How do you find unused Teams Phone licenses and phone numbers?
Checked October 28, 2026 by Accred Consulting
Compare who holds a Teams Phone license with who actually makes outside calls. The PSTN usage report in the Teams admin center lists each outside call and the user who made or took it, for Calling Plan, Operator Connect, and Direct Routing, and the phone numbers list shows every number and whether it is assigned. Before removing a license, remember that it unassigns the user’s number, and that unassigning frees the license for someone else: to pay for fewer, you also remove licenses from the subscription.
Where the data lives
| What you need | Where to find it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Every phone number and who holds it | Teams admin center: Voice, then Phone numbers | Filter the assignment status by user, conference bridge, voice app, or unassigned. Unassigned Direct Routing numbers appear only if they were uploaded |
| Each outside call and who made or took it | Teams admin center: Analytics & reports, then the PSTN and SMS usage report | Calling Plan and Operator Connect share a tab that covers 7 days, 28 days, or a custom range and can be filtered by user; the Direct Routing tab covers 7 or 28 days. Data usually lags 24 to 48 hours |
| Auto attendant and call queue accounts | Teams admin center: Voice, then Resource accounts | Each needs a Teams Phone Resource Account license, not a Teams Phone Standard license |
What to look for
- Teams Phone licenses whose holders made no outside calls in the last few weeks.
- Numbers still held by blocked or departed accounts.
- Voice-enabled users without a number, who may not need the license.
- Unassigned numbers you no longer need.
- Resource accounts on the wrong license.
No outside calls does not always mean unused. Teams Phone also provides voicemail, call transfer, call forwarding, auto attendants, and call queues, so check with the person or team before removing a license. Users with Microsoft 365 E5 already have Phone System and do not need a separate Teams Phone Standard license.
Cleaning up without losing a number
- Confirm the license is not needed, including for voicemail, call queues, or auto attendants.
- Unassign the number before removing the license, so it stays in your inventory: in the Teams admin center, open the user and set the assigned phone number to none, or run Remove-CsPhoneNumberAssignment in PowerShell.
- Remove the license. Removing a required license unassigns the number: Calling Plan and Operator Connect numbers return to the unassigned list, and Direct Routing numbers are removed from the inventory.
- If you are swapping one voice license for another, make both changes in a single save so the number is not unassigned.
- To pay for fewer licenses, remove them from the subscription under Billing in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Microsoft has you unassign licenses first and then lower the subscription’s license count, and depending on your billing account it may allow that only shortly after you buy or renew.
Seeing it in Accred Manage
Accred Manage has a read-only Teams Phone inventory: numbers by type and who holds them, voice users and their licenses, the resource accounts behind auto attendants and call queues, and outside calls over the last 30 days. It flags Teams Phone licenses nobody uses, numbers held by blocked or unlicensed accounts, and voice users without a number. It makes no number assignments or other changes, and it links the Teams admin center for call routing, emergency locations, and call quality.
Teams Phone in Manage needs three added read-only Microsoft permissions. Until they are granted for your tenant, it shows as unavailable.
Questions
Does removing a Teams Phone license release the phone number?
It unassigns it. Calling Plan and Operator Connect numbers go back to the unassigned list, where you can give them to someone else, and Direct Routing numbers are removed from the inventory.
Do auto attendants and call queues need a Teams Phone license?
Their resource accounts need a Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account license, not a Teams Phone Standard license.
Does Microsoft 365 E5 include Teams Phone?
Microsoft 365 E5 includes Phone System, so E5 users do not need a separate Teams Phone Standard license. Phone numbers still come from a Calling Plan, Operator Connect, or Direct Routing.
Sources
- Teams Phone overview · Microsoft Learn
- Teams Phone licensing · Microsoft Learn
- See a list of telephone numbers in your organization · Microsoft Learn
- Microsoft Teams PSTN usage report · Microsoft Learn
- Phone numbers and licensing changes · Microsoft Learn
- Manage phone numbers for users · Microsoft Learn
- Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses · Microsoft Learn
- Buy or remove licenses for a Microsoft business subscription · Microsoft Learn
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