
Sometimes, but try the cheaper fixes first: closing other apps that might hold the mic, restarting Teams fully, and clearing its cache (Settings → General → Reset the app in new Teams). Reinstalling is worth it only if the device list stays empty after those steps.
I've tried everything and Teams still can't find my microphone — what now?
Re-run the CheckMyMic microphone test to double-check the mic itself is genuinely working, then see our <a href="mic-not-working-teams.html">mic not working in Teams guide</a> for the device-selection and permission checks that go beyond a missing device list. If your error is specifically about permission rather than a missing device, our <a href="teams-needs-permission-microphone.html">Teams permission error guide</a> covers that instead.