In this guide
Teams noise suppression processes microphone audio during a supported call or meeting. Check the selected microphone and ask how you sound; a saved recording needs a separate editing workflow.
Noise suppression in Microsoft Teams reduces distracting background sound from your microphone during supported calls and meetings. It is intended to help other participants hear your speech when sounds such as typing, a fan or a barking dog occur around you. The result depends on the sound, device, app and settings; it may not remove every distraction without affecting the voice.
Teams also offers a separate Voice Isolation feature that uses a voice profile where available. General background-noise suppression and profile-based isolation are not the same setting. Both apply to the live meeting audio; neither is a tool for retroactively editing an existing downloaded file.
How to turn on noise suppression in Teams
Microsoft says noise suppression is on by default and that the chosen setting carries over to later meetings or calls. In the desktop app, its current noise-suppression instructions describe two routes:
- Before a meeting: select Settings and more → Settings → Devices, then turn on the Noise suppression toggle.
- During a meeting: select More actions → Settings → Audio settings in the meeting controls, then turn on the toggle.
- Check the selected microphone. Speak normally and use a test call or ask a participant whether your voice and background are acceptable.
- Return to the same controls to turn it off. Test again if a quiet word, instrument or other wanted sound is being reduced.
Teams versions, account types, devices and organization policies can change which controls appear. Microsoft also documents a route through the dropdown next to the meeting’s microphone button and More audio settings in its meeting audio-settings guide. If the labels differ, check the current instructions for your app and account.
Auto, Low and High on iOS
Microsoft’s noise-suppression page documents an iOS path of profile picture → Settings → Calling → Noise suppression. It describes Auto as the default for most situations, Low for persistent lower-level background such as a fan, and High for stronger suppression of non-speech sound. These descriptions are not a guarantee of perfect removal. Test the option with the voice and background you actually need to send.
Do not assume every platform has the same menu or level choices. Microsoft lists support for the Teams desktop app, iOS and Android mobile apps, Teams Rooms on Windows and Windows Azure Virtual Desktop, while individual controls may differ. Consult the current Microsoft guide for your version.
Teams noise suppression vs. Voice Isolation
| Feature | What Microsoft describes | Practical check |
|---|---|---|
| Background-noise suppression | Reduces distracting background sound from the microphone. | Check a full sentence with the actual fan, typing or other noise present. |
| Voice Isolation | Uses an enrolled voice profile to prioritize your voice and filter surrounding sound and other voices. | If two people share one microphone, the second person may need Voice Isolation turned off to be heard. |
| High-fidelity music mode | Provides a different mode intended for transmitting music where supported. | Review the current platform guidance and test with listeners; ordinary speech suppression can affect music. |
Microsoft’s Voice Isolation guide says a voice profile is required and that, if the Recognition section is missing, you should contact your IT administrator. It also describes switching to Background noise only or turning off noise suppression from the microphone controls. Enrollment, availability and organizational policies can vary.
For a broader comparison of live processing and saved-file separation, read what voice isolation means. Saturalabs does not create or manage a Teams voice profile.
Why can people still hear background noise?
| Possible cause | Check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong microphone selected | Teams may be using a laptop mic instead of the intended headset or interface. | Check the microphone in Teams audio settings and make a test call. |
| Noise is close to or overlaps the voice | Listen to a representative sentence while the noise occurs. | Move the noise source or microphone when practical; suppression is not guaranteed to separate everything. |
| Another participant’s microphone is open | Identify whose audio contains the distraction. | Each participant checks their own microphone and settings. |
| Voice or music sounds cut off | Compare with suppression off or a different supported option. | Choose the setting that preserves the wanted sound; consider the documented music mode when appropriate. |
| Echo or doubled voice | Check whether speakers feed a microphone or multiple monitoring paths are active. | Use headphones or follow the echo troubleshooting guide. |
Adjust the recording environment first when possible: reduce fan noise, avoid typing while speaking and place the microphone consistently. The microphone test can help check a computer input and play back a short local sample, but it does not change Teams settings or prove what another participant receives.
Can you clean an existing Teams recording?
A live Teams setting does not retroactively process a previously saved recording. First confirm you have permission to download, edit and upload the meeting, and follow your organization’s rules. Keep an unchanged original and listen to a representative section containing the quietest words and loudest distraction.
For a supported audio or video file, the separate Saturalabs voice isolator can test estimating the wanted speech. Describe the speaker and compare Isolated sound with the original; it may leave noise or alter words, and a mixed meeting may contain multiple voices. AI downloads require an account and sufficient credits, with the cost shown before download. If you need the result in a video, use a video editor and check sync; Saturalabs returns audio rather than an edited meeting video.
The Teams recording guide covers recording permissions and saved-file preparation. For steady hiss, overlapping music or an isolated click, the cleanup chooser helps select an appropriate first test.
Common questions
Is Teams noise suppression on by default?
Microsoft says it is on by default for the documented feature and that your chosen setting carries over. Confirm the current control in your version and account.
Does noise suppression remove all background sound?
No setting guarantees a clean result in every recording or call. Test the actual overlap and listen for missing or altered speech.
Can Teams Voice Isolation filter another person nearby?
Microsoft says Voice Isolation uses your enrolled profile and may suppress other voices. Its guidance notes that you can turn it off when someone nearby needs to be heard through the same device.
Does a Teams setting fix a meeting recording after it is downloaded?
No. The live microphone setting and a later saved-file edit are separate. Use an authorized editing workflow and compare the result with the original.