How to Add a Phone Number to Microsoft Teams Meetings
Complete guide to configuring Audio Conferencing dial-in numbers, Teams Phone System, and PSTN calling so every participant can join your meetings by phone.
Why You Need a Phone Number on Teams Meetings
Microsoft Teams is the default collaboration platform for millions of organizations worldwide, but not every meeting participant has reliable internet access or the Teams app installed on their device. Adding a phone number to your Microsoft Teams meetings ensures that clients, vendors, remote workers, and external stakeholders can dial in from any phone and join the audio portion of your meeting without friction.
Whether you are hosting a board meeting with executives who prefer to call in from their mobile phones, coordinating with field workers who lack Wi-Fi, or connecting with international partners across different time zones, a dial-in phone number on your Teams meeting invitation eliminates barriers to participation. Microsoft provides this capability through two primary features: Audio Conferencing for meeting dial-in numbers and Teams Phone System for full enterprise calling.
This guide covers both the quick admin setup for Audio Conferencing dial-in numbers and the broader Teams Phone System configuration. EPC Group has deployed Teams telephony solutions for over 2,400 enterprise organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, healthcare systems, and government agencies that require HIPAA-compliant and FedRAMP-authorized communication platforms.
Understanding Your Options: Audio Conferencing vs. Teams Phone System
Microsoft offers two distinct capabilities for adding phone numbers to Teams. Choose the right solution based on your organization's needs.
Audio Conferencing
Adds dial-in phone numbers to every Teams meeting invitation so participants can join meetings by phone.
- Automatic dial-in numbers on all meeting invites
- Toll and toll-free number options
- Conference ID for secure meeting access
- Included in Microsoft 365 E5 or $4/user/month add-on
- International dial-in numbers for 90+ countries
Teams Phone System
Replaces your traditional PBX with cloud-based calling, enabling users to make and receive external calls directly from Teams.
- Assign direct phone numbers to users
- Auto attendants and call queues
- Direct Routing, Operator Connect, or Calling Plans
- Voicemail, call transfer, hold, and park
- Included in E5 or $8/user/month add-on
Step-by-Step: Add a Dial-In Phone Number to Teams Meetings
Follow these steps to configure Audio Conferencing so every Teams meeting invitation automatically includes a dial-in phone number.
Assign Audio Conferencing Licenses
Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center at admin.microsoft.com. Navigate to Billing > Licenses and ensure you have Audio Conferencing licenses available. If your organization uses Microsoft 365 E5, Audio Conferencing is already included. For E1 or E3 plans, purchase the Audio Conferencing add-on ($4 per user per month).
Go to Users > Active users, select each user who organizes meetings, and assign the Audio Conferencing license. This must be done for every meeting organizer who needs dial-in numbers on their invitations.
Configure the Conference Bridge
Open the Teams admin center at admin.teams.microsoft.com. Navigate to Meetings > Conference bridges. Microsoft automatically provisions a set of shared phone numbers for your tenant. You will see both toll and toll-free numbers available for various countries.
Select a default phone number for your organization. This is the number that will appear prominently on every meeting invitation. If your organization operates in multiple countries, you can add additional numbers and set country-specific defaults so participants always see a local number.
Set Up Dedicated or Toll-Free Numbers (Optional)
If your organization needs a dedicated phone number (not shared with other tenants) or toll-free numbers, go to Voice > Phone numbers in the Teams admin center. Click Add and select Conference bridge (Toll) or Conference bridge (Toll-free) as the number type.
For toll-free numbers, you must also enable Communication Credits in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Billing > Purchase services. Communication Credits fund the per-minute cost of toll-free calls on a pay-as-you-go basis. Set up auto-recharge to avoid service interruptions during important meetings.
Configure User-Level Settings
In the Teams admin center, go to Users and select a licensed user. Under the Audio Conferencing tab, you can customize the default conference bridge number for that specific user, set a PIN for meeting organizer authentication, and configure whether the conference ID resets automatically.
You can also set meeting policies that control whether anonymous callers are admitted to meetings automatically or must wait in the lobby. For compliance-heavy industries like healthcare and finance, EPC Group recommends requiring lobby admission for all phone dial-in participants.
