How To Uninstall Microsoft Teams On Mac: Quick & Easy Ways

admin, How To , February 2nd, 2024 , 0

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration app that allows you to chat, meet, call, and collaborate with others. It comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and can also be downloaded for Mac, iOS, and Android devices.

While Teams can be a useful tool, you may eventually want to uninstall it from your Mac if you no longer need it or if it’s taking up a lot of space. Uninstalling Teams on a Mac is simple, but there are a couple of things you need to do to completely remove the app and all its related components.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to completely uninstall Microsoft Teams on your Mac using a few different methods.

Before You Uninstall Teams

Before uninstalling Teams, it’s a good idea to tie up any loose ends within the app to avoid losing any important data or information. Here are a few things you should do first:

• Export chat history – If you want to save a record of your Teams chats, you can export and save your chat history before uninstalling. Go to the chat you want to export, click on the More Options icon and choose “Export chat”.
• Save important files – If you have any files or resources in Teams that you want to keep, make sure to download them to your Mac before uninstalling the app. This includes things like shared meeting notes, documents, photos, etc.
• Notify colleagues – Inform  anyone you regularly communicate with on Teams      that you’ll be uninstalling it and migrating      your conversations to another platform. This avoids confusion if they try to message you on Teams after you’ve removed it.
• Sign out – Before uninstalling the Teams app itself, open it and sign out of your account. This ensures all your data is cleared from the local app before removing it.

Once you’ve done the above, you’re ready to fully uninstall Microsoft Teams from your Mac.

Also read: Best Calendar Apps For Mac

How to Uninstall Microsoft Teams on Mac

There are a couple of ways you can use to uninstall Teams on a Mac. The methods below will not only remove the main Teams app but all the related background processes and components as well that take up space on your device.

Method 1: Drag to Trash

The most straightforward way to uninstall any Mac app is to simply drag and drop it into the Trash. Here’s how to delete the MS Teams app:

Step 1: Close Microsoft Teams if it’s currently running.

Step 2: In Finder, go to your Applications folder. Find the Microsoft Teams app icon.

Step 3: Click and drag the Microsoft Teams app icon into the Trash. This will immediately remove the main Teams application.

Step 4: Empty the Trash to fully delete the app.

While this removes the Teams app itself, there are still some background files and processes that need to be dealt with. Keep reading the methods below to fully clean up after uninstalling Teams this way.

Also read: 10 Best Video Recording Software For Mac

Method 2: Manually Delete The App Using Finder

For full control over the uninstall process, you can manually locate and delete every Microsoft Teams file and component from your Mac. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Close Microsoft Teams if it’s running.

Step 2: Open Finder and go to your Applications folder. Drag the Microsoft Teams app to the Trash.

Step 3: Open your Mac’s Terminal app and run the following commands to delete additional Teams components:

rm -rf ~/Library/Application/Support/Microsoft/Teams 

rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.teams

rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.teams.plist

rm -rf ~/Library/Saved/Application/State/com.microsoft.teams.savedState

Step 4: Restart your Mac to fully complete the uninstall process.

This manual method gives you greater control and ensures every single Teams file gets removed from your system. The Terminal commands will delete any caches, preferences files, saved application state, and other hidden items related to Teams.

Also read: Best Terminal Alternatives for Mac Users (Free and Paid)

Method 3: Use a Third-Party App Cleaner & Uninstaller Tool

Another simple way to uninstall apps on a Mac is by using a third-party app cleaner tool. These tools will uninstall the app and tidy up all the related hidden files and components afterward.

Here’s how to use Cleanup My System app to uninstall Teams:

Step 1: Download and install the Cleanup My System app from the Mac App Store. Launch AppCleaner on your Mac.

Step 2: Switch to the “Uninstall Manager” section and follow the on-screen instructions to remove Teams from Mac.

Cleanup My System offers a thoughtfully crafted Uninstaller that enables effortless removal of unwanted applications, ensuring the complete elimination of associated files without any residual traces.

How to Remove Microsoft Teams Login Data

In addition to removing the app, you’ll also want to delete any saved Microsoft Teams login data and credentials from your Mac.

When you first signed into Teams, your login information was stored in your Mac’s keychain. To fully purge Teams from your system, you need to delete this as well.

Here’s how to delete your Microsoft Teams saved credentials:

Step 1: Open the Keychain Access app on your Mac. It is located in Applications > Utilities.

Step 2: In the Keychain Access search bar, type “Microsoft Teams” and press return.

Step 3: This will display any saved Teams login data. Select the entry and click the Delete button. Enter your admin password when prompted to confirm the deletion.

Step 4: Restart your Mac to fully remove the credentials.

With your login information deleted, you’ll have to re-enter your password if you ever reinstall Teams on your Mac in the future.

Also read: How To Set Up And Use Screen Sharing on Mac

Conclusion

Uninstalling Microsoft Teams on a Mac is a straightforward process if you follow the proper steps. By exporting your chat history, saving important files, notifying colleagues, and signing out beforehand, you can remove Teams without losing your data. Dragging the app to the Trash, using a cleaner tool, or manually deleting files will remove the main app. Clearing your login credentials from the Keychain will finalize the uninstall and secure your account.

With Teams fully removed from your system, you can always reinstall it later if needed. Just be sure to properly prepare for uninstalling to avoid any issues.