Quick answer
The most common cause is Do Not Disturb mode or notifications turned off in Teams itself, followed by Windows notification settings and focus mode. First check your status and notification settings in Teams, then system permissions, and finally reinstall or reset Teams if the problem persists.
How to recognize the problem
- Chat messages arrive but there is no pop-up notification or sound
- Call and meeting notifications do not appear at all
- The Teams icon in the system tray does not show the unread count
- Notifications work on the phone but not on the computer
- Only a brief banner appears on screen without sound
Most common causes
Do Not Disturb mode is on
Do Not Disturb status suppresses all notifications until you change it. It often stays on after a meeting or screen sharing.
Notifications turned off in Teams
In notification settings, individual categories (chat, channels, calls) may be set to Off or Mentions only.
Windows is blocking notifications for Teams
System notification settings, focus mode, or Do Not Disturb mode can completely block pop-up messages.
Outdated or corrupted Teams cache
After major updates, the cache can cause notifications to stop appearing even though everything is enabled.
Wrong account or multiple instances
If you are signed in to multiple accounts or have both old and new Teams, notifications may go to the wrong instance.
Step-by-step fix
- 1
Check your status in Teams
Click your profile picture in the top right corner and check your current status. If it says Do Not Disturb, select Available or Busy. You can also change your status manually from the drop-down menu, and it may be set automatically during a meeting or screen sharing.
- 2
Open notification settings
Click the three dots next to your profile picture and select Settings > Notifications. Check that notifications are not turned off and that the categories Chat, Channels, Mentions, and Calls are set to show.
- 3
Set notification style and sound
In the same window, under Notification style, select Banner or Banner and sound instead of Only in Teams. Also check that the option to show message previews is not turned off, because without it the banner may appear empty.
- 4
Check Windows notification settings
Open Settings > System > Notifications and make sure notifications are turned on and Teams is allowed in the app list. Turn off Do Not Disturb if it is active and check automatic rules that may turn it on, for example during games or presentations. If you use Windows 10, also check that Focus assist is not turned on.
- 5
Check background permissions
In Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Microsoft Teams and open Advanced options. If available, make sure the permission to run in the background is turned on, because without it notifications may only arrive while the window is open.
- 6
Sign out and sign back in
Click your profile picture and select Sign out, then sign in with the same account. This refreshes the connection to the server and often resolves notification delivery issues.
- 7
Clear the Teams cache
Close Teams, then in the search box or the Run dialog (Windows + R) open the appropriate cache folder: for the older client
%appdata%\Microsoft\Teams, and for the new Teams%localappdata%\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams. Delete the contents of that folder, but not other folders in the same location. Start Teams again and wait for it to load. This does not delete messages; they remain on the server. - 8
Reinstall Teams
If nothing helped, uninstall Teams from Settings > Apps > Installed apps, then install it again from the official Microsoft website or the Microsoft 365 portal. After installation, check notification settings again.
When the problem is not on your computer
If notifications are not arriving for anyone on the team, check the Microsoft 365 service status on the service health page in the Microsoft 365 admin center or on the public status page. Sometimes the organization administrator turns off notifications at the tenant level or restricts them by policy. In that case, local settings will not help. Contact your administrator with the exact time the problem started and information about whether it occurs on the computer, phone, or both. If you use the mobile app, also check the system notification permissions for Teams (on iOS Settings > Notifications > Teams, and on Android Settings > Apps > Teams > Notifications), because they are often turned off after a system update.
How to prevent it
- After every meeting, check that your status has not remained on Do Not Disturb
- Keep Teams updated through Microsoft 365 apps
- Occasionally check Windows notification settings and focus mode
- Do not turn off the background permission for Teams
When to call a professional
If you have gone through all the settings and notifications still do not arrive or the problem affects the whole team, contact IT support to check organization policies and service status.
IT infrastructure maintenance · Servers, networks, backup, security and helpdeskFAQ
Why do I get notifications on my phone but not on my computer?
This means notifications on the account are correct, but the computer is blocking them. Check Windows notification settings, focus mode, and the background permission for Teams.
Does clearing the cache delete messages?
No. Messages, files, and chat history are stored on the server, and clearing the cache only removes the local copy of data and display settings.
Notifications only fail for channels; chat works. What should I check?
In Settings > Notifications, check the Channels category separately. It is often set to Off or Mentions only, so channel messages do not show a banner.