Are you receiving calls on Microsoft Teams from unknown people when you don’t want them? Then this post will guide you on how you can block incoming calls in Microsoft Teams. Getting calls like this can be annoying. Microsoft Teams offer several ways to block a number, including Number Patterns, Block a number, number exception, and block spam calls. This applies to an organization upgrading to Teams (from Skype for Business), with the ultimate goal being to move all users to TeamsOnly Mode.
How to block incoming calls in Microsoft Teams
Follow these methods to block incoming calls in Microsoft Teams. Check each of them and figure out what works best for you.
- Microsoft Teams App
- Number Patterns
- Block a number
- Add a number exception
Anyone can use the first method, while the rest IT admin can set it up for the organization. It is beneficial to avoid spam calls.
1] Microsoft Teams App
If it’s one or two numbers you want to block, then you can do it using the Teams app.
- Navigate to the Calls tab in the Microsoft Teams Client
- You can block a caller in the Calls tab by clicking the three dots, then clicking Block
Microsoft Teams Client will now display a tag for the caller as ‘Blocked’, and this user will be blocked from making further calls to any other organization members.
[Can’t find an official image. There is one here https://www.ericmarsi.com/2021/02/28/blocking-those-pesky-spam-callers-in-microsoft-teams-skype-for-business/]
2] Number Patterns
You can look into blocking/whitelisting inbound calls with certain number patterns. Direct Routing, Operator Connect, and Microsoft Calling Plan support blocking inbound PSTN calls.
An IT Admin can use this feature to define a list of number patterns at the global tenant level that can be checked against a list of spam numbers and reject the call automatically. However, it will work for calls originating from PSTN. Here is the PowerShell command that one can use for Number Patterns.
- New-CsInboundBlockedNumberPattern adds a blocked number pattern to the tenant list.
New-CsInboundBlockedNumberPattern -Name "BlockRange1" -Enabled $True -Description "Block Contoso" -Pattern "^\+?1312555\d{4}$"
3] Block a number
If you want to block a number that belongs to a range, which is especially useful to avoid telemarketers, then one can create a number pattern, so numbers in the range with + prefixed and numbers in the range without + prefixed are matched, e.g., 1 (312) 555-0000 to 1 (312) 555-9999.
New-CsInboundBlockedNumberPattern -Name "BlockRange1" -Enabled $True -Description "Block Contoso" -Pattern "^\+?1312555\d{4}$"
Blocking multiple numbers with a RegEx pattern or a single number are the three options available with the above. It is possible to block a single number, block a sequential number range, or block multiple numbers simultaneously
3] Add a number exception
If the user wants to allow 1 (312) 555-8882 and 1 (312) 555-8883 to make calls but block anything else that matches the pattern, then the IT admin can use the CsInboundExemptNumberPattern To enable this, a new number exception pattern is created as follows:
New-CsInboundExemptNumberPattern -Identity "AllowContoso1" -Pattern "^\+?1312555888[2|3]$"-Description "Allow Contoso helpdesk"-Enabled $True
You can use the Remove-CsInboundExemptNumberPattern to remove such patterns.
Read more about it on microsoft.com.
I hope the guide was useful.
Why am I not getting incoming calls on Teams?
First, check the call settings in Teams client and ensure you have ticked the Call rings me option. If it’s checked, you need to connect with the IT admin to activate the call feature or look for any incoming calls issue.
How do I get Teams to ring on my computer?
If you’re not receiving incoming calls on Teams, it may be because you’ve disabled notification sounds in your Notification Settings. You can enable you by turning on the Play sound for notifications option in your app’s notification settings.
