How to Configure Secondary Ringer in Microsoft Teams to Never Miss Calls While Using a Headset

Working with a dedicated USB or Bluetooth headset in Microsoft Teams ensures crisp voice isolation and prevents distracting audio feedback during conference calls. However, wearing a headset throughout an entire workday can become tiring. When users take off their headsets between meetings and set them on a desk, an all-too-common frustration occurs: incoming calls ring exclusively inside the headset earcups. Because the user is across the room or looking at a secondary monitor, they miss urgent client and colleague calls completely. Microsoft Teams solves this problem through its built-in Secondary Ringer feature.

What Is Secondary Ringer in Microsoft Teams?

The Secondary Ringer setting allows Teams to route incoming call audio simultaneously to two separate physical hardware endpoints:

• Primary Audio Device: Your headset or earbuds, which handle two-way voice communication once you answer the call.
• Secondary Ringer Device: Your computer’s built-in laptop speakers, external desktop speakers, or display monitor speakers, which sound the audible ringtone aloud across the room.

When an incoming call arrives, both devices ring concurrently. The moment you answer the call, the secondary ringer immediately falls silent, and all two-way conversation audio channels exclusively through your headset.

Step 1: Open Device Settings in Microsoft Teams

To configure your audio devices:

1. Launch the Microsoft Teams desktop client on Windows or macOS.
2. Click the Settings and more button (the three horizontal dots ... located in the upper-right corner next to your profile picture).
3. Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
4. In the left navigation sidebar of the Settings window, click Devices.

Step 2: Verify Your Primary Headset Configuration

Before assigning the secondary ringer, confirm that your primary communications endpoint is properly detected:

1. Under the Audio devices heading, check that your headset is selected (e.g. Jabra Evolve, Sony WH-1000XM5, or AirPods Pro).
2. Verify that the Speaker and Microphone fields beneath it correspond to your primary communication device.

Step 3: Enable and Assign the Secondary Ringer

With your primary device established, designate your room alert speaker:

1. Scroll down in the Devices panel until you locate the Secondary ringer option.
2. Click the drop-down menu (which defaults to None).
3. Select an alternate audio output that is clearly audible in your room, such as:
   • Realtek High Definition Audio / Laptop Speakers: Built-in internal computer speakers.
   • External Monitor Display Audio: Speakers integrated into your HDMI or DisplayPort monitor.
   • Desktop Stereo Speakers: External desktop audio speakers plugged into your computer’s 3.5mm headphone jack or USB port.

The selection saves automatically; you do not need to click an additional apply button.

Step 4: Customise Ringtones for Different Call Types

To differentiate standard direct calls from forwarded or transferred calls, tailor your Teams ringtone sounds:

1. In Teams Settings, click Calls in the left sidebar.
2. Scroll down to the Ringtones section.
3. Under Calls for you, choose your preferred tone (such as Teams Classic, Remix, Calm, or Cosmic).
4. You can assign a distinct, unmistakable tone for Forwarded calls and Delegated calls to instantly know the context of incoming alerts before picking up.

Step 5: Test Your Audio Setup with a Test Call

To confirm that both endpoints operate harmoniously without audio distortion:

1. Return to Settings > Devices.
2. Under Audio devices, click the Make a test call button.
3. Teams simulates an automated connection, prompting you to record a short voice sample and playing it back through your headset to verify microphone clarity.

Troubleshooting Secondary Ringer Issues

If your desktop speakers fail to ring during incoming calls, check these common configurations:

• Windows / Mac System Volume: The secondary ringer respects your operating system’s hardware volume slider. If your laptop’s master speaker volume is muted or set to zero, the ringtone will produce no sound even if Teams triggers it.
• Monitor Sleep States: Some external monitors enter a deep power-saving mode when displays sleep, disconnecting their integrated audio DACs. In such cases, assign your laptop’s built-in internal speakers as the secondary ringer instead of external monitor audio.
• Quiet Time Settings: If you use Teams across multiple devices, ensure that Quiet Hours or active Focus sessions are not suppressing notifications.