How to Fix Bluetooth Headset Not Working in Microsoft Teams?
MS Teams is one of the products developed by Microsoft which can be used for several educational & business purposes. But like every other product, MS Teams also has some issues that need to be fixed. Many users reported the problems related to Bluetooth headset with MS Teams. Either the headset is not working or causing problems after being connected i.e. disturbance in voice, microphone not working, etc. The headset works perfectly fine outside the MS Teams application but during calls, it stops working. This problem is extremely annoying as it hinders the users to work freely and conveniently on MS Teams.
What Causes Bluetooth Headset Not Working with Microsoft Teams?
Some causes of this problem are listed below after analyzing the users’ reviews in detail. This issue may occur due to any of the reasons mentioned below:
- Windows Sound Settings: Sometimes your headset is not selected for default audio playback in the sound settings of your PC therefore the headset does not work with MS Teams. It is a common problem faced by many users.
- Outdated Bluetooth Driver: If you are not able to use the Bluetooth headset with MS Teams then it could be an issue with the Bluetooth driver. Outdated drivers prevent the utilization and detection of Bluetooth devices on installed applications.
- Windows Update: If Windows updates is running under background processes then it may hinder the detection and connection of Bluetooth devices to your PC.
- Vicinity Issues: Sometimes Bluetooth devices do not work if they are not within the range of your PC. Make sure that your Bluetooth device is near enough to the PC so that it can be connected easily.
- Bluetooth Settings: If your Bluetooth device displays as paired but you cannot hear the audio, make sure it is connected. Check the Bluetooth settings of your device to make sure that the Bluetooth headset is both paired and connected.
- Outdated MS Teams: One of the major reasons for the Bluetooth headset to not work with MS Teams is that you are using an older version of the MS Teams application on Windows 10. It should be compatible with the Windows version to prevent any issues like the one under consideration.
- Microphone Permissions: MS Teams application requires microphone access to allow the user to make audio/video calls with the connected audience. If the access is not given then you are most likely to face this problem.
Pre-requisites:
We will recommend you to go through the checklist of some actions given below before proceeding with the given solutions:
- Make sure that Bluetooth is turned on. If it is on then a notification can be seen as “Now discoverable as <computer_name>”
- Airplane mode is off.
- The Bluetooth headset is in range of your PC as discussed in the causes mentioned above.
- The Bluetooth headset is not too close to any other USB device. USB devices can sometimes interfere with Bluetooth connections.
- Your Bluetooth headset is set as the default audio playback device.
- Turn off the Bluetooth and after a few seconds, turn it back on.
- Remove the Bluetooth device (in this case, the headset), then add it again.
- Pause or turn off other things that might be using Bluetooth, such as file sharing over Bluetooth.
Solution 1: Disable Bluetooth LE Enumerator
To fix the problem, make changes to the Bluetooth options in the device manager so that your headset can only use the MS Bluetooth enumerator services by Microsoft. This proved to be helpful for many users online. To do so, follow the steps given below:
- First, unpair your Bluetooth headset from the PC.
- Press Windows + X keys together on your keyboard and select Device Manager. As the name suggests, the device manager is a Windows tool that is used to manage all Windows devices.
Opening Device Manager - Expand the Bluetooth options and select Disable device by right-clicking the Microsoft Bluetooth LE Enumerator option.
Disabling Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator Device - This will open a confirmation window to disable the use of the selected Bluetooth driver. Select Yes to confirm the action. This will now disable the Microsoft Bluetooth LE Enumerator driver whose main function was to optimize the communications between the audio device and PC (making it use low power).
Confirming Disable Action - Now pair the headset with your PC.
- Open Microsoft Teams and make a test call. This should fix your problem. But if the problem persists then jump to the next solution.
Solution 2: Configure MS Teams Media Permissions
In MS Teams, the media permissions allow the use of all kinds of media (camera, microphone, and screen share), and this feature makes this application very convenient for users. If media permissions are turned off then MS Teams will be unable to use the microphone or the headset you are using therefore, you will not be able to listen to the audio during calls. Many users were able to solve this problem by turning media permissions on for the MS Teams application. To do so, follow the steps given below:
- Click Start, search Microsoft Teams and open it. This will open the Microsoft Teams windows application.
Opening MS Teams Application - Right-click on your profile picture and then select Settings. This will open a window that contains all the settings related to MS Teams i.e. General, Privacy, Notifications, Permissions, etc.
Opening MS Teams Settings - Click on Permissions and enable the Media (Camera, microphone, speakers) Permissions. This will allow MS Teams application to get access to the camera, microphone and speaker devices connected to your PC.
Turning Media Permissions On in MS Teams - Pair your Bluetooth headset with your PC.
- Your Bluetooth headset is now ready for working with MS Teams.
- Open Microsoft Teams and make a test call. This should fix your problem. But if the problem persists then jump to the final solution.
Solution 3: Allow Microphone Access for Windows Applications
As discussed earlier in the causes, the MS Teams application requires microphone access along with camera access to allow the user to create audio/video conferences. MS Teams will be unable to access the audio device (Bluetooth headset in this case) if Windows does not allow the execution. Therefore, it is necessary to enable privacy settings for the microphone device so that MS Teams can use the microphone. To enable settings, properly follow these steps:
- Press Windows + I keys together on your keyboard. This will open a window that contains all the settings for Windows 10 i.e. Privacy, System, Devices, etc.
- Click Privacy. A window will open that contains all privacy-based settings i.e. Windows permissions, App permissions, etc.
Opening Windows Privacy Settings - Click Microphone and turn on the Allow apps to access your microphone option. This will allow all the Windows Store applications to use your microphone device i.e. Skype for Windows 10, Voice Recorder, etc.
Turning on the Allow Apps to Access Microphone Option - Similarly, scroll down and turn on the Allow desktop apps to access your microphone option. This will enable Windows to allow desktop applications to use your microphone device i.e. MS Teams, Web Browsers, etc.
Turning on Allow Desktop Apps to Access Your Microphone Option - Now open the MS Teams application and make a test call. Your bluetooth headset should be working now.
This solution will finally solve your problem.
