PLEASE fix desktop app performance on macOS!! Constant high CPU usage and memory leaks!
I'm running Teams desktop app on macOS Catalina and the performance is TERRIBLE! If I get on a single 1-on-1 video call, the fan on my 2017 MacBook Pro starts spinning like crazy, CPU usage goes up to about 85%, and app begins to use over 1GB of RAM! To put it in perspective, I can get on a Zoom call with 10 other people, CPU usage is at less than 20%, and memory usage never passes 300MB
I've read on other forums to disable GPU acceleration in the settings, but that has only marginally helped.
Please fix your app!

Thank you for your reports. We released client and service updates this week, that address many MacOS-specific performance issues. We are also aware of recent performance issues with Microsoft Teams meetings, especially on laptops and when using external monitors.
The team is working to resolve these issues. In the meantime, please find troubleshooting information here: https://docs.microsoft.com/microsoftteams/troubleshoot/known-issues/teams-slow-video-meetings-laptops-4k.
216 comments
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The Dude commented
So, the common thread seems to be anyone using a mobile processor, particularly with an external monitor, has this overheating problem. That's particularly bad for me, as I use an Intel NUC i7 machine, which uses a mobile processor. But because it is a desktop form-factor, any display is an "external" display. At the moment, I am running a 4k and a FHD dual-monitor setup. Teams causes the unit to heat up so badly that it now shuts itself down to protect itself after 4 or 5 minutes of use.
Electron is pure garbage no matter what OS it is running on.
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soundararajan dhakshinamoorthy commented
Connect a external 4K monitor and run teams. You are done. What helped me is close any chrome browser processes running, and disable external monitor.
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Tyler commented
**Temporary Workaround --> USE BROWSER VERSION OF TEAMS ON MAC**
For anyone struggling with this problem. I just started using the browser version of teams and instantly noticed 40-50% reduction in fan speed on my MBP 16".
I was constantly working with 5000+ RPMs on both fans and now they hover around 3000 RPMs even with my external monitor plugged in and a fully active teams call. This fan speed is not very noticeable or distracting. The browser app is actually really good and has nearly all features of the native app (Screen sharing works, video is just as clear, recording, etc). -
Fritjof Andersson commented
We are thousands and thousands of Teams users on macOS that are still waiting for this bug fix.
Please fix ASAP. -
Anonymous commented
Please fix.
Switching between (guest) account and organization stalls Teams. need to force quit. Relogins needed with verification code via e-mail.Conf calls make the CPU go berzerk, MacBook is almost airborne with fans spinning at 100%.
Sometimes my MacBook has a kernel panic due to teams...Can't switch to other accounts while having conf calls.
I have 3 browser to manage my projects for different customers (Edge customer A, Safari Customer B, Chrome customer C.)
Otherwise bring back MSN Messenger as it was more stable and snappy ;)
It's really awful sorry.
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Garrett Reynolds commented
I'll add to this thread. I just switched my company over to teams and we all work off of macs. More than half of the users say it's unusable as it locks up their computer. Please fix this. It was a lot of work to move over to the platform and now I feel like we have to move back as it's not usable in it's current form.
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Thomas Theel commented
Only a few users complaining about. Most users just removed the app...
Its so slow, please work harder on it. -
Pål Smitt-Amundsen commented
The fan noise is too loud, making it hard to actually hear what people are saying in the Teams session! It's also making my head tired from the noise.
Macbook Pro
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jon payne commented
Still suffering massively with this issue. Like others have said - why can other chat apps do it and Teams can't? (I guess it's something to do with it being an Electron app... but really that's no excuse).
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Anonymous commented
Its still a problem. please fix it. NO other apps for conferencing is having this problem
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Emma L commented
Partially done is no good, we're a year into working and studying from home and the problem appears to be much worse with the latest update. Needs to be fixed. Not good enough when other VC options don't have this issue.
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Emre Önder commented
How to write a chatting application on Mac OS 101.
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vejmarie commented
MacOS has an hardware video encoding software interface which is available in OBS for example and through many other clients. Have you ever considered using it ? My Mac is using 7% CPU to encode a 4k stream. Teams is using 300% CPU, drops frames and becomes totally unusable. OBS is an open source software. Just get inspired by people who properly read an O/S documentation instead of this ****** implementation. You have been good at providing your tools to corporation, but seriously what a mess, and in proper preparation to release such poor quality software. Mac OS users complain during the past year. Would you want us to promote other tools to our businesses ?
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hermanni commented
imagine if one could change from a text chat to another in 2021 with a state of the art machine in under 10 seconds. one can dream!
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str3tch commented
this drives me crazy.. 15" MB Pro, 6 core i7.. Teams pushes the fan on almost straight away. Come on guys!! sort this out! no other VC app does this!
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Petr commented
Partially done? As joke its good, but no. The performance is horrid on all OSes.
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Vasil Mikhalenya commented
partially done, they said
awful work then -
Anonymous commented
This is just not acceptable. I can't use MS teams without headphones because of the fan. Even with good headphones, I have to move away from the computer due to the loud noise. My MacBook Pro 15" 2018 with i9 and 32GB RAM should not be the bottleneck.
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Chelovek commented
Sad to say that, but this is just not acceptable. Better to mark this application as cpu benchmark for the stress tests.
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Anonymous commented
Definitely not working or partially done. My daughter has to use teams on my Mac for homeschooling during the current lockdown. It burns up the cpu and gpu (8core mp) with 2 gpu. I what world is this ok?