How to Clear Microsoft Teams Cache on Windows (Fix Common Issues)

Microsoft Teams is a powerful collaboration tool, but like any application, it can sometimes run into issues. One common solution to various Teams problems is to clear the client cache. This can resolve issues related to app performance, loading errors, and login troubles.

Why Clear the Cache?

Clearing the cache can help with:

• Performance Issues: Free up resources and speed up the app.
• Loading Errors: Fix problems with Teams not loading properly.
• Login Troubles: Resolve issues related to signing in or out.

Quick Method

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Find Microsoft Teams, click Advanced Options, then scroll down to Reset.

Manual Method

Step 1: Close Microsoft Teams

Before you start, ensure that Microsoft Teams is not running.

1. Right-click on the Teams icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner).
2. Select Quit.

Step 2: Navigate to the Cache Folder

You need to access the directory where Teams stores its cache files. The path depends on which Teams client you are running — this is the mistake most guides make, because the old path still exists on disk after you upgrade, but clearing it changes nothing.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Paste the path for your client and press Enter:

Client	Cache path
New Teams (default from 2024, work/school)	%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams
New Teams (standalone installer)	%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Teams
Classic Teams	%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Teams

Not sure which you have? If Teams shows a New Teams toggle in Settings, or the window looks different from the 2023 screenshots, you are on the new client.

Step 3: Delete Cache Files

In this folder, select all the subfolders and delete them. Windows will let you delete some files while Teams is still closing — ignore any “file in use” prompts and clear the rest after a reboot.

With PowerShell (run as your own account, not as administrator):

# Make sure Teams is closed first
Stop-Process -Name ms-teams -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

# New Teams
Remove-Item "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

# Classic Teams
Remove-Item "$env:APPDATA\Microsoft\Teams" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Step 4: Restart Microsoft Teams

Once you’ve deleted the cache files, restart Microsoft Teams.

1. Launch the Teams app from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.
2. Sign in with your credentials if prompted.

Troubleshooting

If you still experience issues after clearing the cache:

• Still signed into the wrong account — clearing the cache does not sign you out. Sign out from the profile menu first, then clear, then sign back in.
• Teams will not close — end every ms-teams.exe and Teams.exe process in Task Manager, including any running for other user profiles.
• The problem comes straight back — the cache is usually a symptom. If a sign-in loop returns immediately, check the account type, see fixing Teams chat between work and personal accounts.
• Reinstall as a last resort — uninstall Teams, then install the latest client rather than the version on your old deployment package.

Related Teams fixes

• How to enable and add GIFs in Microsoft Teams
• Disabling chat with personal accounts in Teams
• Fixing Teams chat between work and personal accounts
• Workaround when Teams video sharing is disabled

Conclusion

Clearing the Microsoft Teams cache is a quick and easy way to resolve common issues and improve performance. Give it a try next time you run into any problems with Teams.