Who This Affects and What Fixes It
This guide is for any small-business employee who uses Microsoft Teams and finds that it does not launch automatically when their computer starts. You can fix this by enabling the auto-start option inside Teams settings, or by confirming Teams is allowed to run at startup through your operating system’s built-in tools. Instructions are provided for both Windows and Mac.
Enable Teams Auto-Start on Windows
- Open Microsoft Teams.
- Click the three dots (…) in the top-right corner, next to your profile picture.
- Select Settings.
- In the General tab, check the box next to Auto-start Teams.
Still Not Opening on Windows? Check Task Manager
If Teams still does not open at startup after enabling the setting above, verify it is allowed to run through Task Manager:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click the Startup apps tab (the speedometer icon on the left).
- Find Microsoft Teams in the list.
- Make sure its status is set to Enabled. If it is disabled, right-click it and choose Enable.
Enable Teams Auto-Start on Mac
- Open Microsoft Teams.
- Click the three dots (…) in the top-right corner and select Settings.
- Go to the General tab.
- Check the box for Auto-start application.
Still Not Opening on Mac? Check Login Items
If the Teams setting alone does not work, confirm Teams is listed in your Mac’s login items:
- Open the Apple menu and go to System Settings.
- Click General, then Login Items.
- Under the Open at Login list, confirm that Microsoft Teams is present. If it is not, add it.
Need More Help?
If Teams still does not open automatically after following these steps, contact the ACS support team for further assistance.
Common questions
Where is the Auto-start setting in Microsoft Teams?
Open Teams, click the three dots (…) in the top-right corner next to your profile picture, select Settings, and go to the General tab. The Auto-start Teams checkbox is listed there for Windows users; Mac users will see the same option labeled Auto-start application.
I checked the Auto-start box in Teams, but it still does not open at startup. What should I do?
On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, go to the Startup apps tab, find Microsoft Teams, and make sure its status is Enabled. On Mac, go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Login Items and confirm Teams is in the Open at Login list.
Do these steps work for both Windows and Mac?
Yes. The Teams settings menu has an auto-start option on both operating systems. Each platform also has a separate system-level check—Task Manager on Windows and Login Items on Mac—that you can use if the Teams setting alone does not solve the problem.