--- title: How to enable accurate speaker identification in Microsoft Teams description: Learn how users and Teams admins fix Unknown speaker labels in Avoma transcripts of Microsoft Teams meetings, with PowerShell steps for policies. image: https://help.avoma.com/hubfs/Avoma%20-%20Help%20center.webp --- [Skip to content](https://help.avoma.com/accurate-speaker-identification-in-microsoft-teams#main-content) English Show submenu for translations ![Avoma-Logo](https://help.avoma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Product%20Newsletter%20Asset/Pricing%20email%20groups/Avoma-Logo.png?width=160&height=37&name=Avoma-Logo.png) - [Blog](https://www.avoma.com/blog) - Product Show submenu for Product - [AI Meeting Assistant](https://www.avoma.com/ai-meeting-assistant) - [Scheduler and Lead Router](https://www.avoma.com/scheduler-lead-router) - [Conversation Intelligence](https://www.avoma.com/conversation-intelligence) - [Revenue Intelligence](https://www.avoma.com/revenue-intelligence) - [Schedule a Demo](https://www.avoma.com/demo) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Blog](https://www.avoma.com/blog) - Product Show submenu for Product - [AI Meeting Assistant](https://www.avoma.com/ai-meeting-assistant) - [Scheduler and Lead Router](https://www.avoma.com/scheduler-lead-router) - [Conversation Intelligence](https://www.avoma.com/conversation-intelligence) - [Revenue Intelligence](https://www.avoma.com/revenue-intelligence) - [Schedule a Demo](https://www.avoma.com/demo) - English Show submenu for translations - [Home](https://www.avoma.com/) [Home](https://www.avoma.com/) How can we help you today? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Avoma Help Center | Documentation, Guides & Support](https://help.avoma.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [AI Meeting Assistant](https://help.avoma.com/ai-meeting-assistant?hsLang=en) # How to enable accurate speaker identification in Microsoft Teams ## Fix "Unknown" or missing speaker names in Avoma transcripts of Microsoft Teams meetings. When recording Microsoft Teams meetings with Avoma, you might occasionally notice that some participants are labeled as "Unknown" or that speaker names are missing entirely from the transcript. Avoma relies on Microsoft Teams' native Live Captions for speaker attribution. This usually happens when a participant has hidden their identity in their personal Teams settings. If Teams doesn't send the speaker's identity, Avoma can't attribute the speech correctly. In most cases, each user can fix this directly in their own Teams app. | **Before you begin** - Personal fix: You need the Microsoft Teams app, where each user turns on speaker identification in their own settings. - Admin fixes: You need Teams admin access and the MicrosoftTeams PowerShell module. The meeting policy setting can only be changed in PowerShell. - Teams Rooms: The room's resource account needs a Teams Rooms Pro license. - Shared laptop in a room: The laptop's owner needs a Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot license. | | --- | **Key sections** - [Quick guide: Which fix applies to you?](https://help.avoma.com/accurate-speaker-identification-in-microsoft-teams#which-fix-applies-to-you) - [Enabling speaker identification](https://help.avoma.com/accurate-speaker-identification-in-microsoft-teams#enabling-speaker-identification) - [A. For Teams admins: meeting policy](https://help.avoma.com/accurate-speaker-identification-in-microsoft-teams#for-teams-admins-meeting-policy) - [B. Teams Rooms: people speaking from a meeting room](https://help.avoma.com/accurate-speaker-identification-in-microsoft-teams#teams-rooms) - [C. Shared laptop and speaker in a room](https://help.avoma.com/accurate-speaker-identification-in-microsoft-teams#shared-laptop-and-speaker-in-a-room) - [How to confirm it worked](https://help.avoma.com/accurate-speaker-identification-in-microsoft-teams#confirm) ### Quick guide: Which fix applies to you? "Unknown" speakers have a few different causes, and each one is fixed by a different person. Find your situation below and go to the linked section. | **Situation** | **Who fixes it** | **Go to section** | | --- | --- | --- | | One person always shows as "Unknown", even though their name is in the meeting | That person | [Enabling speaker identification](https://help.avoma.com/accurate-speaker-identification-in-microsoft-teams#enabling-speaker-identification) | | The Teams caption setting is missing or greyed out, or the person still shows as "Unknown" with the setting on | Their Teams admin | [A. For Teams admins: meeting policy](https://help.avoma.com/accurate-speaker-identification-in-microsoft-teams#for-teams-admins-meeting-policy) | | Several people speak from a Teams Room | Teams admin, plus each person | [B. Teams Rooms](https://help.avoma.com/accurate-speaker-identification-in-microsoft-teams#teams-rooms) | | Several people share one laptop and speaker in a room | Teams admin, plus each person | [C. Shared laptop and speaker in a room](https://help.avoma.com/accurate-speaker-identification-in-microsoft-teams#shared-laptop-and-speaker-in-a-room) | | Someone dials in by phone | No one | Teams shows the phone number and no setting changes this. |   **Note:** You can fix this only for your own staff and your own meeting rooms. People from other companies on the call, such as prospects, clients and partners, control their own Teams settings. Expect fewer "Unknown" speakers, not zero. ### Enabling speaker identification To ensure Avoma can accurately identify who is speaking, follow these steps in your Microsoft Teams app: | ① | **Open Microsoft Teams Settings** | | | --- | --- | --- | | | | Click on the **three dots (...)