Microsoft Teams Classic is retired, but its app and support files can remain on your Mac. Start by removing the application through Finder, then clear its leftover support folder. If macOS says Teams is still running, the force-quit and safe-mode steps below address that block.
Remove Teams Classic through Finder
This removes the Classic app; leftover support files need separate cleanup.
Right-click the Teams Classic icon in the Dock.
Hold Option and select Force Quit.
Open Finder > Go > Applications.
Select the Classic installation. Microsoft names its documented Classic app Microsoft Teams classic.app, but older installations have different names or locations. An app name alone does not reliably distinguish every historical installation, so do not select your current Teams app just because its name lacks “classic.”
Choose File > Move to Trash.
Enter an administrator username and password if macOS requests them.
Review the contents of the Trash before emptying it, because that deletes everything inside.
Choose Finder > Empty Trash to permanently delete those contents.
Find Classic outside Applications
Search for the Classic app in Spotlight. The main Applications folder is not its only possible location. An installation in Home > Applications must be removed from that folder.
With Classic already quit, hold Command while double-clicking its search result to reveal the actual app bundle in Finder.
For the revealed Classic app bundle, choose File > Move to Trash.
Finish with Finder > Empty Trash when you are ready to permanently delete everything currently in the Trash.
Clear an app is in use error
If macOS says Teams is still running, close it before retrying removal.
- 1.With Teams Classic active, press Command-Q to quit.
- 2.If it does not respond, press Option-Command-Esc to open the force-quit window.
- 3.Select Teams and click Force Quit.
- 4.Retry removal in Finder using File > Move to Trash on the Classic app.
- 5.If deletion remains blocked, choose Apple menu > Restart.
- 6.Before reopening Teams, retry File > Move to Trash on the Classic app in Finder.
Use safe mode for a persistent deletion block
Apple recommends safe mode when an app remains undeletable because it is in use. Follow the startup instructions for your Mac’s processor, then remove Classic through Finder.
On an Apple silicon Mac, shut down the computer.
Hold the power button until startup options appear. On laptops with Touch ID, the Touch ID button also serves as the power button.
Select the startup disk.
Hold Shift and click Continue in Safe Mode.
Log in to your Mac.
On an Intel Mac instead, hold Shift immediately after turning on or restarting the computer, until the login window appears. An Intel Mac with a firmware password cannot use this startup procedure until that restriction is addressed.
Log in once the Intel Mac reaches the login window.
In safe mode, select the Classic app in Finder.
Choose File > Move to Trash.
Choose Apple menu > Restart to start normally afterward.
Clean up the remaining Classic support folder
Finder removal leaves any remaining support files for separate cleanup. This optional step deletes Classic’s support folder for your current Mac account. It does not uninstall an app that is still installed.
After removing Classic, open Finder > Go > Go to Folder.
Enter ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/ to open the folder containing Classic’s support folder.
Move the Teams folder inside that location to the Trash, leaving the surrounding Microsoft folder intact.
Choose Finder > Empty Trash when you are ready to permanently delete its contents. This cleanup does not unload or remove the Classic updater daemon.
If Finder cannot complete the cleanup, use Microsoft’s Terminal removal procedure for installations matching its documented Classic paths. That procedure also addresses preferences, the updater daemon, and its log. Its commands bypass the Trash and require administrator permissions for system files; on a work-managed Mac, ask your administrator to handle removal when you lack those permissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reinstall Teams Classic after removing it?
Teams Classic is retired. Microsoft ended support on July 1, 2024, and availability on July 1, 2025. For the supported replacement, open https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/download-app and select Download Teams for Mac.
Does removing the Teams icon from the Dock uninstall it?
No. Removing a Dock icon, signing out, disabling login items, or clearing caches does not uninstall the application. You need to remove the app itself.
Can I use Teams in a browser after removing the local app?
Yes. Browser Teams provides continued access after local removal. Opening Teams in a browser does not uninstall an app that is still on your Mac.
Is there an uninstall option inside Teams or my Microsoft account?
Microsoft’s published Mac removal instructions don’t use a Teams in-app setting or the Microsoft account web portal; they remove the app locally from the Applications folder. Use a local removal method such as Finder.