Communication

How to Completely Uninstall Microsoft Teams on Mac

To uninstall Microsoft Teams, quit the app and drag it from the Applications folder to the Trash. Because Microsoft has retired classic Teams in favor of a new version using sandbox containers, simply removing the app icon leaves several data folders behind.

Last updated: October 31, 20263 min read

Remove Microsoft Teams and everything it leaves behind

Microsoft Teams data usually takes 500 MB – 5 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

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Free scan · No account · Nothing is deleted without your OK · Moves to the Trash first · macOS 14+

Application: Microsoft Teams
Typical data size: 500 MB – 5 GB
Category: Communication
File Location: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2

Manual cleanup steps

Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
Move Microsoft Teams from the Applications folder to the Trash.
Remove the folders Microsoft Teams left behind, listed in the table below.
Empty the Trash to free up the space.

Everything Microsoft Teams keeps on your Mac

8 locations. Tick each one as you remove it; back up anything marked as your data first.

~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2 Sandbox container · new Teams app data and cache Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams App data · data left by the classic (older) Teams app Yes, once the app is gone~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams Shared container · new Teams cache, web storage and sign-in data Yes, once the app is gone/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0 Other · Microsoft AutoUpdate, shared with Office Only if no other app uses it/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL/MSTeamsAudioDevice.driver Other · audio driver used to share computer sound in meetings Yes, once the app is gone/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper Other · Microsoft AutoUpdate helper shared with Office apps Only if no other app uses it/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.microsoft.autoupdate.helper.plist Background item · starts the Microsoft AutoUpdate helper Only if no other app uses it~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.oneauth Shared container · Microsoft sign-in tokens shared with other Microsoft apps Only if no other app uses it

Locations are the standard macOS folders Microsoft Teams uses; some appear only after you use the matching feature.

What Microsoft Teams leaves behind

Specific to Microsoft Teams

Dragging the app to the Trash does not remove its associated data, which typically ranges from 500 MB – 5 GB. It leaves behind sign-in data, web storage, and cached app data across various Library containers. Additionally, a specialized audio driver for sharing computer sound remains in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL. Shared components like Microsoft AutoUpdate also persist to support other Office applications.

Current status: Microsoft has retired classic Teams; the current app is new Teams, which keeps its data in sandbox containers.
Background items: Teams installs an audio driver in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL for sharing sound, and is updated by Microsoft AutoUpdate, which is shared with Office; both stay after Teams is removed.
Account and sync: Chats, meetings and files live in your Microsoft 365 or Teams account; the Mac only keeps caches and sign-in data.

Preparing to uninstall Microsoft Teams

Before removal, ensure all active sessions are closed to avoid synchronization issues. Since chats and files live in your Microsoft 365 account, they are not stored locally within the app folders. However, any attachments you manually downloaded to local directories should be organized first. You must decide whether to keep the shared AutoUpdate tools based on your other installed software.

Sign out of every account and organization within the appSave downloaded chat attachments to a permanent folderQuit the app completely before removing any files

0 of 3 done

By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	8 folders, one by one	One scan
File sizes	You look them up yourself	Shown for every item
Removing the wrong thing	Easy to delete the wrong folder	Goes to the Trash first, so it can be restored
Cost	Free	Scan is free; cleaning needs Pro (yearly plan has a 7-day free trial)

See it working

OptiClear — Scan overview — every category on one screen — Scan overview — every category on one screen

OptiClear — Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach — Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach

OptiClear — Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you — Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you

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Frequently asked questions

Yes. Items marked “Only if no other app uses it” are also used by other apps from the same company; keep them while any of those apps is installed. Items marked “Yes, once the app is gone” only matter while Microsoft Teams is installed, so remove them after the app.

Can I delete the remaining Classic Teams folder?

Yes, the older Application Support folder left by the retired classic version can be deleted.

Should I remove the Microsoft AutoUpdate helper?

Keep it if you have other Office apps installed, as it is shared between them.