How to Update Microsoft Teams: Desktop, Mac, and Mobile

Why Keeping Microsoft Teams Updated Matters

Knowing how to update Microsoft Teams is more important than most people realize. Teams updates deliver security patches, performance improvements, and new features -- and Microsoft has moved to a faster release cadence that expects your client to stay current. The January 2026 Secure-by-Default update, for example, enforced stricter authentication requirements that only applied to clients running the latest build. If your Teams app falls behind, you risk missing critical security fixes and losing access to features your organization depends on.

Teams is designed to update itself automatically, but automatic updates only work under specific conditions. When those conditions are not met -- and they often are not -- your app can silently fall weeks or months behind. This guide covers how to manually update Teams on every platform, how to verify your version, and what IT admins can do to manage updates across an entire organization.

How to Update Microsoft Teams on Windows

The update process depends on whether you are running the new Teams app (released in late 2023, built on WebView2) or the classic Teams client. Most users have been migrated to the new client by now, but both methods are covered below.

Update the New Teams App

The new Teams desktop app checks for updates automatically every few hours. When an update is available, a notification banner appears at the top of your Teams window. Click Update, then Update and restart Teams. The app closes, installs the update, and reopens -- typically in under a minute.

If no banner appears but you want to check manually:

1. Click the three dots (...) next to your profile picture in the top-right corner.
2. Select Settings.
3. Click About Teams in the lower-left corner of the settings panel.
4. Teams checks for updates and displays your current version number.
5. If an update is available, it downloads in the background. Restart Teams to apply it.

Update Classic Teams (Legacy Client)

If you are still on classic Teams (Microsoft retired this client for most users in 2024, but some organizations still run it):

1. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner.
2. Select Check for updates.
3. Teams downloads any available update in the background.
4. A banner appears when the update is ready -- click Refresh to apply it.

If you see a Try the new Teams toggle in the top-left corner of classic Teams, consider switching. The new client uses roughly 50% less memory and loads twice as fast, according to Microsoft's performance benchmarks for the new Teams client. All new features and capabilities are exclusive to the new version.

Update Teams via the Microsoft Store

If you installed Teams from the Microsoft Store (common on Windows 11):

1. Open the Microsoft Store from the Start menu or taskbar.
2. Click Library in the bottom-left corner.
3. Click Get updates to check all installed apps.
4. If a Teams update is available, it appears in the list -- click Update.

A common issue: having both the Microsoft Store version and the standalone installer on the same machine. This can cause update conflicts. If you experience problems, uninstall one version and keep the other.

Running into performance issues after updating? Clearing the Microsoft Teams cache resolves most slowdowns and display glitches caused by leftover data from previous versions.

How to Update Microsoft Teams on Mac

On macOS, the update method depends on how Teams was originally installed.

Standalone Installation (Most Common)

1. Open Teams and click the three dots (...) next to your profile picture.
2. Select Check for updates.
3. If an update is available, it downloads automatically.
4. Restart Teams when prompted.

The standalone version uses Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) to manage updates in the background. If Teams fails to update, MAU itself may need to be reinstalled. Download the latest MAU installer directly from Microsoft's official AutoUpdate page and run it -- this fixes most Mac update failures without affecting your apps or files.

Mac App Store Installation

1. Open the App Store.
2. Click Updates in the sidebar.
3. Find Microsoft Teams and click Update.

How to Update Microsoft Teams on Mobile

The Teams mobile app does not have a built-in update check. Updates come through your device's app store.

iOS (iPhone and iPad)

1. Open the App Store.
2. Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.
3. Scroll down to find Microsoft Teams.
4. Tap Update if available.

Android

1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Tap your profile icon.
3. Select Manage apps & device.
4. Tap Updates available.
5. Find Microsoft Teams and tap Update.

Enable automatic app updates in your device settings to keep Teams current without thinking about it. On iOS, go to Settings > App Store > App Updates. On Android, open Play Store > Settings > Network preferences > Auto-update apps.

Once your Teams app is current, make sure you are getting the most from it. Our guide on getting the most from every Microsoft Teams meeting covers device setup, screen sharing best practices, and Copilot-powered meeting recaps.

How to Check Your Microsoft Teams Version

Knowing your current version is useful when troubleshooting or verifying that a specific update has been applied.

Desktop (Windows and Mac)

1. Click the three dots (...) next to your profile picture.
2. Select Settings.
3. Click About Teams.
4. Your version number appears at the bottom of the panel (e.g., 24365.1411.3226.1234).

