How to Fully Uninstall Microsoft Teams on Mac

In short: Dragging Teams to the Trash leaves a background updater and scattered support files behind. Here is how to uninstall Microsoft Teams on Mac the complete way. You will remove the app, stop the auto-updater, and clear its caches without touching anything the system needs.

Microsoft Teams is one of those apps that does not fully leave when you drag it to the Trash. The main app goes, but a background updater keeps running, and support files stay scattered across your Library. If you want to uninstall Microsoft Teams on Mac completely, you need to remove three things: the app itself, its auto-updater, and the caches and preference files it left behind. This guide walks through all three on macOS 14 (Sonoma) and macOS 15 (Sequoia).

Before you start, know that there are two versions in the wild. The older classic Teams and the newer app simply called Microsoft Teams (sometimes shown as "work or school"). The steps below cover both, so check for either name as you go.

Step 1: Quit Teams and its background helper

Teams keeps a helper process alive so it can update itself and show notifications. If you delete the app while that helper is running, macOS may recreate some files. So quit everything first.

1. Right-click the Teams icon in your Dock or menu bar and choose Quit.
2. Open Activity Monitor (in Applications > Utilities). In the search box, type Teams.
3. Select any process named Microsoft Teams, Teams, or com.microsoft.teams, then click the stop (X) button in the toolbar and choose Quit.

Repeat until the search comes back empty. This makes sure nothing respawns while you clean up.

Step 2: Move the app to the Trash

With Teams fully quit, remove the application.

1. Open Finder and go to your Applications folder.
2. Find Microsoft Teams (and Microsoft Teams classic if it is there).
3. Drag it to the Trash, or right-click and choose Move to Trash.

This is the reversible part of the process. Nothing is permanently gone until you empty the Trash, so if you realize you still need Teams, you can drag it right back out. That safety net is worth keeping in mind for every step here.

Step 3: Remove the background updater

Here is the piece most guides skip. Microsoft installs a separate auto-updater (Microsoft AutoUpdate, or MAU) that keeps checking for new versions even after Teams is gone. If you use other Microsoft apps like Word or Outlook, leave the updater alone, it manages those too. If Teams was your only Microsoft app, you can remove it.

The updater lives at /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/MAU2.0/. To open that path, in Finder press Command+Shift+G, paste the path, and press Return. Drag the Microsoft AutoUpdate.app to the Trash if you no longer need any Microsoft software. Also check ~/Library/LaunchAgents for a file starting with com.microsoft.update and move it to the Trash to stop the login-time check. To reach your user Library, use Command+Shift+G and enter ~/Library.

Step 4: Clear the leftover cache and preference files

Teams keeps caches, logs, and settings in your user Library. These are safe to remove because they only hold app data, not system files. Open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, and visit each of these folders. Delete any item whose name contains Teams or com.microsoft.teams:

• ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams
• ~/Library/Caches/com.microsoft.teams
• ~/Library/Preferences/com.microsoft.teams.plist
• ~/Library/Logs/Microsoft/Teams (if present)
• ~/Library/Containers and ~/Library/Group Containers for folders with com.microsoft.teams in the name

Two rules keep this safe. First, only touch files inside your home ~/Library folder. Never delete anything inside /System, and leave shared Microsoft folders alone if you still run Word, Excel, or Outlook. Second, send everything to the Trash rather than deleting it permanently. If Teams or another app misbehaves afterward, you can restore the files with a single Put Back.

A safer way to do this automatically

Hunting through Library folders by hand works, but it is easy to miss a cache or a container. A good cleaner does the same job with a preview first, so you see exactly what will be removed before anything moves. The rule to look for is simple: it should show you the files, only clear user-level junk by default, and send removals to the Trash so they stay reversible. A cleaner also has no reason to phone home, and you can confirm that yourself with a firewall like Little Snitch, which flags any outbound connection.

If you want a tool that follows those principles, CoreSweep is our top free pick. It is free forever, has an optional one-time Pro upgrade ($49, no subscription), ships with zero telemetry, and sends every removal to the Trash. For a lighter, budget-friendly runner-up, SkoonMac is also free, with a one-time Pro at just $19. Either one lets you preview and clear Teams leftovers without the manual folder hunting.

Verify Teams is fully gone

To confirm, restart your Mac and open Activity Monitor once more. Search for Teams. If nothing appears, the app and its updater are no longer running. Then empty the Trash when you are confident you will not need any of it back. That final step is the only irreversible one, so take it last.

Frequently asked questions

Does dragging Microsoft Teams to the Trash fully uninstall it?

No. Dragging Teams to the Trash removes the main app, but a background auto-updater keeps running and support files stay scattered across your Library. To uninstall Teams completely you need to remove three things: the app, its updater, and the leftover caches and preference files.

Should I remove Microsoft AutoUpdate when I uninstall Teams?

Only if Teams was your only Microsoft app. Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) also manages Word, Excel, and Outlook, so if you still use any of those, leave it alone. If Teams was the last Microsoft app, you can move Microsoft AutoUpdate.app and its com.microsoft.update LaunchAgent to the Trash.

Is it safe to delete the Teams cache and preference files?

Yes, as long as you only touch files inside your home ~/Library folder and never anything in /System. Those items hold app data like caches, logs, and settings, not system files. Send everything to the Trash rather than deleting permanently, so you can use Put Back to restore anything if an app misbehaves afterward.

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