Troubleshooting Microsoft Teams
If something is not working in Microsoft Teams, many troubles can be fixed by signing out of Teams then signing in again. Please do not restart your computer; sign out of Teams then sign in again.
Signing out of Teams then signing in again
- In the upper right of the Microsoft Teams main window, note your profile icon.
- Select your profile icon to reveal a dropdown menu.
- From the menu, select Sign out.

- After signout, you are prompted to sign in again with your Marquette email address and password.
- Retry Microsoft Teams to confirm the issue is resolved. If not, please contact the IT Services TechSquad for assistance.
Clearing Teams cache
Clearing the cache for Microsoft Teams may resolve software problems that are not fixed by simply signing out of Teams and signing back in.
IT Services created a fix to download and launch that clears Microsoft Teams cache for Windows and macOS, without losing custom backgrounds for meetings.
Visit the download webpage for the clear cache fix for Windows and Mac.
Addressing poor network quality in Teams meetings
- If you are off campus, see steps for troubleshooting your home internet connection.
- You can turn off incoming video feeds to lower your network bandwidth needs. From the Teams meeting window, click or tap to the three-dots/more-actions icon. A menu appears. Select "Turn off incoming video."
- Turn off your camera to further reduce your network needs. Students: If your instructor directs all students to use cameras in Teams class meetings, please let the instructor know you are having network trouble and you need to switch off the camera.
- Having issues with incoming audio? If you are using the Teams desktop software or mobile apps, you can switch on real-time closed captioning to fill in audio gaps. From the Teams meeting window, click or tap to the three-dots/more-actions icon. A menu appears. Select "Turn on live captions." Once activated, the closed captioning will only appear for you.
Fixing Teams when features “go missing”
- Ensure you are using the desktop software for Teams — not the web browser version of Teams. If you must use the web browser to access Teams, you should log in with your Marquette email address and password. Joining Teams without a Marquette login limits features.
- If the Teams main window is zoomed in, icons in the left column may drop away. Click or tap to the three-dots/more-actions icon to reveal icons or zoom out.
- When in a Teams meeting, you may have been assigned the attendee role, which limits access to presenter features. See roles in a Teams meeting.
Solving camera and mic troubles on Macs
If your Mac runs on macOS Catalina or higher, see these steps to give Teams permission to use the camera and mic on your Mac.
Forcing Teams to quit when frozen
Is Teams unresponsive? Windows 10 users can force Teams to quit by pressing the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys together on your keyboard. A screen appears with a list of actions. Select Task Manager. From the Task Manager window, select Microsoft Teams. Then click or tap End Task. Teams is forced to quit. Relaunch Teams to resume use.
Mac users can force-quit Teams by pressing Option, Command and Esc (Escape) together on your keyboard. The Force Quit Applications window appears. Select Microsoft Teams and click Force Quit. Relaunch Teams to resume use.
Questions?
Please contact the IT Services TechSquad for questions about Microsoft Teams.