Microsoft Teams Volume Too Low on Mac? Fixes That Work

You're in a Teams meeting. Your coworker is presenting, but their voice sounds like it's coming through a tin can from three rooms away. Your Mac volume is at 100%. Teams' volume is at 100%. Still too quiet.

Low Teams volume is one of the most common Mac audio complaints at work. Some causes are on the Mac, some are inside Teams. Here's how to work through them.

1. Check Teams' audio settings

Open Teams' settings and look for the audio devices section (in recent versions it's under Settings > Devices or Settings > Audio devices).

• Make sure the correct Speaker device is selected, not a disconnected monitor or an inactive Bluetooth device
• If your version offers a test call, use it to check that audio plays at a reasonable volume
• If noise suppression is set to its strongest level, try a lower setting: aggressive noise suppression can make voices sound quieter

2. If you recently switched to the new Teams

Microsoft replaced "classic" Teams with a new version. If you recently moved over:

• Your audio device choices may not have carried over, so re-check your speaker selection
• If you see a music-related audio mode in the audio settings, try turning it off; it changes how Teams processes sound

3. Bluetooth headset mode

If you use AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones, joining a call turns on their microphone. Many headphones then switch to a hands-free (headset) mode, which sounds lower in quality and often quieter.

Fix: Keep the Bluetooth headphones as the speaker, but pick a different microphone in Teams' audio settings: your Mac's built-in microphone or a USB mic. The headphones then stay in their normal, better-sounding mode. More on this in Bluetooth headphones too quiet on Mac.

4. Check macOS output device and volume

Go to System Settings > Sound > Output. Make sure the right device is selected and the output volume is at maximum. Also check:

• Headphone safety: if your Mac shows a Headphone Safety option with "Reduce Loud Audio" turned on, it may be limiting your headphone volume.
• Left/right slider: in the same Output settings, make sure the slider between left and right is centered. If it's off to one side, one ear will be quieter.

5. Restart Core Audio

The macOS audio service sometimes gets stuck at a low output level after sleep, switching devices or app updates. Open Terminal and run:

sudo killall coreaudiod

Audio restarts after a brief interruption. Rejoin the meeting and check whether the volume improved.

6. Boost Teams above 100%

If everything is maxed out and Teams is still too quiet (a participant with a bad mic, or a meeting that's just quiet), you need to go past what macOS normally allows.

SoundDial lets you boost one app above 100%, up to 200%, including Microsoft Teams. Drag Teams' slider up in small steps, to 150% or 180% if needed, and only Teams gets louder (a boost can clip on loud voices, so stop when speech is clear). Your music, browser and other apps stay where they were.

It also helps with the opposite problem: if Teams notification sounds are too loud during focus time, lower Teams to 15% or mute it while your music keeps playing.

SoundDial, a per-app volume mixer for Mac lives in the menu bar, needs macOS 14.2 or later and costs €14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, no subscription.

Get SoundDial on the Mac App Store.