Common Microsoft Teams problems and how to fix them

Bhoomi Gupta 21 Dec, 2020

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Common Microsoft Teams problems and how to fix them

Here are some of the most common Microsoft Teams problems and how you can fix them.

If you’re not seeing the latest messages or threads, then you might need to restart the app manually to force a refresh.
If your webcam or audio is not working properly, check your input settings or check your privacy settings in Windows 10 or MacOS
If Teams is freezing, try force quitting the app
If you’re not getting notifications, check to see your settings

Applies to All Windows 10 Versions

If you see old chats and threads in Teams or my messages won’t load

One of the most common problems with Teams relates to messages and threads. If you’re not seeing the latest messages or threads, then you might need to restart the app manually to force a refresh.

On Windows 10 you can do this by heading to your Taskbar and look for the Microsoft Teams icon. Once you see it, right-click and choose Quit. This will force the Teams app to quit. When it restarts, you should see the latest messages again.

If you’re on a Mac, you can force quit the Teams app to have it refresh. You can do this by clicking: Option, Command, and Esc (Escape) on your keyboard. You also can choose Force Quit from the Apple menu, too. You can then select the Teams app and choose Force Quit.

If this doesn’t work, try checking to see if you have a solid and stable internet connection. You also can try visiting the Teams web app instead, if the dedicated desktop app isn’t working right for you. Logging in and out of your account on the app might help, too. You can do that by clicking your profile photo and choosing Sign Out.

If your webcam or microphone won’t work on a call

Nothing is more frustrating than your webcam or audio not working right during a call. If this is the case, the issue could likely be a hardware problem with your webcam or microphone itself. It also could be problem with your privacy settings when it relates to Teams. Here’s how to resolve that.

First off, you’ll want to make sure your webcam and microphone are selected before joining or starting a call. When you join, you’ll see a toggle switch for your webcam on the left of the Join Now screen. You’ll also see a toggle switch for your microphone on the left. Make sure both are on. You’ll also want to click the settings cog and choose PC Mic and Speakers and make sure that you’ve selected the default microphone and speaker from the list.

If that still doesn’t work, then the problem might be due to permissions. If you’re using the Teams web app, you want to make sure that you’ve granted your web browser and the webpage permission to use your webcam and microphone. Typically, you’ll get an Allow prompt. Otherwise, you’ll need to tweak your privacy settings.

On Windows 10, you can check your privacy settings for the webcam and microphone by typing Webcam into the search box or when on the Start Menu. Choose the option for Choose which apps can access your webcam and then scroll to the bottom of the list to make sure Microsoft Teams and your web browser are On. You also can search for Microphone and then choose Microphone and Privacy Settings and then check to see if your microphone is toggled to On.

If you’re on a Mac, you can check your privacy settings by clicking the Apple menu, and choosing System Preferences. You’ll then want to click the Security and Privacy section and then click Camera. Tap the prompt that says Click the lock to make changes and enter your password. You’ll then be able to allow Teams to access your camera. Repeat the process for Microphone, too.

Teams is freezing

Asides from the webcam not working, or chats not loading, another issue with Teams is the app freezing up. If this happens to you, an easy resolution is to force quit the app and try launching it again. We already discussed how you could do this on a Mac in the first section, but we’ll now touch on how you can do this on Windows 10, too.

On Windows 10, you can force Teams to quit by clicking Ctrl, Alt, and Delete together on your keyboard. You’ll then see a prompt on the screen. Choose Task Manager from the list. You should then see Microsoft Teams under the Apps section. Click this, and then choose End Task. This will cause Teams to quit. When you launch the app once again, it should load up as normal.

If all else fails, then don’t panic. As a backup, you can try using the Teams web app instead. Head to Teams.Microsoft.com and login with your account.

I am not getting notifications

Last on our list are issues with notifications. If you’re not properly getting notified for certain things in Teams, then you might want to check your app settings. You can do this by clicking your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen, and then choose Settings. Next, head down to the Notifications options. You’ll want to make sure that these are all set correctly. Most of them should say Banner, if you want to get the desktop notifications. We’ve got a picture of the default settings above.

If you’re using the Teams web app specifically and you aren’t getting notifications, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve enabled them. When the web app launches, you’ll see a prompt for notifications in the bottom right corner of your screen. You’ll want to make sure that you click Turn On.

Microsoft is here to help you

This was just a look at some of the most common issues with Microsoft Teams. If you’re having other issues, Microsoft is here to help you. It’s always best to try and contact your IT Admin before reaching out to Microsoft for help, but you can also get help from Microsoft directly. Simply visit their webpage here, and choose Microsoft Teams. The page has a comprehensive list of issues, and other tips and tricks. We also invite you to check out our Teams coverage too, as we have a collection of guides, how-tos, and so much more.

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