A Teams test call plays your own voice back to you so you know Teams can hear you and you can hear Teams. Microsoft only offers it in the desktop app for Windows and Mac, so many people search for it and never find the button. This page covers both: how to make the official Teams test call, where it goes missing, and a check that runs in any browser on any device. The check reads your camera's real picture and the light on your face, measures your voice against the room noise, plays a sound on each speaker for you to place, and records a 5 second clip of you as others will see and hear you.
How to make a Teams test call
In the Teams desktop app on Windows or Mac:
- Select Settings and more, the three dots next to your profile picture at the top of Teams.
- Select Settings, then Devices.
- Under Audio settings, choose Make a test call.
- Follow the Test Call Bot: record a short message after the prompt and listen to it played back.
- Read the summary of the test call. Open your device settings from there to change anything.
Microsoft deletes the recording right after the call. If the playback sounds wrong, change the Speaker and Microphone lists on the same Devices page and call again.
Where the test call is missing
| Where you use Teams | Test call | What to use instead |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop app, Windows or Mac | Yes, in Settings, Devices | Nothing else needed |
| Teams on the web, any browser | No | This check, or Meet now |
| Linux, through a browser or web app | No | This check |
| iPhone, iPad and Android | No | This check in the phone's browser |
Other ways to test in Teams itself:
- Go to Calendar on the left and select Meet now in the upper right corner to start a meeting on your own and look at your video. Microsoft notes that this button needs an Exchange Online mailbox, so some accounts do not have it.
- Join a real meeting a minute early and use the screen before you join. There, the Camera switch shows your picture and Open device settings leads to Video settings, with Adjust brightness and Soft focus.
- In newer versions of the desktop app for work or school, that same screen has Test mic and speaker under Computer audio. It records a short clip and plays it back, with no call needed.
How to run this check
- Plug in the headset and camera you will use in Teams, and close Teams so the camera is free.
- Press Start the check and allow the camera and microphone.
- Hold your face in the oval for 3 seconds.
- Stay quiet for 3 seconds, then talk for 5.
- Press Play sound twice and say where you heard each sound.
- Record the 5 second clip and watch it.
- Read the results. Every problem lists the Teams setting and the system setting to change, and Copy results gives you text to paste into an IT ticket.
What the results mean
| Readout | What it tells you | Good result |
|---|---|---|
| Picture | The resolution your camera delivers | 720p (1280 × 720) or more |
| Frame rate | Frames per second, counted as they arrive | 24 to 30 fps |
| Light on face | Brightness of the oval where your face sits | 35 to 85%, close to the background |
| Voice level | Average loudness of your speech | -30 to -15 dB |
| Background noise | The room with nobody talking | Below -50 dB |
| Speakers | Where you heard each sound | Left on the left, right on the right |
The test call does not play your message back
If you hear the Test Call Bot but not your own message, Teams recorded nothing. Check the mute switch on your headset, pick the mic you speak into under Settings, Devices, Audio settings, and on Windows open Settings, Privacy & security, Microphone and turn on Microphone access, Let apps access your microphone, Microsoft Teams (work or school) and Let desktop apps access your microphone. If you hear nothing at all, not even the bot, Teams plays to another output, often a monitor on HDMI. Pick your headset in the Speaker list. This check tells you which half failed: the mic readings show whether anything reaches the mic, and the left and right sounds show whether your speakers play.
Others cannot hear you in Teams
- Mute. A line through the Mic icon means muted. Check the headset's own mute button too.
- Wrong mic. During a meeting, select the arrow next to Mic, then More audio settings, and pick the right one.
- Blocked by the system. Use the Windows switches above. On a Mac, open System Settings, Privacy & Security, Microphone and switch on Microsoft Teams.
- Teams on the web. Allow the mic for the Teams site in your browser: in Chrome under Privacy and security, Site settings, and in Edge under Site permissions in Settings.
- Quiet voice. If your voice level here is below -40 dB, move the mic closer and turn on Automatically adjust mic sensitivity under Settings, Devices.
The teams mic check runs this test on the mic and speakers alone. If the mic fails in every app, follow the microphone not working windows 11 guide.
Your camera does not show in Teams
Close other apps that might use the camera, such as Zoom or the Camera app, then check permissions: on Windows, Settings, Privacy & security, Camera, with Let apps access your camera and Microsoft Teams (work or school) on; on a Mac, System Settings, Privacy & Security, Camera. Then pick the camera under Settings, Devices, Video settings, where Teams shows a preview. If this check also shows no picture, the camera itself is off or blocked: see webcam not working.
You look dark or your voice sounds noisy
A window behind you darkens your face, and this check warns when the background is much brighter than your face. Face the light, then turn on Adjust brightness in the video settings before you join. For noise, turn on Noise suppression under Settings, Devices, and use a headset with a mic near your mouth. A headset test checks the headset on its own.
What this check cannot test
This page does not test your connection to Microsoft's servers, which a real Teams test call goes through, and it cannot see Teams' own noise suppression, backgrounds or filters. The light reading compares the middle of the picture with the area around it, because the page cannot recognize faces. For other apps, the zoom test call and google meet test pages run the same check with their settings.
This test is independent and not affiliated with Zoom, Microsoft or Google. Their product names are used only to describe what the test works with.
Teams test call questions
How do I make a test call in Microsoft Teams?
In the Teams desktop app, select Settings and more next to your profile picture, then Settings and Devices, and choose Make a test call under Audio settings. Follow the Test Call Bot, record a short message and listen to it played back. Teams then shows a summary of the call, with a link to your device settings.
Why is Make a test call missing in Teams?
Microsoft offers the test call only in the Teams desktop app for Windows and Mac. It is not in Teams on the web, so it is also missing in Linux browsers, and it is not in the phone apps. Use the check on this page instead, or start a meeting on your own with Meet now. Newer versions of the desktop app for work or school also show Test mic and speaker on the screen before you join a meeting.
Can I make a Teams test call on my iPhone or Android phone?
No, the phone apps have no test call. Run this check in the phone's browser to test the camera, mic and speaker, then join your meeting a minute early and tap Video is off on the screen before you join to see your picture.
Does the Teams test call record me?
It records the short message you speak so it can play it back. Microsoft says it deletes the recording right after the call and does not keep or use it.
Why does the Teams test call not play back my message?
Either Teams recorded nothing, because the mic is muted, blocked or the wrong one, or the playback goes to an output you are not listening to. Check the Microphone and Speaker lists under Settings, Devices, then run this check to see whether the mic picks you up at all.
Can I test my camera in Teams without a call?
Yes. Under Settings, Devices, Video settings, pick your camera and Teams shows a preview. This page adds the real resolution, frame rate and a light reading.