How and when do I clear the Teams cache?

If your Microsoft Teams app is running slow or acting buggy, try clearing your Teams cache and rebooting your computer before you submit a help request ticket to TCIT. Clearing your Teams cache, clearing your web browser cache, and rebooting your computer often (every 2 weeks or once a month) will help your computer run better and may resolve the issues you are experiencing. 

The instructions for clearing your Teams cache vary slightly depending on whether you’re using the Classic version of Teams or the New version (released in 2023). To find out whether you’re using Classic Teams or New Teams, read the instructions below. 

If you already know which version of Teams you have, skip to Clear the cache on a Windows computer or Clear the cache on a Mac computer. 

Determine which version of Teams you have (Classic or New)

The easiest way to find out which version of Teams you’re using is to hover over the Teams icon in your taskbar. The name of your Teams app version should appear. See the screenshots below for examples of what this looks like on a Windows computer and on a Mac computer.

If you aren’t seeing the name of your Teams app, there is another way to check your Teams version: 

1. Open the Teams app.
2. Next to your profile icon in the upper-right corner, select Settings and more (three horizontal dots), then click About, then click Version.

3. A banner will appear at the top of the Teams app that indicates what version you’re running and when it was last updated. Copy the version number or write it down.

4. Go to Microsoft’s Version update history for Teams webpage and determine whether your version number is listed under the New Teams app versions or the Classic Teams app versions.
   • If your version number begins with “1,” you likely have the Classic version. If your version number begins with “2,” you likely have the New version.

Now that you know which version of Teams you’re using, follow the corresponding instructions below to clear the cache.

Clear the cache on a Windows computer

Classic

1. If Teams is still running, right-click on the Teams icon in your taskbar and select Quit.
2. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows logo key  + R.
3. In the Run dialog box, enter the following path and select OK:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Teams

4. Delete all files and folders in the directory.
5. Restart Teams.

New

1. If Teams is still running, right-click on the Teams icon in your taskbar and select Quit.
2. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows logo key  + R.
3. In the Run dialog box, enter the following path and select OK:

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

4. Delete all files and folders in the directory.
5. Restart Teams.

Clear the cache on a Mac computer

Classic

1. If Teams is still running, right-click on the Teams icon in your dock and select Quit.
2. In the Finder, open the /Applications/Utilities folder, then double-click Terminal.
3. Enter the following command and press Return:

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

4. Restart Teams.

New

1. If Teams is still running, right-click on the Teams icon in your dock and select Quit.
2. In the Finder, open the /Applications/Utilities folder, then double-click Terminal.
3. Enter the following commands, and press Return after each command:

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

4. Restart Teams.

Please note the first time you restart Teams after clearing the cache, it might take longer than usual for the app to load. This is because the Teams cache files will have to be rebuilt. For more help, visit the Microsoft Teams support site.