Microsoft Teams Not Working on Mac

What is Microsoft Teams?

Teams is a communication platform offered by Microsoft as part of the Office suite, or as a standalone program. It’s similar to a service like Discord or Slack in that it allows users to communicate by text as well as through audio and video calls. It supports group conversations, as well as direct communication.

Teams can also be used to share files and documents, and it integrates things like your calendar, to-do list, and OneDrive files—as well as third-party apps and services. This, as well as its inclusion in the Microsoft 365 bundle, has made Teams a vital tool for millions of professionals, students, and more.

Most common Microsoft Teams issue on Mac

When you encounter a problem with Microsoft Teams on Mac, the most common issue is usually a lack of system resources caused by other apps eating up your RAM and processing power in the background. Closing any software you’re not using to free up these things can make a big difference.

If this doesn’t work, it may be that Teams has frozen and needs to be restarted, that a bug in Teams or macOS is preventing the application from functioning correctly, or you need to delete cache on Mac—all of which are common reasons why Teams won’t work as it should.

Until Teams is fixed, you may encounter some of the following problems:

• Teams won’t open or respond, or it frequently crashes.
• Recent messages or missed calls don’t appear.
• You can’t log in to your Microsoft account.
• Your webcam and microphone won’t work.
• You have no sound and can’t hear other people on a Teams call.
• Teams notifications fail to appear.

A note from our experts:

 

When you face a non-working Microsoft Teams on your Mac and want to learn how to fix it, we have a solution. MacKeeper’s Premium Services tech experts help you to solve any Mac-related issue.

 

Here’s how to contact professionals in Premium Services:

1. Download MacKeeper and install it.
2. Select Premium Services in the MacKeeper sidebar, then click Chat Now.
3. Describe the problem you’re experiencing to get immediate help.

How to fix Microsoft Teams not working on Mac

Whatever the cause of the problem, it’s usually fairly simple to fix Microsoft Teams on Mac. Here are 7 fixes you should try:

1. Force quit Microsoft Teams.
2. Delete application cache.
3. Restart your Mac.
4. Reinstall Microsoft Teams.
5. Check for Teams and macOS updates.
6. Access Microsoft Teams from your browser.
7. Disable VPN.

1. Force quit Microsoft Teams

If Microsoft Teams crashes and won’t respond, even when you try to close it, you can force quit. Here’s how:

1. Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select Force Quit.
3. Choose Teams, then click Force Quit.
4. Click Force Quit again to confirm.

You can also force quit Microsoft Teams using Activity Monitor, which may come in handy if the method above doesn’t work:

1. Launch Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities in Finder.
2. Select the Microsoft Teams process, then click the X icon in the toolbar.
3. Click Force Quit to confirm.

After killing Microsoft Teams, you should be able to reopen the app and continue to use it as normal. If a restart doesn’t fix your issues, or you find that Teams continually crashes over and over again, we recommend trying some of the other fixes below.

2. Delete application cache

We’ve found that macOS apps, including Teams, often misbehave due to corrupt cache files. When this happens, deleting the existing cache files and allowing Teams to create new ones the next time it runs usually fixes the problem. Here’s how to clear the Microsoft Teams cache:

1. On the macOS desktop, click Go, then Go to Folder in the menu bar.
2. Type ~/Library/Containers, then press Enter to go to the Containers folder.
3. Locate any folders that include com.microsoft.teams in their name, then right-click them and select Move to Bin. There are usually several of these, so be sure to delete them all.
4. Repeat the same process for the ~/Library/Group Containers folder and remove all com.microsoft.teams folders there.
5. Right-click the Bin in your Dock, then select Empty Bin.
6. Click Empty Bin again to delete the Teams cache files.

You can now try to run Teams again. If bad cache files were the problem, Teams should now behave normally again, and fresh cache files will be created as you use the app. Be careful when deleting files from the Containers folders because you may see issues with other apps if you wipe the wrong ones.

