Issues with Teams - blank activity window and no sidebar when I view chat _VERY ANNOYING!

Question

I am on a MAC and cannot seem to fix the messed up settings on this newer version of Teams.

Previously, the chats would show up with the left sidebar automatically and now they don't. In fact it's really awkward how it's set up now. I've read other articles others are having that are similar to mine but nothing I've seen has fixed this yet.

I have my settings on 'combined' but it doesn't appear that anything has changed and when I go to the chat window, it's only a list of recent chat, no sidebar. Whoever made these unnecessary changes to this app should be fired. They are NOT helpful at all!

Btw, this is the version I'm using: 26032.605.4378.6183

Answer 1

Dear @MaryAnn R,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.

I’m really sorry to hear about the issues you’re facing with Teams. I can imagine how frustrating that must be. As a forum moderator, I genuinely wish I could access your account or the backend systems to directly troubleshoot and resolve this for you. Unfortunately, my role here is limited to offering general guidance and solutions that you can apply on your end.

I tried to replicate the issue on my side, but Teams is functioning normally for me. Since you’ve already tried all the standard troubleshooting steps and the issue persists, I recommend that the Global Admin in your organization create a service request with Microsoft Support. A technical support engineer can perform a remote session to investigate the situation, verify the backend configurations, and run any necessary synchronization tools to resolve the problem. If the issue requires further attention, they can escalate it to a specialized team for deeper analysis. Ask The Global Admin in your organization to create a service request with Microsoft support to get advanced technical assistance and diagnostics. For detailed instructions on how to get support, please refer to Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. If you don't know who your IT administrator is, please refer to this article: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support 

For additional assistance, use this link to find the appropriate contact number from your region: Global Customer Service phone numbers - Microsoft Support 

I truly hope you get your issue resolved swiftly. Please know that even though I can't directly intervene, directing you to the correct, specialized support is the most effective help I can provide from my position. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything else. Wishing you all the best and hoping for a swift resolution!

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Answer 2

It sounds like you're experiencing issues with the sidebar and chat display in Microsoft Teams on your Mac. Here are a few steps you can try to resolve the issue:

1. Zoom Settings: Sometimes, adjusting the zoom settings can help. Try pressing Ctrl and + to zoom in, which may enlarge the sidebar and make it more visible.
2. Check for Updates: Ensure that you are using the latest version of Teams. You can check for updates within the app to see if there are any available that might fix the issue.
3. Reset Teams: If the problem persists, consider resetting Teams. You can do this by quitting the app completely, then navigating to ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams and deleting the contents of that folder. After that, restart Teams.
4. Reinstall Teams: If none of the above solutions work, you might want to uninstall and then reinstall Microsoft Teams. This can often resolve persistent issues.

If you continue to face problems, it may be beneficial to check the Microsoft support forums or contact their support directly for further assistance.

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References:

• My sidebar is super small on teams... how do i enlarge it? - Microsoft Q&A
• Teams doesn't load - Safari