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How to clear Microsoft Teams cache
Microsoft Teams is a very popular collaboration platform for businesses and government departments. It has a fierce rival in Slack, but Teams seems to be the preferred choice for a lot of people, especially those who are deeply imbedded in the Microsoft ecosystem. But the more you use Teams, the more the cache will build up on your device. In time, this can lead to performance and storage space issues. If you want to give your Teams app a bit of an adrenalin boost, here’s how to clear the Microsoft Teams cache.
Read more: How to create and share a Microsoft Teams meeting link
QUICK ANSWER
To clear the cache in Microsoft Teams, you have to go into the device settings rather than the Teams settings. In Windows, you would use the Windows key + R key. On macOS, you would use the Terminal. On Android and iOS, you would go into the Teams settings and clear the cache from there. In all cases, the Teams app has to be completely shut down first for the cache to clear properly.
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
How to clear Microsoft Teams cache on Windows
First, make sure that your Teams app is fully shut down on your Windows PC. If it isn’t, the cache clearing won’t work. Then open the Run box by holding down the Windows key and the R key. The Windows key is the one on the bottom row of the keyboard with the Microsoft logo on it.
When the box opens, type the following and then click OK.
%appdata%\Microsoft\TeamsIn the folder that opens, delete all files and folders contained within.
Now restart Teams and that’s it all done.
How to clear Microsoft Teams cache on a Mac
Clearing the Teams app cache on a Mac involves the Terminal window. First, make sure Teams is completely shut down on your Mac. Then open a Terminal window and type the following:
rm -r ~/Library/Application\ Support/Microsoft/TeamsNow restart the Teams app. That’s it.
How to clear Microsoft Teams cache on Android
If you’re trying to clear the Microsoft Teams cache on your Android phone, then the settings section is your destination. But first make sure that the Teams app is completely shut down.
- Go to your Apps list in Settings and tap Teams.
- Scroll down and select Storage & cache (the wording may vary depending on your Android model.)
- Tap Clear cache.
- Restart the Teams app.
How to clear Microsoft Teams cache on iPhone and iPad
The process is similar on an iOS device, but you need to use the iOS offloading feature. This means that afterward, the app will be in a state of suspended animation — not uninstalled but not active either. You will need to tap the app icon again to redownload the Teams app. Your essential data will still be there, so you don’t have to worry about losing anything.
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage if you’re on your iPad.)
- The next page will take a few moments to load properly. When it does, scroll down and select Teams.
- Tap Offload App. This will freeze the app as well as delete all temporary files including the cache. Now, simply tap the app icon to remove the app from its deep sleep. Your data will be there as it was before.
Read more: How to create a team in Microsoft Teams
FAQs
Clearing the Teams cache removes everything that Microsoft Teams stores locally on your PC. This is no different than clearing a cache on a web browser. Since your chat files are in OneDrive, they aren’t affected and won’t be deleted.
If you have a lot of locally stored information on your computer, clearing the Teams cache can speed up Teams and improve overall performance. It can also solve any app crashing issues you may be facing and you will retrieve some storage space on your device. However, as soon as you start using Teams again, the cache will rebuild itself.
Yes, it won’t harm the app or your computer. Quite the opposite in fact. Your chat history is safely stored in OneDrive so it also won’t be affected.