Have you ever struggled to get on mute before a cough or sneeze during a Teams meeting? Maybe you couldn’t get off mute quickly enough? And, have you ever heard an insult or maybe even an ‘f-bomb’ from someone who thought they were on mute?
I can answer ‘yes’ to all of the above, so thought I’d share every known method of going on, and off mute in Microsoft Teams meetings to help you not be one of those people.
1. Click the ‘Mic’ button
Pros: Easy. Obvious.
Cons: You need to have the meeting screen ‘in focus’ and on your screen (you haven’t clicked away to check your email, for example) and you’ll have to quickly find your mouse pointer.
2. Press ‘Ctrl+Shift+M’
Pros: Great, if you like keyboard shortcuts.
Cons: If you’re not a shortcut person, by the time you have looked at the keyboard and worked out which fingers to use for the keyboard combo, will you really save any time? I love keyboard shortcuts, but not this one. Also, Teams needs to be ‘in focus’…if you press those keys during a meeting, but you are looking at your emails you won’t go on mute, you’ll start a new message!
3. Toggle on/off mute using the spacebar
Pros: Easy. fast.
Cons: The Mic button must be ‘active’. If the Mic button was the last thing you clicked on screen it will be active…but as soon as you click something/somewhere else it becomes ‘inactive’.
Tip: This also works for toggling your camera on/off…if the camera button is active (the last thing on screen that you clicked).
4. Use a Microsoft/Teams/UC certified headset with a mute button
Pros: Easy. Fast. Reliable. Works on your meeting regardless of what application/screen you are looking at.
Cons: Someone has the pay for it. Not everyone likes wearing headsets.
Notes: This is my ‘go to’ method of muting/unmuting. This works for me because I don’t mind wearing a headset. Despite having the option of any headset on the market, I chose the affordable Jabra Evolve 20s because: they have a USB cable (I couldn’t face Bluetooth issues while presenting), they have a desk dongle for muting, they are lightweight and have foam ear pieces which I find cooler than plastic or leather.
5. Press to talk by pressing and holding ‘Ctrl + Spacebar’
Pros: Easy. fast.
Cons: You must remember to hold the keys down, as soon as you release them you go back on mute. You need to have the meeting screen ‘in focus’ and on your screen.
Note: This option must be enabled in Teams > Settings and more > Settings > Privacy:
Do you know another way of going on/off mute during Teams meetings? Feel free to share below and I’ll add it to the list.
