How to Clear Teams Cache on Windows & Mac

Microsoft Teams is an online meeting platform that is used widely for collaborating online and enhancing productivity across locations and departments. However, when you store outdated cached files on your device it may cause the application to slow down, stop synchronizing or crash.

Clearing the Teams cache can help troubleshhot errors. Clear it every now and then to prevent such errors. Freeing up storage space can improve the performance of the app. In this article, we outline how to clear the Teams cache on Windows, Mac, and mobile devices so that the application continues to run smoothly without crashing.

Stay with us to learn how to clear your Microsoft Teams cache simply and quickly on Windows, Mac or your mobile devices.

When should you clear your Teams cache?

The Microsoft Teams cache is a temporary data storage that holds a collection of data you access frequently. The purpose of the cache is to speed up future requests. However, over time, these files can become outdated. If this is the case, you should clear your temporary files. Below, we outline the most common issues that come from your Teams cache being full. When these issues arise, you should clear your cache.

Teams is slow

When Teams responds slowly or lags during use it may be time to clear your cache.

Long loading time

Teams remains on the loading or sign-in screen for an unusually long time is also a sign of a full cache. 

Issues with syncing

Messages, channels, or files do not update properly? You may need to clear your cache.

Content is missing or outdated

Recent changes are not reflected in the app.

Visuals look bad

Broken images, missing icons, or errors in displaying appear.

Error messages won’t go away

Recurring error messages even though internet is stable.

If you find yourself battling one or more of these symptoms, try to clear your Teams cache. By doing so you are clearing everything that Microsoft Teams has stored locally on your PC, without uninstalling Teams or removing your organization’s data.

Don’t worry, your chat history, teams and channels, contacts and recordings remain intact. Everything is stored in your Microsoft 365 account and the cache is only a local copy.

After you have completed the steps outlined below and successfully cleared your Teams cache, it might take slightly more time to log-in again for the first time, as the program rebuilds the cache. Some minor preferences might need to be reset (e.g. themes) and recent content may take a bit of time to re-sync.

If you are trying to keep your staff meetings running smoothly, combining regular maintenance of your Teams cache with productive meeting practices can be a game-changer in day-to-day collaborations, ensuring your staff is focused and stays on track.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to clear your Microsoft Teams cache on Windows, Mac, and mobile devices.

How to clear the Teams cache on Windows

Clearing the Teams cache on Windows can most likely fix all of the issues we listed above as well as loading problems, sign-in issues and missing messages. In this section, we will cover how to remove all unnecessary data from your cache both if you are using the New or the Classic version of Teams.

Clearing the cache in new Teams

If you are using the new version of Teams in Windows, there are two methods to clear the cache. You can either reset the app fully or you can delete the files manually. We will provide a guide for both processes below.

Resetting the app

If you want to reset the app, find the Settings app on your computer. In the application choose Apps, and select Installed Apps. Locate the app from the results, and click the More options button on the right and select Advanced options. Find the Reset section and choose Reset. To finish the reset you need to restart Teams.

If you are choosing this option, it is important to bear in mind that by resetting the app you will not only clear the cache, but the app data will be deleted as well. That entails all personalisation settings that were previously set up.

Deleting the files manually

If it is still running, to close Microsoft Teams, right-click the Teams icon on the taskbar and choose Quit. Then press the Windows logo key and R simultaneously, to open the Run dialog box. In the Run dialogue box enter the following path:

%userprofile%\appdata\local\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams

and press OK. After that delete all files and folders in the directory. Once you have finished, restart Microsoft Teams.

These two methods will make sure that your cache is emptied if you are using the new version of Teams. If you are still working with the Classic Teams, clearing the cache is a slightly different process, as we shall outline it in the next section of this article.

Clearing the Cache in Classic Teams

If you are still using the Classic version of Teams on Windows, it is also possible to clear the cache manually.

If the program is still running, find its icon in the taskbar, right-click on it and select Quit. Then, open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows logo key and R simultaneously. In the Run dialog box paste the following path:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Teams

and click OK. Delete all of the files and folders you find in the directory and restart Teams. The app will rebuild its cache, which will fix slow performance and sync issues.​​

We have covered all the possible ways to clear the Teams cache on Windows. If you are using a Mac, you will find instructions for doing the same in the next section

How to clear the Teams cache on Mac

Clearing the Teams cache on Mac can fix issues like the app not opening, meetings not loading, or chats not updating. In the next section we will outline how to do so in both the New and the Classic version of the application, as they are slightly different processes on Mac devices as well.

Regardless of which version of the application you are using, the initial steps are identical in both cases.

First steps for clearing cache on Mac

If Teams is still running, right-click its icon in the dock and then select Quit or press Command and Q simultaneously. Once Teams is closed, you can clear the cache using Finder. Open the /Applications/Utilities folder, and then double-click Terminal.

You will need to enter different commands for each version of the app for executing the next step. In the following we will provide you with commands necessary to finish the process successfully.

Clearing the cache in new Teams (Mac)

If you are using the new version of Teams on your Mac, after the last step, enter each of the following commands, followed by Return.

rm -rf ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams
rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2

After completing these steps, restart Teams.

Clearing the cache in classic Teams (Mac)

If you are using the classic version of Teams on your Mac, after the last step, enter the following command, and press Return.

rm -r ~/Library/Application\ Support/Microsoft/Teams

After completion, launch Teams again.

Now that we have reviewed how to clear the cache for all versions of Microsoft Teams on Windows and Mac desktops, the next section will cover how to perform the same process on mobile devices.

How to clear Microsoft Teams on mobile devices

Removing the Teams cache on mobile devices can help resolve common issues that lead to slow loading times, lagging, meetings failing to load, or messages not appearing. The exact process for clearing your cache on mobile varies depending on whether you are using an Android device or an iPhone. The next sections will give you the steps to take for both.

Clearing your cache on Android

To clear the Microsoft Teams cache on your Android device, first close the app. Next, open Settings and find Apps or Apps & notifications. Afterwards select Microsoft Teams. Tap Storage and cache, and then tap Clear cache.

If you tap Clear storage you will reset the app completely. Once finished, reopen Teams, and the app will rebuild the cache automatically. This process will not delete your chats, files, or account. If Teams continues to run slowly, consider restarting your device or updating the app.

How to clearing your cache on iOS

Because iOS does not provide a direct cache-clearing option, the recommended method instead is to reinstall the app. To do this, you have to start by signing out of the app.

After that, open Teams, tap your profile picture in the top-left corner, scroll down, and select Sign out.

Next, close the app completely by swiping it away from the app switcher. To delete the app, press and hold the Teams app icon, select Remove app and tap Delete App, then go to the App Store, search for Microsoft Teams, and reinstall it.

Finally, sign back in to Teams, and the app will generate a fresh cache. This process does not delete any chats, files, or meetings stored in the cloud, and ensures that any corrupted or outdated cached data is removed.

Removing the Teams cache on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS provides a simple solution for addressing slow performance, synchronization problems, and loading errors in Microsoft Teams.

This process deletes temporary cache files, allowing the app to rebuild fresh data from Microsoft 365 while keeping your chats, meetings, and files intact. Regular cache maintenance helps users and teams to achieve efficient collaboration. If you are interested in more strategies to enhance the performance of your team, check out our guide for productive team meetings.

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