Echo or feedback in Teams

Who hears the echo?

The cause is on a different side depending on this.

• Others hear an echo of me
• I hear my own voice with a delay
• I am not sure

If others hear themselves or hear you twice, sound from your speakers reaches your microphone. If you hear your own voice, the cause is usually another person’s speakers.

Use a headset

Echo happens when your microphone picks up sound from your speakers.

Windows

1. Put on a headset or headphones. This stops speaker sound from reaching the microphone.
2. In Teams open the three dots (…) › Settings › Devices.
3. Pick the headset as speaker and microphone.

Mac

1. Put on a headset or headphones. This stops speaker sound from reaching the microphone.
2. In Teams open the three dots (…) › Settings › Devices.
3. Pick the headset as speaker and microphone.

The three dots (…) are at the top right of Teams, next to your profile picture.

Turn the speaker volume down

Loud speakers make echo much worse.

Windows

1. Lower the speaker volume until it is comfortable, not loud.
2. Place speakers and microphone as far apart as possible.

Mac

1. Lower the speaker volume until it is comfortable, not loud.
2. Place speakers and microphone as far apart as possible.

Turn on noise suppression

Teams can reduce echo and background noise for you.

Windows

1. In Teams open the three dots (…) › Settings › Devices.
2. Set “Noise suppression” to Auto or High.
3. Mute your microphone when you are not speaking.

Mac

1. In Teams open the three dots (…) › Settings › Devices.
2. Set “Noise suppression” to Auto or High.
3. Mute your microphone when you are not speaking.

Only one device per room

Several people in one room feed their devices into each other.

Windows

1. Let only one person in the room use microphone and speakers.
2. Everyone else mutes both or joins without audio.

Mac

1. Let only one person in the room use microphone and speakers.
2. Everyone else mutes both or joins without audio.

Check that your microphone does not play back

Some systems play your microphone through the speakers.

Windows

1. Open Settings › System › Sound › More sound settings › Recording.
2. Double-click your microphone › Listen tab.
3. Make sure “Listen to this device” is off.

Mac

1. Quit audio tools that route sound between apps (loopback or virtual audio).
2. Open System Settings › Sound and check input and output.

Press the Windows key + I to open Settings. Click the Apple menu in the top left, then System Settings.

Find who causes the echo

The echo you hear usually comes from another person’s speakers.

Windows

1. Ask everyone to mute when not speaking.
2. Ask participants to mute one by one. When the echo stops, that person needs a headset.

Mac

1. Ask everyone to mute when not speaking.
2. Ask participants to mute one by one. When the echo stops, that person needs a headset.

Time to ask IT for help

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