Verify the Phone Number Appears on Meeting Invitations
After assigning licenses and configuring the conference bridge (allow up to 24 hours for provisioning), create a new Teams meeting in Outlook or the Teams calendar. The meeting invitation should now display a "Dial-in by phone" section with the phone number, conference ID, and a link to find local numbers.
If the phone number does not appear, verify the license assignment is active, check that the conference bridge is properly configured, and ensure the user's Audio Conferencing settings are enabled. Changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate.
Teams Phone System: Assign Direct Phone Numbers to Users
Beyond meeting dial-in numbers, many organizations want to assign direct phone numbers to employees so they can make and receive calls from Teams. Here is how to set up Teams Phone System for your organization.
1. Choose a PSTN Connectivity Option
Microsoft offers three ways to connect Teams to the public telephone network: Microsoft Calling Plans (simplest, Microsoft provides the numbers), Operator Connect (use your preferred telecom operator), or Direct Routing (connect your existing SBC infrastructure). Each option has different cost structures, compliance capabilities, and geographic availability.
2. Assign Phone System Licenses
Assign a Teams Phone System license to each user who needs a phone number. This is included in Microsoft 365 E5 or available as an add-on for E1/E3/F1 plans at $8 per user per month. If using Microsoft Calling Plans, also assign a Domestic or International Calling Plan license.
3. Acquire and Port Phone Numbers
Get new phone numbers from Microsoft or port existing numbers from your current carrier. In the Teams admin center, go to Voice > Phone numbers and click Add. For number porting, submit a port order with your current carrier's account details. Porting typically takes 2-4 weeks depending on the carrier.
4. Assign Numbers to Users
Once numbers are acquired, assign them to individual users in the Teams admin center under Voice > Phone numbers. Select the number, click Edit, and assign it to a user. You can also use PowerShell for bulk assignments: Set-CsPhoneNumberAssignment.
5. Configure Emergency Calling
Emergency calling (E911) is a legal requirement. Configure emergency addresses for each user location in the Teams admin center. Set up dynamic emergency calling policies for remote workers. For healthcare and government organizations, EPC Group ensures emergency location configurations meet KARI's Law and RAY BAUM's Act requirements.
6. Set Up Auto Attendants and Call Queues
Create auto attendants to greet callers with a menu system (press 1 for Sales, 2 for Support) and call queues to distribute incoming calls among your team. These features replace traditional PBX capabilities and can be configured entirely in the Teams admin center without third-party hardware.
User Experience: How Participants Join by Phone
Once Audio Conferencing is configured, the experience for meeting organizers and participants is seamless. When an organizer creates a Teams meeting through Outlook or the Teams calendar, the invitation automatically includes a section titled "Dial-in by phone" with the toll or toll-free number, a unique conference ID, and a hyperlink to "Find a local number" for international participants.
Participants who want to join by phone simply dial the number, wait for the automated prompt, and enter the conference ID followed by the pound (#) key. They are connected to the meeting audio immediately (or placed in the lobby, depending on your meeting policy). They can mute and unmute using touch-tone commands (*6 to toggle mute) and leave the meeting by hanging up.
For organizations with Teams Phone System, users can also place outbound calls directly from the Teams desktop or mobile app. They see a dial pad in Teams, can search their contacts, and make calls that display their assigned business phone number on caller ID. Incoming calls ring on all of the user's Teams-connected devices simultaneously, including their desktop, mobile phone, and certified Teams desk phones.
Enterprise Compliance Considerations for Teams Telephony
For organizations in regulated industries, adding phone numbers to Teams meetings introduces additional compliance requirements that must be addressed during deployment. EPC Group specializes in configuring Teams telephony solutions that meet HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and financial services regulatory requirements.
HIPAA Compliance for Healthcare
Teams meetings with phone dial-in must be configured with call recording retention policies, DLP (Data Loss Prevention) for meeting content, and audit logging enabled. The Microsoft 365 Business Associate Agreement (BAA) covers Teams Audio Conferencing and Phone System, but organizations must configure information barriers and sensitivity labels for PHI discussions.
