How can I unmute the microphone in MS Teams to test it (after accessing a link from somebody?

[simplex11]

1) I never used MS Teams on Android (only on Windows PCs). Recently, I received a Teams link sent by a person who organized an online conference. Unfortunately, as you can see in the lower side of the picture below, the Camera and Microphone are switched off and both of them together with the Settings (the three dots) are all inactive. (I mention that I use a Motorola E 2020 running Android 10.)

Question: Is this a normal behavior? Do the camera, microphone and settings buttons become active only after the meeting starts?

(On the MS Teams version that runs on Windows PCs, one can test the microphone and the camera from the moment the link is received, before the start of the meeting initiated by the person who sent the link.)

As a remark: I tried to make an MS Teams account for me in order to be able to initiate talks on a Windows PC and send a link from there to the Android phone, start the meeting and see whether the microphone, camera and settings icon become active. However, for a Teams account a phone number is required and I am not really willing to furnish it just for a test. (I never organized meetings and have no plan to do it in the future.)

2) A second, closely related, question would be: Can I access the MS Teams link, sent by the organizer, on both my Android phone and Windows laptop and then, after the start of the conference, disconnect one of them? For example, if I see that a number of people are invited then I might want to continue on the PC. If there will be just a phone conversation between me and the organizer then I would like to continue on the smartphone, assuming I will be able to unmute the microphone.



MS Teams screen as shown on a Motorola E 2020 with Android 10, immediately after accessing the link sent by a meeting organizer but before the start of the discussion.

 

[hallux]

Make sure that you have granted the Teams app permission to use the camera and microphone. Without that you won't be able to use those features.

 

[simplex11]

I have already granted the MS Teams app the permission to use the microphone. Now, after reading your answer, I also granted the same permission for using the camera. Then I accessed the meeting link but nothing changed. I see the same screen as before with the Microphone, Camera and Settings all inactive.

 

[joeldf]

With the Teams app, you won't have access to turn on the mic and camera until you are in the meeting. That's just the way it works. There is no way to test or check it prior to getting in a meeting.

It does depend on the type of meeting though. Some meetings are open so that as soon as you join it, you can click the camera and mic on or off, even if no one else is there. Other meetings are closed such that someone needs to allow you in once the person who set up the meeting starts it.

By default, with the app, you go into a meeting muted and with no camera, then you turn them on as needed. Most meetings I attend on Teams (and I'm on at least 4 to 5 a week), I don't turn the camera on - just the audio. Even if I'm at a PC, I use the phone to initially join - I use it for the mic and camera (if needed), and then add the PC just so I can see whatever someone else is sharing. I don't have a camera or mic on my PC (and will try to avoid adding one as long as I can), so that's why I use the phone for that.

 

[simplex11]

joeldf,

Very good answer. Thank you. My first question is fully answered.

Regarding the second question, I acknowledge that I am a quite inexperienced user of MS Teams. I understand from your answer that I can use both the Android phone and the PC at the same time with the same received link from the meeting organizer and I can switch off any of them without affecting the other device or at least, in case of disconnection, I can rejoin the meeting immediately from the device that I select to remain with (phone or PC).