The first five digits represent the release date in a compressed format. If that number is more than a few weeks old compared to the current date, your client may not be updating properly.

Mobile

On iOS or Android, open Teams, tap your profile picture, then tap Settings > About. The version number and build number appear at the top of the screen.

Troubleshooting Teams Update Problems

If Teams is not updating, one of these common causes is usually responsible.

Teams Must Be Idle to Update

The automatic update process only runs when Teams is open but not actively in use. If you close Teams or shut down your computer at the end of every day, the app never gets an idle window to install updates. The fix: leave Teams running for a few minutes after you finish working, or manually check for updates before you log off.

Installation Location Matters

If Teams was installed to the Program Files folder (common with scripted enterprise deployments) rather than the default user\\AppData location, automatic updates will not work. According to Microsoft's troubleshooting documentation, reinstalling Teams to the default location resolves this issue.

Clear the Teams Cache

Corrupted cache files can prevent updates from installing. Close Teams completely, then delete the cache:

• New Teams (Windows): Navigate to %localappdata%\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache and delete the contents.
• Classic Teams (Windows): Navigate to %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams and delete the contents.
• Mac: Navigate to ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams and delete the contents.

Reopen Teams and sign back in. For a complete walkthrough, see our step-by-step guide to clearing the Teams cache.

Reinstall as a Last Resort

If nothing else works, uninstall Teams, delete any remaining folders in AppData and LocalAppData, and download a fresh installer from teams.microsoft.com/downloads. Reinstalling does not delete your chats, files, or settings -- those are stored in the cloud and sync back when you sign in.

What IT Admins Should Know About Teams Updates

For organizations managing dozens or hundreds of Teams clients, relying on individual users to keep their apps updated is not a viable strategy.

Update Management Through Intune and SCCM

Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (SCCM) both support deploying Teams updates to managed devices. Admins can control update timing, stage rollouts to pilot groups before broad deployment, and enforce minimum version requirements. This is especially important after major security updates where running an outdated client creates compliance risk.

The New Teams Auto-Update Architecture

The new Teams client uses the Evergreen WebView2 runtime, which updates independently of Teams itself. This means the underlying browser engine that powers Teams stays current with the latest Edge security patches. Admins do not need to manage WebView2 updates separately -- they happen automatically in the background.

Monitoring Update Compliance

The Microsoft 365 Apps admin center provides visibility into which Teams versions are running across your organization. Use this to identify devices that have fallen behind and target them for remediation. Combined with Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra ID, you can restrict access from clients running outdated versions that do not meet your security baseline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Microsoft Teams update automatically?

Yes, but only when specific conditions are met. Teams must be open, idle (not actively in use), and the user must be signed in. If any of those conditions are missing -- for example, if you shut down your computer when you are done working -- automatic updates will not run. You can always trigger a manual check through the settings menu.

How do I know if my Teams is up to date?

Click the three dots next to your profile picture, select Settings, then click About Teams. Your version number appears at the bottom of the panel. If Teams says "You are up to date," no action is needed. If an update starts downloading, let it finish and restart the app.

Why is Teams not updating on my work computer?

The most common causes are: your IT department controls update deployment through Intune or SCCM and has not yet approved the latest version, Teams is installed in the Program Files folder instead of the default AppData location, or your network blocks the Microsoft CDN endpoints Teams needs to download updates. Contact your IT administrator if you suspect an organizational policy is involved.

What is the difference between new Teams and classic Teams?

New Teams is a complete rebuild of the desktop client using WebView2 technology. It uses approximately 50% less memory, loads twice as fast, and is the only version receiving new features going forward. Microsoft retired classic Teams for most users in 2024. If you are still running the classic version, switch to new Teams using the toggle in the top-left corner of the app or by downloading it from teams.microsoft.com.

Keep Teams Current Across Your Organization

Updating Microsoft Teams takes less than a minute when you do it manually, and the automatic process handles it silently when conditions are right. The key is making sure those conditions are met: Teams needs to be running, idle, and signed in. For IT admins, Intune, SCCM, and the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center provide the tools to manage updates at scale without relying on end users.

At Always Beyond, we manage Microsoft 365 environments for businesses that need their tools working reliably and securely -- from keeping Teams status active to deploying updates and enforcing security policies across every device. If your organization needs help managing Teams or your broader Microsoft 365 stack, reach out to Always Beyond and let us handle the IT so your team can focus on the work.