Meetings & Chat · 4 guides
Join meetings
Camera, mic, lobby issues, echo, and missing chat notifications.
Camera or microphone not working in Teams or Zoom
People cannot hear you, or your tile stays black, even though the devices work elsewhere.
You might notice
- Mic is muted by the app
- Wrong speaker selected
- Camera in use
- 01
Pick the devices inside the meeting app
Open Device settings in Teams or Zoom and select the headset and camera by name. Windows can see a device that the meeting app is not using.
- 02
Unmute at every layer
Unmute the app, unmute a hardware mute button on the headset, and check the physical camera shutter.
- 03
Allow OS permissions
Windows Privacy settings must allow camera and microphone for desktop apps. After a change, restart the meeting app.
- 04
Leave and rejoin once
A stuck call can hold the camera. Rejoin. If you are presenting, have a colleague admit you if you land in the lobby.
Did this get you unstuck?
I cannot join a meeting
The join link fails, you sit in the lobby, or the meeting ID is not found.
You might notice
- Meeting not found
- Waiting in the lobby
- The link opens the wrong tenant
- 01
Join from the calendar, not a forwarded snippet
Open the invite on your calendar and use Join. Copied IDs and old links go stale after an organizer updates the meeting.
- 02
Sign in with the account that was invited
A personal Teams or Zoom account will land in the wrong place. Switch to the work profile.
- 03
Ask someone already inside to admit you
Lobby wait usually means the organizer limited who can bypass it. Chat them on the side.
- 04
Use the dial-in number as a fallback
The invite includes a phone number and conference ID. You can listen while you fix the app.
Did this get you unstuck?
There is echo or feedback during a meeting
People hear their own voice, or the room howls when two devices are in the same space.
You might notice
- Echo of the speaker
- Hollow sound
- Squeal when you unmute
- 01
One speaker per room
If two laptops in the same room are in the call, mute all but one microphone and speaker. Better: one device, or a headset each.
- 02
Use a headset
Laptop mics pick up the speakers. A headset breaks the loop.
- 03
Lower speaker volume and move the mic
Pull the laptop mic away from the speaker. Turn off a second Bluetooth speaker that is also playing the call.
- 04
Leave and rejoin if the echo stays
A bad audio route can stick for that session. Rejoin with the headset already connected.
Did this get you unstuck?
Chat or Teams notifications are not working
Messages arrive only when you open the app, or banners never appear.
You might notice
- No banners
- Missed @mentions
- Mobile notifies but the PC does not
- 01
Check in-app notification settings
In Teams, open Settings → Notifications. Mentions and replies should be banner plus email if you miss things. Turn off Quiet hours if they are on by accident.
- 02
Allow Windows notifications for the app
Settings → System → Notifications. Focus assist / Do not disturb hides banners during presentations and at night.
- 03
Keep the app running in the tray
If you quit Teams fully, you will not get desktop alerts. On a laptop, set it to start automatically if that is allowed.
- 04
On a phone, re-enable system notifications
iOS and Android each have an app-level toggle that overrides Teams. Open a test chat with a colleague after you change it.