Financial Services Compliance
Financial institutions must retain call recordings per SEC Rule 17a-4 and FINRA requirements. Teams provides native compliance recording through certified partners. Configure retention policies in the Microsoft Purview compliance center to automatically retain call recordings for the required duration.
Government and FedRAMP
Government organizations using Microsoft 365 GCC or GCC High have specific Teams telephony configurations. Audio Conferencing is available in GCC environments, and Teams Phone System supports Direct Routing for GCC High. EPC Group holds experience deploying Teams telephony in FedRAMP-authorized environments.
Troubleshooting: Phone Number Not Showing on Teams Meeting
If phone numbers are not appearing on your Teams meeting invitations after following the setup steps, check these common issues:
Verify the Audio Conferencing license is assigned to the meeting organizer in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Users > Active users > Licenses.
License changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate. Wait and try creating a new meeting after 24 hours.
Check the Teams admin center under Meetings > Conference bridges. Ensure at least one phone number is set as the default.
Meetings created before the Audio Conferencing license was assigned will not have dial-in numbers. Create a new meeting or update the existing one.
If your organization previously used a third-party audio conferencing provider, it may conflict with Microsoft Audio Conferencing. Remove the third-party integration in the Teams admin center.
Frequently Asked Questions About Teams Meeting Phone Numbers
Get answers to the most common questions about adding phone numbers to Microsoft Teams meetings.
How do I add a phone number to a Microsoft Teams meeting?
To add a phone number to a Teams meeting, your organization needs a Microsoft Audio Conferencing license. Once assigned, dial-in numbers are automatically added to every Teams meeting invite. Admins can configure default and toll-free numbers in the Teams admin center under Meetings > Conference Bridges.
What license do I need for Teams meeting phone numbers?
You need a Microsoft Teams Audio Conferencing license (included in Microsoft 365 E5 or available as an add-on for $4/user/month for E1/E3 plans). This license provides dial-in phone numbers that are automatically included in meeting invitations so external participants can join by phone.
Can I add a toll-free number to Teams meetings?
Yes, you can add toll-free dial-in numbers to Teams meetings. You need to set up Communication Credits in the Microsoft 365 admin center and acquire toll-free service numbers through the Teams admin center. Toll-free numbers allow participants to join meetings without incurring long-distance charges.
Why is there no phone number on my Teams meeting invite?
If your Teams meeting invite does not show a phone number, it typically means your account does not have an Audio Conferencing license assigned. Check with your IT admin to ensure the license is assigned to your account in the Microsoft 365 admin center and that a conference bridge has been configured.
What is the difference between Teams Phone System and Audio Conferencing?
Teams Phone System replaces your traditional PBX and enables making and receiving external phone calls from Teams. Audio Conferencing specifically adds dial-in phone numbers to Teams meetings so participants can join by phone. Phone System is for everyday calling; Audio Conferencing is for meetings.
How do I set up a Teams Phone System for my organization?
Setting up Teams Phone System requires a Phone System license (included in E5 or available as add-on), a calling plan or Direct Routing/Operator Connect configuration, and phone number assignment to users. EPC Group provides full Teams Phone System deployment with number porting, auto attendants, and call queue configuration.
Can external participants dial in to a Teams meeting without the Teams app?
Yes, when Audio Conferencing is configured, external participants can dial a phone number listed in the meeting invitation and enter a conference ID to join the audio portion of the meeting. They do not need the Teams app, a Microsoft account, or an internet connection to join by phone.
How much does it cost to add phone numbers to Teams meetings?
Microsoft Audio Conferencing costs $4 per user per month as a standalone add-on, or it is included in Microsoft 365 E5 licenses. Toll-free numbers require Communication Credits on a pay-as-you-go basis. For Teams Phone System with calling plans, expect $8-$20 per user per month depending on the plan.
Need Help Setting Up Teams Phone Numbers?
EPC Group has deployed Microsoft Teams telephony solutions for over 2,400 organizations, from Audio Conferencing setup to full Teams Phone System replacements with Direct Routing and Operator Connect.
Our Microsoft-certified consultants handle license planning, number porting, auto attendant configuration, call queue design, emergency calling compliance, and end-user training so your transition to Teams telephony is seamless.
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