Screen Flickering In Microsoft Teams: 6 Fixes To Try

Stuck trying to stop your screen from flickering while on Teams?

Sadly, this is a known issue and can be super annoying when it happens, especially when you need to talk to your team or give an important presentation.

If your screen is flickering in Microsoft Teams, chances are the GPU Hardware acceleration feature is enabled, you have a corrupted cache, or the platform’s servers are down.

But, don’t worry. Try these 6 simple fixes to stop your screen from flickering while on Teams:

1. Relaunch Teams.
2. Disable GPU Hardware acceleration.
3. Share your entire screen.
4. Clear your cache.
5. Check your connection.
6. Check the platform’s servers.

Keep reading to solve this issue!

#1 Relaunch Teams

Although Microsoft Teams is one of the best collaboration platforms on the market, its performance issues are very common.

You wouldn’t believe how many people have complained about not being able to give an important presentation or take calls because their screen keeps flickering.

Microsoft Teams is supposed to make things easier for you, not the opposite. But, don’t worry. I’m here to help.

If your screen keeps flickering while on Teams, try relaunching the app. This is the easiest way to get rid of any temporary glitches that may be causing the error.

Follow these simple steps to do it:

Windows PC:

1. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your computer at the same time to open the Task Manager.
2. Click on Microsoft Teams.
3. Select “End Task” to fully close the app.

Mac:

1. Press the Option + Command + Escape keys at the same time.
2. Click on Microsoft Teams and select “Force Quit”.
3. Choose “Force Quit” again to confirm the process.

Once you’ve closed Teams, try opening it and joining your meeting again to see if the issue was solved.

Tip: If the issue persists, and you’re in a hurry, try using the app’s web version.

#2 Disable GPU Hardware Acceleration

Moving on, I’d like you to disable the GPU hardware acceleration feature.

You see, this feature lightens the load on your CPU by distributing tasks between other components on your PC. This way, if you have an old computer, it will be able to run smoothly while using online services, such as Microsoft Teams.

Sadly, this feature doesn’t always work as smoothly as it should, especially if your PC’s components aren’t powerful enough. This could be the reason your screen keeps flickering while on Teams.

But, don’t worry. You can easily disable the hardware acceleration feature to solve the issue. Follow these simple instructions to do it:

1. Open the Microsoft Teams desktop app and click on the three dots icon next to your profile picture.
2. Select “Settings” from the drop-down menu.
3. Go to “General”.
4. Uncheck the “Disable GPU hardware acceleration” box.
5. Restart Microsoft Teams.

#3 Share Your Entire Screen

If you’re having the issue while sharing your screen, chances are you’re only sharing one window.

But, don’t worry. The easiest way to avoid this situation from happening again is by sharing your entire screen. Thousands of users have found that doing this quick action solved the problem, so it’s worth trying it.

Follow these simple steps to share your entire screen:

1. Close any tabs you don’t want your coworkers to see, and click on “Share” at the top of your screen.
2. Select “Screen”.

#4 Clear Your Cache

If you’ve tried restarting the app and disabling the GPU hardware acceleration feature, but your screen keeps flickering while on Teams, you might want to clear your cache.

Your cache is a reserved storage location in your device where browsers and apps, such as Microsoft Teams, store files of data in order to access it later.

Without your cache, Microsoft Teams would run a lot slower because it would need to re-download this information from its servers.

Unfortunately, sometimes the files stored in your cache can become damaged and cause multiple errors, such as a flickering screen.

Don’t worry, though. Getting rid of these files is as simple as clearing your cache. Follow these quick steps to do it:

Mac:

1. Quit Microsoft Teams and open Finder. Then, click on “Go”.
2. Click on “Go to Folder”.
3. Type “~/Library/Applications Support/Microsoft” in the text field. Then, click on “Go”.
4. Right-click on the “teams” folder and click on “Move to Trash” or “Move to Bin”.
5. Open the Spotlight Search by clicking on the magnifier glass icon at the top of your screen.
6. Type “Keychain” and select “Keychain Access”.
7. Search for Microsoft Teams and right-click on “Microsoft Teams Identities Cache”. Then, select “Delete”.

Windows PC:

1. Fully close the app. Then, type “Run” on the search bar at the bottom of your screen and hit Enter.
2. Type “%appdata%\ Microsoft\Teams” in the text field. Then, click on “Ok”.
3. Click on “Select All” at the top of your screen and select “Delete”.

Once you’ve cleared your cache, open Microsoft Teams and sign in to your account again.

#5 Check Your Connection

Moving on, let’s run an Internet speed test on speedtest.net to check if your connection is to blame.

If the results show that you’re not getting the download and upload speeds that you’re paying for, you may experience all sorts of issues while trying to use Microsoft Teams, such as a flickering screen.

When this happens, we tend to blame our Internet service provider. However, there are multiple actions that we may be doing that are affecting our connection.

For example, if your router is too far away from your computer or is placed in your kitchen and near thick walls, your connection will be compromised. This is why I always recommend to our readers to place their router in a central location at their home.

If your screen keeps flickering after getting closer to your router, chances are your Wi-Fi network is overloaded. Try turning off any devices you’re no longer using to avoid this situation from happening again.

But, if that didn’t work, it’s time for us to connect your computer to your modem using an Ethernet cable. This is one of the easiest ways to get the best out of your Internet plan since Ethernet connections are usually faster than Wi-Fi.

Tip: If Microsoft Teams keeps going offline, try the tips above.

#6 Check the Platform’s Servers

If nothing has worked so far, there’s a very good chance Microsoft Teams is down.

The platform’s servers are in charge of providing data and services to its clients over a network.

Although Microsoft is always trying its best to prevent system failures, sometimes coding errors and bugs can cause server downtime.

This could explain why your screen keeps flickering while trying to join a meeting or share your screen.

To check if the platform’s servers are down, please enter downdetector.com/status/teams/.

You’ll notice a graph and a small report. If the graph is red or orange and the report says that users indicate possible problems at Microsoft Teams, you’ll need to wait until the app solves the issue.

Conclusion

There’s nothing more annoying than not being able to give a presentation on Microsoft Teams because your screen keeps flickering.

Hopefully, now that we’ve covered everything, you’ll be able to solve the issue in no time.

Remember that the easiest way to stop your screen from flickering while on Teams it is by restarting the app and disabling the GPU hardware acceleration feature. However, clearing your cache and checking your Internet connection should also do the trick.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the 6 fixes above. If you ever experience a different issue while trying to use Teams or any other platform, check out our content. You’ll find multiple articles that will help you fix it and improve your experience.

Have a wonderful day!