How do I get a version of Teams that runs on MacOS 12?

Question

I'm looking for a way to get Teams desktop working on MacOS 12. The installer says I have to have MacOS 13. I know it works in a browser. It runs like garbage in the browser. Do I have any other options?

Answer 1

Dear @Tom Salyers,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I understand you’re trying to get Microsoft Teams running on macOS 12 (Monterey), and I’m sorry for the confusion this has caused.

At this point, there isn’t a supported desktop version of Microsoft Teams that can be installed on macOS 12. Microsoft Teams only supports the three most recent versions of macOS, and the new Teams desktop client requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer to install and run successfully. The older classic Teams client is no longer available for new installations, so it isn’t an option on macOS 12 anymore. For reference: End of availability for classic Teams client and Teams client system requirements

Due to this limitation, here are a few available options I recommend you look through in the meantime:

Option 1: Upgrade macOS to a newer supported version (if your Mac hardware allows it). This is the only way to install and use the current Teams desktop app.

Option 2: Continue to use Microsoft Teams in a web browser, which remains supported on macOS 12.

Although performance may vary depending on browser and hardware, here are some tips that may help improve performance and overall experience:

• Use a supported browser: Microsoft recommends using the latest version of Microsoft Edge (Chromium‑based) or Google Chrome for the best Teams web experience
• Close unused tabs and applications
• Clear browser cache and cookies
• Turn off video when not needed
• Use a stable internet connection. If possible, use a wired connection instead of Wi‑Fi, and avoid bandwidth‑heavy activities while in Teams meetings.
• Use a single Teams browser window. Avoid opening Teams in multiple tabs or windows at the same time.

As a forum moderator, I don’t have involvement in product, performance, or system decision‑making. However, Microsoft actively reviews customer feedback, and I strongly encourage you to share your experience and suggestions directly with the product team. This helps them understand real‑world impact and prioritize improvements.

You can submit feedback by selecting Settings and more (...) > Give feedback directly in Microsoft Teams (web or desktop).

Note: Please note that as a forum moderator, I don’t have involvement in product or system decisions, including support lifecycle policies or operating system requirements. My role here is to help clarify the current behavior, explain supported options, and guide you based on the information made publicly available by Microsoft.

I understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, and I apologize again for the inconvenience. I hope this information is helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

The first response may not always resolve the issue right away, but with your help and more details, we can work toward a solution.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward for your reply.

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Answer 2

To run Microsoft Teams on macOS 12, you will need to ensure that you are using a version of Teams that is compatible with that operating system. However, the official requirements state that the Teams desktop client requires one of the three most recent versions of macOS, which means it typically requires macOS 13 or later for the latest versions of Teams.

If you are unable to upgrade your macOS to version 13 or higher, your best option would be to use the Teams web app, although you mentioned it runs poorly in the browser. Unfortunately, there are no alternative versions of the Teams desktop client that officially support macOS 12, as Microsoft focuses on supporting the latest operating systems for performance and security reasons.

You might consider reaching out to your IT department or Microsoft support for any potential workarounds or older versions that might still function on macOS 12, but these would not be officially supported and could lead to performance issues or lack of features.