So you can get back to being productive
If you’ve tried to load up Microsoft Teams for a quick meeting and discovered the web app isn’t loading or working properly, you’re not alone.
We’ve researched the most common causes of Microsoft Teams not working so you don’t have to. In this guide, you’ll find 6 quick fixes that should get your Teams back up and running again in no time.
1. Try These Basic Fixes
The first thing to do if MS Teams isn’t loading is to try these basic fixes. If they don’t work, move on to the specific problems listed below.
- Reboot your computer.
- Check your internet connection.
- Disconnect and reconnect your webcam or microphone, and try connecting them through a different port.
- Turn off any interfering programs such as Skype. To do so, open the system tray, right-click any potentially interfering programs and select Close.
- Check the Microsoft Office 365 official Twitter account or Microsoft Teams dedicated Twitter account to check if Microsoft Teams is currently experiencing downtime.
- Check if your browser supports Microsoft Teams. Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer 11 do not support Teams. If you use one of these browsers, try switching to Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, which are supported platforms.
2. Check Microphone and Webcam Permissions
If your microphone or webcam isn’t working on the Teams application, try checking their permissions.
- Press the Windows Key + I to open Settings.
- Select Privacy.
- Select Camera.
- Toggle on Allow apps to access your camera.
- Scroll down and ensure that Allow desktop apps to access your camera is also toggled on.
- Repeat for Microphone.
Next, you’ll need to check that your web browser has allowed the use of your camera and microphone.
For Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and select Settings.
- Select Privacy and security > Site settings.
- Click Camera.
- Ensure that the setting Sites can ask to use your camera is ticked.
- Do the same for Microphone.
For Microsoft Edge:
- Click the three horizontal dots and select Settings.
- Select Cookies and site permissions and scroll down to All permissions.
- Click Camera, and ensure that Ask before accessing is toggled on.
- Do the same for Microphone.
Note: If your camera still isn’t working, check out our guide.
3. Check Your Date and Time Settings
If you aren’t using the correct settings for your time and location, the Teams Web Client can have issues connecting you to their servers.
- Press the Windows key + I to open Settings.
- Select Time & Language.
- Make sure that Set time automatically and Set timezone automatically are toggled on.
4. Quick Fixes for the Microsoft Teams App in Google Chrome
There are a few common issues that cause Microsoft Teams to stop working in Google Chrome. Below, we’ll cover the solutions that people have reported got their Teams back up and running.
Update Google Chrome
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and select Help > About Google Chrome.
- Chrome should automatically begin checking for updates. If not, click Update Google Chrome.
- Once the updates are installed, select Relaunch.
Enable Third-Party Cookies
Disabling third-party cookies in Chrome prevents Microsoft Teams from loading properly. Try enabling third-party cookies for teams.microsoft.com to fix this issue.
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and select Settings.
- Select Privacy and Security.
- Scroll down to Sites that can always use cookies and select Add.
- Add the following sites, making sure to select Including third-party cookies on this site:
- [*.]microsoft.com
- [*.]microsoftonline.com
- [*.]teams.skype.com
- [*.]teams.microsoft.com
- [*.]sfbassets.com
- [*.]skypeforbusiness.com
- Restart Chrome and see if Teams is now working.
Clear the Teams Cache on Google Chrome
Occasionally, the Chrome cache can cause all sorts of problems. To clear your cache:
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the three vertical dots, hover over History and select History.
- Click Clear browsing data.
- Make sure that Browsing history and Cached images and files are selected, and hit Clear data.
5. Wait for the process to complete and see if Teams is now working.
Note: Since the Teams web app operates via your browser, it doesn’t generate its own cache files. However, you can clear the Teams desktop app cache. Simply open File Explorer, enter %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams into the search bar and delete all items in that folder.
Disable Chrome Extensions
Likewise, extensions in Chrome sometimes interfere with its normal function. To see if any of your extensions are causing an issue, try disabling them all at once. If Teams now works, re-enable them one by one to find which one is at fault.
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the three vertical dots, hover over More Tools and select Extensions.
- Toggle off every extension.
Reset Chrome Settings
The final fix to try is resetting Chrome to its default settings.
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click the three vertical dots and select Settings.
- From the left-hand menu, select Advanced > Reset and clean up.
- Click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Select Reset settings.
- Let the process complete, then sign in to your Microsoft Teams account and check if it’s now working.
- Quick Fixes for the Microsoft Teams App in Microsoft Edge
One of the common problems in Microsoft Edge that prevents users from loading Microsoft Teams is the “login loop” issue. Usually, this is caused by using the Trusted Sites security feature and not allowing access to Teams.
If you’re having this problem on a work or school computer, you may need to contact your IT administrator to do this step.
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Select the three horizontal dots at the top-right corner and then click Settings.
- In the left-hand menu, select Cookies and site permissions.
- Click Manage and delete cookies and site data.
- Toggle on Allow sites to save and read cookie data.
- Then, either toggle off Block third-party cookies or allow the following sites to save cookies on your device:
- [*.]microsoft.com
- [*.]microsoftonline.com
- [*.]teams.skype.com
- [*.]teams.microsoft.com
- [*.]sfbassets.com
- [*.]skypeforbusiness.com
- To do so, scroll down to Allow and select Add. Repeat for each entry and ensure you select Include third-party cookies on this site.
If this doesn’t work, try the following fixes for Microsoft Edge:
Update Microsoft Edge
- In Edge’s Settings, select About Microsoft Edge.
- Edge should automatically update. Once it’s done, restart Edge and try Teams once again.
Clear the Application Cache on Edge
- In Edge, click the three horizontal dots and select History.
- In the pop-up, click the three horizontal dots and select Clear browsing data.
- Ensure that Browsing history and Cached images and files are selected, and select Clear now.
Disable Edge Extensions
- In Edge, click the three horizontal dots and select Extensions.
- In the pop-up, select Manage Extensions.
- Toggle off each extension, then check to see whether Teams is now working.
- If so, enable the extensions one by one to see which is at fault.
Reset Microsoft Edge Settings
- In Edge’s Settings, select Reset settings from the left-hand menu.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Select Reset.
If none of these fixes work, the last thing to do is uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Edge.
6. Troubleshooting Antivirus Interference
Some users have reported that disabling their antivirus allowed their Teams web app to work again. Almost all reports of this type implicate Bitdefender Free as the culprit, and some reported that disabling Bitdefender, logging into Teams, and then re-enabling Bitdefender solved their issue for good.
To do so:
- Open Bitdefender.
- Select Settings under the Protection panel.
- Toggle off Bitdefender Shield and choose the appropriate length of time.
- Try to log in to the Microsoft Teams web app.
- If it works, re-enable Bitdefender to ensure your PC is safe from malware.
Can’t Fix Microsoft Teams? Try Another Platform or Device
Hopefully, this article has helped fix your Microsoft Teams web app and everything’s up and running once again.
If not, as a last resort you can choose to use Microsoft Teams on another device or platform. Luckily, there’s a Teams desktop client for Windows 10, Windows 11, and Mac, as well as mobile versions for both Android and iPhone.