6 Ways to Reduce Microsoft Teams Memory Usage in Windows 10 or 11

Quick Tips

• Ensure Teams is updated to the latest version, as running an outdated version can cause problems.
• Disable animations and read receipts in the Teams app settings to prevent it from launching automatically at startup.
• If problems persist, clear the Teams app cache and repair it using Windows settings.

Fix 1: Disable GPU Hardware Acceleration in Teams

GPU hardware acceleration is enabled by default in Microsoft Teams for smooth performance. However, this feature can sometimes consume too much processing power, causing Microsoft Teams’ memory usage to skyrocket on Windows. If you don’t want that to happen, consider disabling GPU hardware acceleration in Teams.

Step 1: In the Microsoft Teams app, click the three-dot icon at the top and select Settings from the resulting menu.

Step 2: Select the General tab > tick the Disable GPU hardware acceleration option.

Fix 2: Turn off Animations and Read Receipts Teams

Although the animations in the Teams app are fun, those visual effects can increase Microsoft Teams’ memory usage on Windows. It’s best to disable them to prioritize performance.

Another thing that can help reduce Teams’ memory usage on Windows is disabling the read receipts feature, which gives a visual indication when someone has read a message.

Step 1: In the Teams app, open Settings.

Step 2: In the General tab, scroll down to Display > check the box for Turn off animations.

Step 3: Select the Privacy tab from the left sidebar. Then, scroll down and disable the toggle for Read receipts.

Fix 3: Disable Teams Auto-Start

By default, Microsoft Teams is configured to start automatically on Windows computers. This behavior can cause the app to consume memory even when you’re not using it. To stop Microsoft Teams from starting automatically on Windows:

Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch the Task Manager.

Step 2: In the Startup apps tab, locate Microsoft Teams. Right-click on it and select Disable.

Fix 4: Disable Teams Add-In in Outlook

The Teams add-in for Outlook lets you schedule a Teams meeting directly from the Outlook app. However, this add-in is known to cause problems with the Outlook and Teams apps on Windows. Hence, it’s best to disable it, especially if you don’t use it.

Step 1: Open the Outlook app > click the File menu at the top left.

Step 2: Select Options from the left pane.

Step 3: In the Outlook Options window, switch to the Add-ins tab. Use the drop-down menu next to Manage > select COM Add-ins. Then, click the Go button next to it.

Step 4: Uncheck the box for Microsoft Teams Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Office and click OK to save the changes.

Fix 5: Clear Microsoft Teams Cache Data

Overwhelming cache data can also prevent the Teams app from working efficiently on Windows and cause its memory usage to shoot up at times. Thankfully, getting rid of existing Teams cache data is easy.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type %appdata%\Microsoft\teams in the Open field and press Enter.

Step 2: In the File Explorer window, select the following folders: blob_storage, Cache, databases, GPUCache, Local Storage, and tmp.

Step 3: Click the trash icon at the top to delete them.

Fix 6: Repair Microsoft Teams

If clearing cache data does not help, try repairing the Microsoft Teams app on your computer. This will allow Windows to fix any common issues with the app.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + S to open the search menu > type Microsoft Teams in the search box > select App settings from the right pane.

Step 2: Scroll down to the Reset section and click on Repair. Once the process is complete, a checkmark should appear next to the Repair button.