3. Restart your Mac

One of the simplest fixes for macOS software glitches is a quick device restart, which automatically kills any Teams processes that may have become stuck or frozen, preventing the program from functioning normally. Try this:

1. Click the Apple logo in your Mac’s menu bar.
2. Choose Restart, then click the Restart button to confirm.

4. Reinstall Microsoft Teams

Sometimes, the only way to overcome issues with a piece of software is to uninstall and reinstall it. This clears the existing application package data, which may have become corrupt, from your Mac and replaces it with a fresh copy of the latest Teams release. Here’s what to do:

1. Open Finder, then select Applications in the sidebar.
2. Right-click the Microsoft Teams icon, then choose Move to Bin.
3. Enter your Mac’s password, then click OK to proceed.
4. Right-click the Bin in your Dock, then select Empty Bin.
5. Click Empty Bin again to confirm and remove Teams from your Mac.
6. Go to the Microsoft Teams webpage and click the Download Teams button.
7. Once the installer has finished downloading, launch it from your Downloads folder.
8. Click Continue, then follow the onscreen steps to complete the installation.

Once Teams has finished installing, it will launch automatically. You should then be able to log in to your account and use the app without any issues.

A hint from our team: 

 

Don’t forget to give Teams permission to use your Mac’s microphone and camera when it first launches otherwise you won’t be able to do voice and video calls. If you accidentally block the Teams app from accessing these features, you can change permissions manually in the privacy settings on Mac.

5. Check for Teams and macOS updates

Teams may encounter issues due to a bug in the release you have installed—or even because of a bug in macOS. Keeping your software and operating system up to date is a great way to ensure these are eliminated as quickly as possible. Here’s how to check for Teams and macOS updates:

1. Open Teams, then click Help > Check for Updates in the menu bar.
2. Microsoft AutoUpdate will launch and check for Teams updates automatically. If an update is available, click the Update button.
3. Open System Settings on your Mac, then navigate to General > Software Update.
4. macOS will check for updates, and if a new version is available, you can click Update Now or Restart Now to install it.

In our experience with Teams, thanks to Microsoft AutoUpdate, new updates are installed automatically soon after their release. However, once you have a version of Teams that works flawlessly on your machine, you may decide you don’t want to risk installing a newer version that could break it.

Important:

 

The best way to avoid this is to disable Microsoft AutoUpdate on Mac, which blocks new versions of Teams and other Microsoft applications from being installed and gives you complete control over them. You can then update each Office app individually whenever you see fit.

6. Access Microsoft Teams from your browser

If you’re unable to get Teams working after trying the fixes above, or you just need to gain access to the platform quickly because you rely on it for work, you’ll be pleased to know you can access Microsoft Teams from your browser instead. Here’s how:

1. Open your browser, then go to the Microsoft 365 website and click Sign In.
2. Enter the details for your Microsoft account and sign in.
3. Select the apps menu in the top-left corner, next to the Office logo, then choose Teams.

The Teams web app will now open in a new tab, and you’ll be able to use it just like you would the standard Teams app on Mac. You’ll be prompted to accept notifications through your browser, and we recommend agreeing to this so you don’t miss any messages.

7. Disable VPN

Although this issue isn’t as common as some of the other Teams glitches we’ve looked at so far, some users have found that using a VPN prevents Teams from connecting or operating as it should. The simple fix for this is to disable your VPN if possible. You can do this through System Settings like so:

1. Open System Settings on your Mac, then choose Network.
2. Select the VPN you want to disable, then click the toggle to disconnect it.

Many VPN clients on Mac also come with menu bar controls, which make it even easier to enable and disable your VPN connection. Look for the logo of your VPN provider in the top-right corner of your screen, near your Mac’s Wi-Fi indicator. Click it and then look for the Disconnect button.

Conclusion

Teams app isn’t known for being the most reliable app on Mac, and most users tend to run into odd issues from time to time, whether it’s connection problems, freezes, or the app refusing to launch at all. Whatever the case may be, Teams is usually easy to fix—simply follow the tips outlined above to get it working.

If you’re having trouble overcoming Teams issues on your own, why not reach out to MacKeeper Premium Services for help? Our trained experts are available 24/7 to assist you with fixing Teams and any other application or feature that’s refusing to work as it should.