Microsoft Teams Outlook plugin not working – how to fix?

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Here’s a question from a reader:
I use Teams extensively for meetings with clients. Couple days ago, i got a new PC and since then I’ve been trying to use the Teams plugin in Microsoft Outlook, but it’s not functioning properly. Whenever I try to schedule a Teams meeting from Outlook, i don’t even see the Teams button there. I’ve already checked that the plugin is installed, but it’s still not working. Any ide about which steps can I take to troubleshoot and fix this issue?

Fix Microsoft Teams Outlook integration not showing up issue

Verify that the Teams plugin is installed

First, ensure the Teams plugin is correctly installed in Outlook by following the steps below:

  1. Open Outlook and click on the “File” tab in the top-left corner.
  2. Select “Options” from the menu.
  3. In the Outlook Options window, click on “Add-Ins”.
  4. Look for “Microsoft Teams Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Office” in the list of active add-ins.

Reinstall the Teams plugin

If the plugin is not listed, you’ll need to reinstall it. Follow the steps below to reinstall the Teams Plugin:

  1. Close Outlook completely.
  2. Open the Control Panel on your computer.
  3. Go to “Programs and Features” or “Apps & features”.
  4. Find “Teams Machine-Wide Installer” and uninstall it.
  5. Restart your computer.
  6. Download and install the latest version of Teams from the official Microsoft website.

Clear Outlook Cache

Sometimes, a corrupted cache can cause issues. You can easily fix thios by following these steps:

  1. Close Outlook.
  2. Press Windows+R, type “%localappdata%\Microsoft\Outlook” and press Enter.
  3. Delete the contents of this folder (but not the folder itself).
  4. Restart Outlook.

Check Outlook Version Compatibility

Ensure your Outlook version is compatible with the Teams plugin:

  1. In Outlook, go to “File” > “Office Account”.
  2. Look for the version number under “About Outlook”.
  3. Compare this with the minimum requirements for the Teams plugin on Microsoft’s support site.

Update Outlook if it’s outdated

You can easily update your Outlook version for compatibility

  1. Open any Office application.
  2. Go to “File” > “Office Account” > “Update Options” > “Update Now”.

If the steps below don’t work

If the above steps don’t resolve the issue, try these additional troubleshooting methods:

  • Disable other Outlook add-ins temporarily to check for conflicts.
  • Create a new Outlook profile to test if the issue is profile-specific.
  • Repair your Office installation through Control Panel > Programs and Features.
  • Check your antivirus software settings; temporarily disable it to see if it’s interfering.
  • If problems persist, contact Microsoft Support or your IT department for further assistance.