Change default phone application on Mac to Microsoft Teams

I'm sorry, but this doesn't make much sense.

There is no "default phone application" like there would be a default application for documents or spreadsheets.

There is a phone app, that integrates with your iPhone.

Teams is a separate app that you can download from Microsoft and install on your Mac. If you want to make a teams call or join a teams meeting, use the teams app. There is a web based version of teams, but I don't recommend it if you have the option to install the full blown teams app.

KiltedTim wrote:

I'm sorry, but this doesn't make much sense.

Microsoft Teams does offer a telephone service, including provisioning a traditional phone number (PSTN) and using it to make and receive calls on Teams.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone

So it seems like a reasonable request, but not one for which there is a solution currently other than to ask Apple to allow choice of a default phone calling app (which I personally suspect is unlikely because of the relatively niche use case vs the iPhone user base).

@jmooreUTS, to have Apple consider your feedback, submit it here:

Feedback - macOS - Apple

jmooreUTS wrote:

Sorry, I meant that I'm not interested in the default application of FaceTime trying to make calls. I'd like to change that default phone application to Teams, but it seems that Apple disallowed that. Thanks for your response.

This is what I don't understand. Are you talking about the app used if you tell Siri to call someone? Or maybe the app used to dial if you click on a phone number in an email or web site? I suppose that makes more sense.

That didn't click immediately since I don't use Teams with an actual phone number.

In theory, you should be able to set an alternate default handler for tel: links. It seems, however, that teams does not actually register itself as being capable of becoming the default. The option should appear in the settings for FaceTime or possibly the phone app on Tahoe. Since I don't have any other apps besides teams that should be capable of becoming the default for calls installed, I can't say if it's a Microsoft problem or an issue with Tahoe. I'm leaning towards it being an issue with Teams itself.

As I just updated Teams, I'm in the process of restarting my Mac now to see if that gets it to appear as a possible call handler. I'll let you know the result.

Interestingly, when I go to the FaceTime app on my Mac running Sequoia, in Settings > General tab, at the bottom there is this setting:

However, when I go to Settings in FaceTime or Phone on my Mac running Tahoe, I do not see the Default for calls setting. So, maybe an oversight by Apple? The FaceTime app devs thought it should be in Phone so they took it out and the Phone app devs knew it was already in FaceTime so they didn't put it in, or some such...

Or maybe not, as the Tahoe Mac is my personal one and I don't use Teams on it. I do have Zoom, so there's at least one other choice that should show up in that setting if it were available.

Regardless, if it was in Sequoia and it's not in Tahoe, it seems that it's on Apple to restore it.

Feedback - macOS - Apple

reinstalling teams didn't work. AI makes reference to installing a 3rd party app to allow setting default apps. I can't speak to the effectiveness of any such tools so I'm not going to name any here.