Microsoft Teams messages or chat history have disappeared

Sometimes the new Microsoft Teams desktop client (Windows or macOS) stops showing some or all of your chat history or displays older messages as "This message has been deleted", even though the messages are still safely stored in the cloud.

In most cases this is a local cache or indexing problem on your computer, not actual data loss. Your messages are stored in Microsoft 365, and you can confirm they're intact by signing in to Teams through a web browser. The steps below start with the quickest check and work through to the deeper fixes.

Step 1: Confirm your messages on Teams on the web

This tells us whether the problem is only on your desktop app, or whether the messages are missing everywhere.

1. Open a new private/incognito browser window. Using a private window avoids any saved browser data interfering with the check:
   • Microsoft Edge: press Ctrl + Shift + N (InPrivate window)
   • Google Chrome: press Ctrl + Shift + N (Incognito window)
2. Go to https://teams.microsoft.com and sign in with your work account.
3. Open the chat or channel where messages are missing, and check whether the history displays correctly.

If the messages ARE there on the web: the data is safe in the cloud and the problem is with your desktop app. Continue to Step 2.

If the messages are NOT there on the web either: please stop here and log a case with RWTS Support (Step 4). Do not clear your cache or reinstall Teams - this won't bring the messages back, and we'll need to investigate further.
 

Step 2: Fully quit and reload Teams

Closing the Teams window doesn't always stop the app - it often keeps running in the background, so a proper quit and reload is worth trying first.

Windows

1. Right-click the Teams icon in the taskbar (or in the system tray near the clock).
2. Select Quit.
3. Wait a few seconds, then reopen Teams from the Start menu.

macOS

1. Right-click the Teams icon in the Dock and select Quit, or press Command (⌘) + Q.
2. Wait a few seconds, then reopen Teams.

Give Teams a minute or two to resync your history from the cloud, then check again. If your messages have returned, you're done.
 

Step 3: Clear the Teams cache

If the messages are still missing in the desktop app, clearing the local cache forces Teams to rebuild it and re-download your history from the cloud.

Follow the steps in our existing article, which covers both Windows and macOS, and both Classic and New Teams:

Article: Microsoft Teams performance is slow or slow when performing Teams meetings

After clearing the cache and restarting Teams, allow a few minutes for your history to resync, then check again.
 

Step 4: Log a case with RWTS Support

If your messages are still missing after clearing the cache - or they came back but disappeared again a short time later - please log a case with RWTS Support so we can investigate.
 

Contact RWTS Support

• Email: support@rwts.com.au
• Phone: 1300 798 718
• Or submit a request through the Real World Help Centre.