** or your profile picture in the top right corner of the Microsoft Teams app and select **Settings**. | | ② | **Navigate to Accessibility** | | | | | In the left-hand menu of the Settings window, click on **Accessibility** (in some older versions of Teams, this may just be under **Captions and transcripts**). | | ③ | **Open Captions and transcripts** | | | | | Scroll down to the **Captions and transcripts** section. | | ④ | **Toggle on Automatic Identification** | | | | | Under the Transcription heading, find the setting labeled **Automatically identify me in meeting captions and transcripts** and ensure the toggle is turned **On**. | | ![Enabling speaker identification in MS Teams](https://help.avoma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Enabling%20speaker%20identification%20in%20MS%20Teams.png?width=670&height=167&name=Enabling%20speaker%20identification%20in%20MS%20Teams.png) *Microsoft Teams → Settings → Accessibility → Captions and transcripts: “Automatically identify me in meeting captions and transcripts” toggle turned On under Transcription* | | --- |   ### Troubleshooting #### What if the setting is turned on but it's still not working? If a participant has confirmed that this setting is enabled but they still show up as "Unknown" in Avoma, their organization's IT policy might be overriding their personal settings. **What to do:** The participant needs to contact their organization's IT Administrator to confirm that the organization-wide policy for meeting transcription and speaker identification hasn't been disabled at the tenant level. Admins can follow section A below. **A. For Teams admins: meeting policy** The policy setting is SpeakerAttributionMode on the Teams meeting policy. It can only be changed in PowerShell; there is no switch for it in the Teams admin center. It applies to the speaker, so it changes how your own users appear in everyone's captions. | **Value** | **What it does** | **When to use** | | --- | --- | --- | | EnabledUserOverride | Speakers are identified; each user can opt out. Microsoft's default. | **Recommended.** Restores the default and leaves the choice with each person. | | Enabled | Speakers are always identified; users can't opt out. | Only if the company decides everyone must be identified. This is the customer's privacy call. | | DisabledUserOverride | Not identified unless a user opts in. | Causes "Unknown". Change it. | | Disabled | Never identified. | Causes "Unknown". Change it. | **Note:** With EnabledUserOverride, users who already turned the toggle off stay off. They still need to turn it back on in their own Teams settings.   **Check the current setting** Requires the MicrosoftTeams PowerShell module. | **PowerShell** Connect-MicrosoftTeams \# Every meeting policy in the tenant and its speaker setting Get-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy \| Select-Object Identity, SpeakerAttributionMode \# The policy one affected person actually gets. No output means they're on Global. Get-CsUserPolicyAssignment -Identity "user@domain.com" -PolicyType TeamsMeetingPolicy \| Select-Object -ExpandProperty PolicySource | | --- | **All users (everyone on the Global policy)** | **PowerShell** \# Global covers everyone without a custom policy `Set-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity Global -SpeakerAttributionMode EnabledUserOverride`   \# Custom policies that hide speakers: list them first, then update them `Get-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy \| Where-Object { $_.SpeakerAttributionMode -like "Disabled*" } \| Select-Object Identity, SpeakerAttributionMode` `Get-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy \| Where-Object { $_.SpeakerAttributionMode -like "Disabled*" } \| ForEach-Object { Set-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity $_.Identity -SpeakerAttributionMode EnabledUserOverride }` | | --- | Users with a custom meeting policy don't get the Global policy, so the last two commands find and update any custom policy set to Disabled or DisabledUserOverride. **Selected users: change the policy they are already on** | **PowerShell** \# Find the policy this person is on, then change that policy `$user = "user@domain.com"` `$policy = (Get-CsUserPolicyAssignment -Identity $user -PolicyType TeamsMeetingPolicy).PolicyName` `if (-not $policy) { $policy = "Global" }` `"$user is on: $policy"`   \# everyone on this policy gets the change `Set-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity $policy -SpeakerAttributionMode EnabledUserOverride` | | --- | This changes the policy for everyone on it, which is usually fine: EnabledUserOverride is Microsoft's default and still lets each person opt out. **Only some people, when others on the same policy must stay unchanged** | **PowerShell** \# A new policy starts from