How to clear the Microsoft Teams cache on a Mac
By Vishva Variya · Updated · 3 min read
Short answer
Quit Teams, then delete two folders Microsoft documents for new Teams: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams and ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2. The next start is slower while Teams rebuilds. Microsoft warns it won’t fix missing chats or messages.
Where is the Microsoft Teams cache on a Mac?
~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2/Data/Library/Caches
Safe to clear. Temporary files stored by Microsoft Teams. Safe to delete and Teams will rebuild them when you next open it.
How do I delete the Microsoft Teams cache by hand?
- 1Quit Teams: right-click the Teams icon in the Dock and choose Quit, or press Cmd-Q
- 2In Finder open /Applications/Utilities and double-click Terminal
- 3Run: rm -rf ~/Library/Group\ Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams
- 4Run: rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2
- 5Restart Teams (the first launch can take longer while the cache is rebuilt)
What happens when you clear it?
Microsoft: after you clear the cache, the restart 'might take longer than usual because the Teams cache files have to be rebuilt'. Microsoft also warns that clearing the cache does not fix missing messages, chat history that won't load, missing channels or teams, or wrong notification and unread counts, and that it deletes the diagnostic logs needed to find the cause. Microsoft's Mac commands remove the whole app container, so expect local app data and preferences to reset. Microsoft states this explicitly only for the Windows reset method ('app data is deleted... includes any personalization settings').
Clearing it with Peekaboo
Peekaboo’s App Caches page lists “Microsoft Teams” with its size and the note above, alongside every other cache it finds. It won’t offer a folder the app is still running from, and the cleanup goes to the Trash, so ⌥⌘Z puts it back.
- 1Open App Caches.⇧⌘E
- 2Find Microsoft Teams, check its size, and move it to the Trash.
Questions
Is the new Teams cache in the same place as classic Teams?
- No. Classic Teams kept it in ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams. New Teams (work or school) uses ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2 and ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams.
Will clearing the Teams cache bring back missing chats or messages?
- No. Microsoft says clearing the cache doesn't fix missing messages, chat history that won't load, missing channels or teams, or wrong unread counts. It deletes the diagnostic logs needed to find the cause, so report the problem first.
Why is Teams slow to open after clearing the cache?
- Microsoft says the first restart can take longer than usual, because Teams has to rebuild its cache files.