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%. You've turned up everything you can find. Still too quiet.
Low volume on Microsoft Teams is one of the most common Mac audio complaints in corporate environments. The causes are different from Zoom, and some of the fixes are Teams-specific. Let's walk through all of them.
1. Check Teams' audio settings
Click your profile icon in Teams → Settings → Devices (or Settings → Audio devices in the new Teams).
- Make sure the correct Speaker device is selected — not a disconnected monitor or an inactive Bluetooth device
- Use the "Make a test call" feature to verify audio works at a reasonable volume
- Check that "Noise suppression" isn't set to "High" — aggressive noise suppression can reduce perceived voice volume
2. New Teams vs. Classic Teams
Microsoft replaced "Classic Teams" with "New Teams" (built on a different framework). The new version handles audio differently. If you recently migrated:
- Audio device settings may not have carried over — re-check your speaker selection
- The new Teams uses WebRTC audio processing, which can behave differently than the classic version
- Try toggling "Music mode" off if it's enabled (Settings → Audio devices) — it changes how Teams processes incoming audio
3. Bluetooth codec switching
If you use AirPods or Bluetooth headphones, joining a Teams call forces macOS to switch from the high-quality AAC codec to the lower-quality SCO codec (because Teams activates your microphone). SCO significantly reduces audio quality and volume.
Fix: Use your Mac's built-in microphone or a USB mic while keeping Bluetooth headphones as the output device. Go to Teams → Settings → Devices → Microphone and select "MacBook Pro Microphone" (or your USB mic). This prevents the codec switch, keeping your headphones in high-quality AAC mode.
4. Check macOS output device and volume
Go to System Settings → Sound → Output. Verify the correct device is selected and the output volume is at maximum. Also check:
- Headphone Safety: System Settings → Sound → Headphone Safety. If "Reduce Loud Audio" is on, it's capping your headphone volume.
- Balance: Make sure the left-right balance slider is centered — if it's skewed, one side will be quieter.
5. Reset Core Audio
macOS's audio daemon sometimes gets stuck at a low output level after sleep, device switching, or Teams updates. Open Terminal and run:
sudo killall coreaudiod
Audio restarts after a brief interruption. Rejoin the Teams meeting and check if the volume improved.
6. Boost Teams volume beyond 100%
If every setting is maxed out and Teams is still too quiet — perhaps a participant has a bad mic, or the meeting audio is inherently low — you need to amplify beyond what macOS normally allows.
SoundDial lets you boost any app's volume to 200%, including Microsoft Teams. Drag Teams' slider to 150% or 180% and the audio is amplified in real-time. Only Teams gets louder — your music, browser, and other apps stay at their current levels.
SoundDial also helps with the reverse problem: if Teams notification sounds are too loud during focus time, lower Teams to 15% or mute it entirely while keeping your music playing. One click to mute, one click to unmute.
Get SoundDial on the Mac App Store — €14.99 one-time purchase, no subscription, macOS 14.2+.