How to Clear the Microsoft Teams Cache: Windows and Mac

Clearing the Microsoft Teams cache resolves a wide range of issues including slow performance, loading errors, missing messages, calendar sync problems, and login failures. The cache is a collection of temporary files Teams stores locally to speed up the app — when it becomes corrupted or outdated, it causes more problems than it solves. Clearing it is a safe, quick fix that takes under five minutes and does not affect your account, messages, or files.

When to Clear the Teams Cache

Cache issues can appear gradually or suddenly, often after a Teams update or a period of heavy use. Clear the cache if you are experiencing any of the following:

• Teams loading slowly or freezing on startup
• Blank screens or missing content within channels
• Messages or channels not loading or appearing out of date
• Calendar not displaying meetings correctly
• Login errors following a password change
• Teams behaving unexpectedly after an update

If Teams has recently updated and started misbehaving, a cache clear is almost always the first thing to try before reinstalling or contacting IT support.

How to Clear Teams Cache on Windows

These steps apply to the classic Teams client on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

1. Fully close Teams. Right-click the Teams icon in the system tray at the bottom right of the taskbar and select Quit. It is important Teams is not running in the background — simply closing the window is not enough.
2. Press Win + R to open the Run dialogue.
3. Type %AppData%MicrosoftTeams and press Enter. This opens the Teams data folder in File Explorer.
4. Inside this folder, open each of the following subfolders and delete everything inside them — do not delete the folders themselves, only their contents:
   • Cache
   • blob_storage
   • databases
   • GPUCache
   • IndexedDB
   • Local Storage
   • tmp
5. Once done, reopen Teams. It will rebuild the cache automatically on startup.

[Screenshot: File Explorer showing the Teams AppData folder with the subfolders listed above]

Important: this process does not delete your account, messages, or files. All of that data is stored in Microsoft 365 on Microsoft’s servers, not in the local cache.

How to Clear Teams Cache on Mac

The process on macOS is nearly identical, with a different folder path.

1. Fully quit Teams. Press Cmd + Q while Teams is the active app, or right-click the Teams icon in the Dock and select Quit.
2. Open Finder, then click Go in the menu bar and select Go to Folder.
3. Type ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams and press Enter.
4. Delete the contents of the same subfolders listed in the Windows section above: Cache, blob_storage, databases, GPUCache, IndexedDB, Local Storage, and tmp.
5. Reopen Teams and allow it to rebuild.

[Screenshot: macOS Go to Folder dialogue with the Teams path entered]

How to Clear Teams Cache on the New Teams Client

Microsoft has been rolling out a new Teams client (sometimes shown as “Teams 2.0”) to Microsoft 365 subscribers. This version stores its cache in a different location on Windows.

Open the Run dialogue with Win + R and navigate to:

%LocalAppData%PackagesMSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbweLocalCacheMicrosoftMSTeams

Delete the contents of this folder using the same approach — clear what is inside without removing the folder itself.

Alternatively, some versions of the new Teams client include a built-in option: go to Settings (click your profile picture, then Settings) → General → Clear cache. If this button is visible, it is the simplest route and handles the folder cleanup automatically.

[Screenshot: New Teams Settings panel showing the Clear cache button under General]

How Long Does It Take

After clearing the cache, Teams will take slightly longer than usual to load on the first launch — typically 30 to 60 seconds — as it downloads fresh data from Microsoft’s servers. This is completely normal. Subsequent launches will return to their usual speed once the cache has been rebuilt.

If Clearing the Cache Does Not Fix the Issue

If problems persist after clearing the cache, work through these steps in order:

• Check for updates: Click your profile picture in Teams and select Check for updates. Running an outdated version can cause persistent issues that a cache clear will not resolve.
• Sign out and back in: Go to your profile picture → Sign out, then sign in again. This refreshes your authentication token, which can resolve login-related errors.
• Reinstall Teams: Uninstall Teams via Settings → Apps on Windows or by dragging to Trash on Mac, then download the latest version from the Microsoft website. This is a clean slate approach and solves most stubborn issues.
• Contact IT support: If you are on a managed device through a business Microsoft 365 subscription — such as Microsoft 365 Business Basic or Business Standard — your IT administrator may have policies in place that affect Teams behaviour. Raise a support ticket if self-service steps do not resolve the issue.

Related articles: Microsoft Teams Running Slow or Not Loading: How to Fix It, Microsoft Teams Audio Echo and Feedback: How to Fix It, How to Use Multiple Microsoft Teams Accounts on One Device

For a full index of every Teams guide and troubleshooting fix on Serverman, see the Microsoft Teams complete guide and troubleshooting hub.