License & Subscription Issues

How to Get Microsoft Teams Phone Numbers for Employees

Emma Brown Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to acquire and assign direct Microsoft Teams phone numbers to employees for internal and external calling.

How to Get Microsoft Teams Phone Numbers for Employees

Product: Microsoft Teams
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up enterprise communication channels with direct phone numbers in Microsoft Teams.
Observed behavior: To enable telephony features, appropriate Teams Phone licenses, calling plans, and regional configurations must be purchased and assigned.

Before you start

Ensure you have Microsoft 365 Global admin or Teams service admin privileges to purchase licenses and manage phone numbers for your organization.

Solution 1Recommended

Purchase and Assign Teams Phone Licenses and Calling Plans

This is the standard procedure to enable phone number assignments for employees through the Microsoft 365 admin center.

To provide a standard phone number, each employee must be equipped with a Teams Phone license and a region-appropriate Calling Plan.

Purchase Teams Phone licenses

Go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, navigate to Billing > Purchase services, search for 'Teams Phone', and buy the necessary add-on licenses and Calling Plans for your region.

Assign licenses to employees

Navigate to Users > Active users. Select the target employee, open the Licenses and Apps tab, and assign the newly purchased Teams Phone license and Calling Plan.

Acquire new phone numbers

Open the Teams Admin Center, go to Voice > Phone numbers, and click 'Add' to acquire new numbers based on your location.

Assign the number to the user

In the Teams admin center under Voice > Phone numbers, select the newly acquired phone number, click 'Edit', and assign it to the licensed employee.

Purchase and Assign Teams Phone Licenses and Calling Plans

Regional Availability: Available numbers, calling plans, features, and pricing vary heavily by country or region. Review Microsoft's regional documentation for specifics.

Solution 2

Use Operator Connect or Direct Routing for Existing Numbers

If your organization already has an active telecom provider, you can connect your existing PSTN services to Microsoft Teams instead of buying Microsoft Calling Plans.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer our existing company phone numbers to Microsoft Teams?

Yes, you can port existing phone numbers to Microsoft Teams using the porting wizard in the Teams Admin Center, provided your current carrier allows porting and you have the necessary Teams Phone licenses.

Why can't I see the option to assign phone numbers in the Teams Admin Center?

The phone number assignment options will remain hidden or disabled until you have successfully assigned a valid Teams Phone license and an appropriate Calling Plan to the specific user.

Do all employees need a Calling Plan to use Microsoft Teams?

No. Only employees who need to make or receive external PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) calls require a Calling Plan and a Teams Phone license. Internal Teams-to-Teams voice and video calls are included by default.

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