MS Teams Calls Going Straight to Voicemail [Easy Fixes]

Are your incoming calls in Microsoft Teams going straight to voicemail without ringing? This issue can disrupt meetings, delay communication, and create confusion in both professional and personal environments. Many users across Windows 11, Windows 10, and enterprise networks experience this problem due to misconfigured settings, network issues, device conflicts, or call forwarding rules.

If your MS Teams calls are going directly to voicemail, the cause is usually related to incorrect call answering rules, presence status settings, Do Not Disturb mode, outdated app versions, or network restrictions. 

This guide explains why Teams calls go straight to voicemail and how to fix the problem using simple and practical solutions.

So let’s resolve this issue right now!

MS Teams Calls Going Straight to Voicemail: Easy Fixes

If Microsoft Teams calls go straight to voicemail, check your call forwarding settings, turn off Do Not Disturb mode, verify your presence status, disable incorrect simultaneous ring settings, update the Teams app, and ensure your internet connection is stable. Adjusting these settings usually restores normal call ringing behavior within minutes.

Now, let us fix the problem step by step.

Step 1: Check and Reset Call Answering Rules in Microsoft Teams

The first and most important step is to verify your call answering rules.

Open Microsoft Teams on your computer. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Settings from the dropdown menu. Navigate to the Calls section.

Under Call answering rules, check whether the option Forward my calls is enabled. If it is set to Voicemail, this is likely the reason your calls are not ringing.

Switch the setting to Ring me instead. If you are using simultaneous ring, make sure the selected device or phone number is correct.

Scroll further down and review the settings under If unanswered. Ensure it is not configured to forward immediately to voicemail.

After making changes, restart Teams and test by calling your account from another device.

Step 2: Turn Off Do Not Disturb Mode

When Do Not Disturb is active in Teams, calls may bypass ringing and go directly to voicemail.

Look at your profile icon in the top right corner of Teams. If your status shows Do Not Disturb, click on it.

Change your status to Available. This ensures Teams allows calls to ring normally.

If you frequently use Focus Assist in Windows 11 or Windows 10, it can also suppress notifications. Open Windows Settings, go to System, then Focus Assist. Make sure it is turned off or configured properly.

After disabling Do Not Disturb, test incoming calls again.

Step 3: Verify Your Presence Status and Activity

Teams automatically updates your presence based on activity across Microsoft 365 apps. If the system marks you as Away, calls may follow organizational rules and redirect to voicemail.

Click on your profile picture and manually set your status to Available.

If your status keeps changing automatically, it may be because your system is idle. Make sure your computer is not going into sleep mode.

Open Windows Settings, go to System, then Power and Sleep. Adjust sleep settings to prevent automatic idle status during working hours.

If your organization uses strict policies configured in Microsoft Teams Admin Center, you may need to contact your IT administrator.

Step 4: Check Call Forwarding and Simultaneous Ring Settings

Incorrect forwarding rules can silently redirect calls.

Open Teams and go to Settings. Select Calls. Under Call answering rules, confirm that Forward my calls is turned off.

If the simultaneous ring is enabled, verify the number or device listed. If that device is unreachable, calls may fall back to voicemail.

If you previously set up forwarding to a mobile phone and changed your number, update it.

Disable forwarding temporarily to test whether calls ring normally.

Step 5: Update Microsoft Teams to the Latest Version

Using an outdated version of Microsoft Teams can cause call routing bugs.

Click on your profile picture in Teams. Select Check for updates. Teams will automatically download and install updates in the background.

After updating, completely close Teams. Press Ctrl Shift Esc to open Task Manager and ensure no Teams processes are running. Reopen the app and test incoming calls.

If you are using the new Teams version integrated with Windows 11, ensure your system updates are also installed.

Step 6: Clear Microsoft Teams Cache

Corrupted cache files can interfere with call notifications and routing.

First, fully exit Teams. Press Windows Key plus R to open the Run dialog box. Type the following path:

percentappdata percent Microsoft Teams

Delete all files inside this folder. Do not delete the folder itself.

Restart your computer. Open Teams and sign in again. The application will rebuild fresh cache files.

Test incoming calls to confirm the issue is resolved.

Step 7: Check Internet Connection Stability

Teams relies heavily on stable internet connectivity for real-time call signaling.

If your internet connection drops briefly, Teams may fail to alert you and send calls to voicemail.

Restart your router. If possible, switch from WiFi to a wired Ethernet connection.

You can also run a speed test to confirm stable upload and download speeds. For high-quality Teams calls, a minimum of 1.5 Mbps symmetrical bandwidth is recommended.

If you are on a corporate network, ensure the required ports for Teams are not blocked by a firewall.

Step 8: Disable Focus Assist and Notification Restrictions

Windows Focus Assist can suppress notifications, including incoming Teams calls.

Open Windows Settings. Go to System. Click on Focus Assist. Turn it off.

Also, check notification settings. Go to Settings, then System, then Notifications. Ensure notifications for Microsoft Teams are enabled.

If notifications are disabled, calls may appear to go directly to voicemail because you never see the alert.

Step 9: Check Mobile and Desktop Device Conflicts

If you are signed into Teams on multiple devices, such as desktop and mobile, call routing may behave unexpectedly.

Open Teams on your mobile phone and check call settings. Ensure forwarding is not enabled there.

Sign out of unused devices temporarily to test whether the issue persists.

Sometimes, outdated mobile apps can interfere with call routing. Update the mobile Teams app from your app store.

Step 10: Contact Your IT Administrator

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, the problem may be related to organizational policies.

Enterprise users are often governed by policies configured in Microsoft Teams Admin Center. These policies can enforce automatic forwarding, voicemail rules, or call queue behaviors.

Contact your IT department and ask them to review your Teams calling policy and voice routing configuration.

They can verify whether voicemail is configured to activate immediately under certain conditions.

Additional Tips

Make sure your headset or audio device is properly connected. If Teams cannot detect an audio device, calls may not ring.

Check your default audio device in Teams settings under Devices. Disable VPN temporarily to test whether it interferes with call signaling.

Ensure your account has proper calling licenses assigned in Microsoft 365. Restarting your computer can also resolve temporary glitches affecting call notifications.

FAQs

Why are my MS Teams calls not ringing on my laptop?

This usually happens due to incorrect call forwarding settings, Do Not Disturb mode, disabled notifications, or an unstable internet connection. Checking your call answering rules and presence status typically fixes the issue.

Does Do Not Disturb send Teams calls to voicemail?

Yes. When Do Not Disturb is active, Teams can automatically send calls to voicemail unless priority contacts are configured.

Can multiple device logins cause Teams calls to go to voicemail?

Yes. If Teams is active on multiple devices and one device has forwarding or silent settings enabled, calls may not ring as expected.

How do I stop Teams from forwarding calls to voicemail?

Open Teams settings, go to Calls, and disable Forward my calls. Ensure the option is set to Ring me.

Does poor internet cause Teams calls to go to voicemail?

Yes. If Teams loses connection during call signaling, it may redirect calls to voicemail automatically.

How do I reset Microsoft Teams completely?

You can clear the Teams cache folder in the AppData directory and reinstall the application if necessary.