Microsoft's defaults for EVERY setting, not a copy of the \# person's current policy. Compare it with their current one before assigning it: `New-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity "Sales - Speaker ID On" -SpeakerAttributionMode EnabledUserOverride` `Compare-Object (Get-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity Global \| Format-List \| Out-String -Stream) `` `(Get-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity "Sales - Speaker ID On" \| Format-List \| Out-String -Stream)` \# One person, or a whole group by its email address `Grant-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity "user@domain.com" -PolicyName "Sales - Speaker ID On"` `Grant-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Group "group@domain.com" -PolicyName "Sales - Speaker ID On" -Rank 1` | | --- | **Note:** A policy assigned directly to a person wins over a group assignment. Group assignments can take 24 hours or more to reach large groups, and don't reach members of nested groups. Signing out of Teams and back in speeds up the change. **B. Teams Rooms: people speaking from a meeting room** With room recognition off, Microsoft states that “meeting room users are unknown”. To name the people in the room: - **License:** the room's resource account needs a Teams Rooms Pro license. - **Room policy:** set roomAttributeUserOverride to Attribute and roomPeopleNameUserOverride to On on the meeting policy assigned to the room account. Off means unknown. Distinguish means “Speaker 1, Speaker 2” with no names. - **Room device:** turn on people recognition (see Microsoft's Teams Rooms voice recognition guide). - **Each person:** enrolls a voice profile in the Teams desktop app under **Settings → Recognition**, and is on the meeting invite. People without a profile show as “Speaker”. - **Timing and limits:** up to 48 hours to take effect. Works only up to 50 invitees with voice profiles, only when the organizer's mailbox is in Exchange Online, and only for supported meeting languages. **Note:** Microsoft notes that meeting-policy-based room configuration will be retired in the future and recommends the device-level people recognition settings on the room instead.   **Room policy (admin)** | **PowerShell** \# The policy the room account is on (no output means Global) `Get-CsUserPolicyAssignment -Identity "room@domain.com" -PolicyType TeamsMeetingPolicy` \# If the room is already on a rooms-only policy (here "Teams Rooms"), change that one: `Set-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity "Teams Rooms" -roomAttributeUserOverride Attribute -roomPeopleNameUserOverride On` \# If the room is on Global or a policy shared with people, give rooms their own: `New-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity "Teams Rooms" -roomAttributeUserOverride Attribute -roomPeopleNameUserOverride On` `Grant-CsTeamsMeetingPolicy -Identity "room@domain.com" -PolicyName "Teams Rooms"` | | --- | **C. Shared laptop and speaker in a room** When several people speak through one person's laptop, Teams can name them only if all of these hold: - The laptop's owner (the “room host”) has a Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot license. - Shared-laptop attribution is enabled. It is on by default; admins can check SpeakerAttributionBYOD with Get-CsTeamsAIPolicy. - Each speaker has enrolled a voice profile (**Settings → Recognition**) and is on the invite. Without the license, everyone else in the room is heard through the host's device and can't be named. Speaking from their own device is not a fix, because two open microphones in one room cause echo. **Shared-laptop setting (admin)** | **PowerShell** `Get-CsTeamsAIPolicy \| Select-Object Identity, SpeakerAttributionBYOD` `Set-CsTeamsAIPolicy -Identity Global -SpeakerAttributionBYOD Enabled` | | --- | **Note:** Microsoft's pages spell this parameter two ways; the cmdlet reference uses SpeakerAttributionBYOD.   ### How to confirm it worked In the next meeting, turn on live captions in Teams and have the person speak. Their name should appear above their captions instead of “Unknown user”. After the meeting, check the Avoma transcript. ### Related articles - [Avoma Integration with Microsoft's Cloud Recording](https://help.avoma.com/avoma-integration-with-microsoft-cloud-recording?hsLang=en) - [How recording, compliance, and privacy work in Avoma for Microsoft Teams](https://help.avoma.com/recording-compliance-privacy-microsoft-teams?hsLang=en) - [Microsoft Teams: Bot detection and lobby approval](https://help.avoma.com/ms-teams-bot-detection-lobby-approval?hsLang=en) - [How to set up Microsoft Teams Access Policy for cloud recording](https://help.avoma.com/set-up-microsoft-teams-access-policy-for-cloud-recording?hsLang=en) - [How do users connect Microsoft Teams Cloud Recording to Avoma?](https://help.avoma.com/users-connect-microsoft-teams-cloud-recording-to-avoma?hsLang=en) ### Recap You know which fix applies to each "Unknown" speaker situation, how to turn on speaker identification in Teams, and how admins can update meeting policies, Teams Rooms, and shared-laptop settings. *If you have any questions, contact our team at [help@avoma.com](mailto:help@avoma.com)* - 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