New problem - Cannot connect to a Teams meeting.

Question

I can connect to Teams, but cannot connect to a Teams meeting. The site just keeps circling. Happened yesterday and again today with separate organizers and times, etc.

Answer 1

Hi @David Ferron,

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

I completely understand how inconvenient this situation can be, especially when you’re able to sign in to Microsoft Teams without any issue, yet the meeting join page continues to load endlessly and never actually connects.

In many cases, this type of behavior is caused by a few common factors. These can include being placed in the meeting lobby, joining from an unsupported browser, experiencing low or unstable network connectivity, or encountering account or policy restrictions tied to the meeting itself. For example, some meetings require you to join using the same account that received the invitation. Microsoft documents these scenarios in their guidance here: I can't join a meeting in Microsoft Teams.

To start, here are a few quick checks you may want to try:

1/ Try a different join method:

If you’re joining via the desktop app, consider switching to the web at teams.microsoft.com (Edge or Chrome are recommended).

Conversely, if you’re using the web version, testing the desktop or mobile app can help determine whether the issue is client‑specific.

2/ Check whether you’re stuck in the lobby:

Some meetings automatically place attendees in the lobby until they’re admitted by the organizer. If this may be the case, reaching out to the organizer to request admission can help.

3/ Confirm you’re signed in with the correct account:

If the meeting invitation was sent to a different work or school account than the one you’re currently signed into, the join process may fail or loop. Microsoft refers to this behavior as "Sign in to join" or "Sign in with a different account to join".

If the issue persists, the following steps often resolve it:

1/ Sign out and sign back in:

Occasionally, a stale session token can interfere with joining meetings. Signing out of Teams, restarting the app, and then signing back in can refresh the session.

2/ Clear the Teams cache:

Cache-related issues are common and can be resolved by following the steps outlined here: Clear the Teams client cache.

3/ If the meeting works in the browser but not the desktop app:

This typically points to a client-side issue. In that case, clearing the cache and signing out and back in is usually the most effective first step.

4/ Contact your IT administrator:

If this problem continues across multiple meetings or starts impacting your work, I strongly recommend reaching out to your IT administrator.

Your IT admin can create a support ticket by sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center following steps from this link: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn to raise a support ticket from admin center or calling the phone support to contact Microsoft Support: Customer service phone numbers - Microsoft Support.

Alternatively, you can look for the way to find your admin through this link: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support.

Note: We appreciate your understanding regarding the scope of support available through this forum. As moderators, our role is to provide general guidance and assist with common troubleshooting steps. While we do not have access to internal systems or administrative tools required to resolve account-specific or backend-related issues but we’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of our responsibilities.

I hope this helps you move forward smoothly. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please feel free to reach out and I’ll be happy to continue assisting you.

Thank you for your patience and understanding, and I look forward to supporting you further.

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Answer 2

If you are having trouble connecting to a Teams meeting and the site keeps circling, there are several potential causes and resolutions you can try:

1. Check Your Teams App Version: Ensure that you are using the correct version of Microsoft Teams, especially if you have both personal and work accounts.
2. Clear Teams Cache: Clearing the cache can resolve many loading issues. Here’s how to do it:
   • For Windows: Quit Teams, then navigate to %userprofile%\appdata\local\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams and delete all files in that directory. Restart Teams afterward.
   • For macOS: Quit Teams, open Terminal, and run the commands: rm -rf ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams and rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2. Restart Teams after.
3. Try a Different Browser or Incognito Mode: If you are using a web browser, try opening the meeting link in an incognito window or a different browser.
4. Check External Meeting Permissions: If the meeting is hosted by an external organization, ensure that the meeting allows external participants and that the link is not restricted to their organization’s domain.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider reaching out to your IT support or checking the Microsoft Community for further assistance.

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References:

• Can't join a Teams meeting through PSTN dial-in or CVI-enabled devices
• Errors when external participants try to join a Teams meeting