Learning how to run a Microsoft Teams test call before you dive into a crucial meeting or conversation makes a lot of sense. These days, companies are using Teams for all kinds of critical discussions, from job interviews to interactions with clients and customers.
While various things can derail a meeting, few things are more frustrating than poor audio quality. Even if you have an excellent internet connection and a high-definition video stream, you won’t be able to communicate correctly without good audio.
Running a test call in advance lets you check if your software and devices work exactly as expected. Here’s everything you need to know about conducting a Microsoft Teams test call and troubleshooting common audio issues.
Making a Microsoft Teams Test Call
Fortunately, making a Microsoft Teams test call is pretty simple. All you need to do to get started is log into the desktop feature of Teams. Currently, the test call feature isn’t available for the Teams web client. It’s also not accessible for users of Government High Cloud and DoD tenants.
Once you’re logged into your account, click on the “…” option next to your avatar image in the top bar, and select “Settings” followed by “Devices.” Make sure the right microphone and speakers are selected for your app, and click on the button to “Make a test call.”
If you want an easier option, you can also type /testcall into the Teams search bar and hit “Enter” to start a test call immediately.
Microsoft will start a call with a bot, so you don’t have to speak to anyone on your team. The company also automatically deletes all data from your test call after you’ve finished the session.
The call should verify that you can connect to Teams to make a call, just like when interacting in a meeting. You can play back the recording to check for any issues with your sound. Plus, you can change your settings, toggling on automatic mic sensitivity, noise suppression, and spatial audio to see how the audio changes.
Other Ways to Examine Call Quality in Teams
Aside from using the Microsoft Teams test call feature, you can also examine issues with your call quality in Teams using other services. Microsoft offers access to three tools for troubleshooting, monitoring, and managing call quality on a broader scale:
Call Analytics
As a Microsoft Teams admin, you can leverage per-user call analytics to monitor connection and call quality problems for individual users. You’ll need to enable Call Analytics for Teams and assign specific roles to people in your Team to give them access to the service.
Once you’ve set up the feature, you can head into the Teams Admin Center, scroll to “Users,” and open the “Meetings & Call” tab after selecting a user. This will show an overview of the overall quality of calls for individual team members.
Using the “Advanced” tab, you can also see red and yellow items which indicate potential call quality and connection problems that might be affecting your team.
Call Quality Dashboard
While the Call Analytics feature allows admins to examine the call quality of specific users, the Call Quality Dashboard (CQD) takes a different approach. It shows a network-wide view of call quality throughout the entire organization.
Again, you’ll need to sign into Teams as an admin to open the CQD. You can find the dashboard under the “Analytics and Reports” section in the Admin Center or visit this link. Microsoft also allows admins to assign roles to users to enable them to access the dashboard.
To analyze your call quality data, you can leverage various Power BI query templates to provide insights into the issues harming your meeting and call quality. Alternatively, you can simply browse through the dashboard for data on:
- Call quality: Metrics for VPN, Wi-Fi, External, and other calls.
- Call reliability: Gain insights into drop failures and firewall problems.
- User survey: Send out a survey to learn about user experience.
- Devices: Find out which speakers and microphones impact call quality.
- Clients: Learn which client types and versions affect call quality.
Quality of Service
The Quality of Service (QoS) feature in Microsoft Teams provides insight into how network traffic issues might influence your calls. You can prioritize delay-sensitive network traffic within the app and adjust settings for real-time media in Teams.
You’ll need to implement QoS solutions within Teams, setting up Windows Group Policy Objects and Port-based Access Control lists.
Some features for setting up Teams call quality policies are limited to users with a Teams Premium license. Keep this in mind if you’re using QoS to address call issues.
What to Do After a Microsoft Teams Test Call
If you’re an individual user, the Microsoft Teams test call feature is still the easiest way to examine the quality of your calls and make potential changes. Based on your results, you can adjust your devices, and other settings, to see if your call quality improves.
If your call doesn’t sound as good as expected, the first thing worth doing is checking you’ve chosen the correct device to test. If you have multiple audio devices connected to your system, Teams might not automatically select the one you want to use.
Select the right option for your microphone and speakers in the “Devices” section of your Settings on Teams. It’s also worth checking that your current device works as it should. Some headsets come with physical mute buttons, so if you’re not hearing any audio in your Microsoft Teams test call, try turning this button on and off.
Other ways to potentially fix call quality issues include:
1. Update and Restart Microsoft Teams
If your audio isn’t working correctly and your device seems fine, rebooting Teams or your device is usually step one. Remember, computers, smartphones, and tablets use RAM to function properly. When you restart your device, the temporary cache files and logs will be cleared.
You can also quit Microsoft Teams and log back in to clear any cache clutter within the app itself. While you’re doing this, it’s worth checking if any updates are available for your Teams app. If you have an outdated Teams version, this could contribute to your issues.
Click on your profile picture and select “Check for Updates” to see if you need to download a patch. Restart your app after downloading the update.
2. Check for Device Issues
If you’re using Microsoft-certified audio endpoints and devices, you shouldn’t encounter any problems with compatibility. However, an uncertified solution may not work perfectly with the app. Consider upgrading to a new device if your current endpoint isn’t ideal.
If the device you choose is compatible with Teams, then the issue with your audio might be caused by outdated or corrupt drivers. If you’re using a USB microphone, re-installing the peripheral device drive could resolve the problem.
You can update your drivers on Windows by clicking the “Start” button and searching for “Device Manager.” Click on the “Sound, video, and game controllers” option, then right-click the peripheral you’re using. Select “uninstall,” then click “Actions” to scan for hardware changes and re-install your device.
3. Examine App Problems
Sometimes the best solutions to problems after a Microsoft Teams test call are the easiest. First, double-check your Teams app to ensure you haven’t accidentally muted your microphone. You’ll see a line through the microphone image on Teams if you’re on mute.
Click the microphone again to “unmute” your audio. Remember, if you’re in a meeting already, your host might have muted your microphone temporarily. If this is the case, you’ll need to wait to be given access to the mute button again.
Another potential issue could come from problems with your device settings. On the “Devices” page in your “Settings” tab, check your options for noise suppression, spatial audio, and mic sensitivity. You can experiment with these options, then run another Microsoft Teams test call to see if any issues have been resolved.
Making the Most of Your Teams Audio Quality
Running a Microsoft Teams test call is just one of the simple ways you can check your audio quality before starting a meaningful conversation. If you find issues with your call during the recording, don’t be afraid to experiment with settings until you get the right results.
If you still can’t find a solution to any calling issues you have after trying the fixes above, speak to a Teams admin. Your administrators can dive deeper into potential audio problems using Teams QoS, call analytics, and call quality tools.
