While Microsoft Teams is feature-packed with many functions, such as a whiteboard, the ability to create multiple teams, a breakout room, and more, the app often misses the mark with basics like screen sharing and image previews. Lately, many have complained about the app not displaying images and gifs in conversations. Here’s how you can fix Microsoft Teams not displaying images on Windows.
Microsoft Teams not showing received images can break your workflow. Especially when you are expected to receive important images from your employees or co-workers. Moving to another platform may not be feasible for everyone, either. Instead, use the tricks below to troubleshoot Microsoft Teams not showing image problems.
1. Check the Internet Connection
You may not be able to check the image preview in Microsoft Teams due to a sketchy internet connection on your laptop or desktop.
Make sure you are working with an active internet connection on Windows. Go to the Windows Settings app (use Windows + I keys) and go to Network & Internet menu.
Connect to a Wi-Fi connection or explore an Ethernet connection on your computer. The latter offers robust internet connectivity on your laptop. If you have Wi-Fi issues on Windows 11, read our dedicated guide to fix the problem.
2. Force Quit Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams auto-starts in the background during system startup. It’s always running in the background.Sometimes, it makes sense to reboot the Teams app to fix minor glitches like the app not responding or not displaying images/gifs. Use the Task Manager on Windows and quit the Teams app.
Step 1: Right-click on the Windows key and open the Task Manager app.
Step 2: Find Microsoft Teams from the Apps list and click on it.
Step 3: Select the End Task button at the bottom, and Windows will suspend all the Teams process in the background.
Reopen the Microsoft Teams app, and you will soon start noticing image previews in the app.
3. Check the Image File Type
While Microsoft Teams can send/receive any file, not every image type is supported to showcase the preview. Standard image files like PNG or JPG can easily showcase images in the chat. If someone is sending your .webp file, you can’t check the preview. The same stays true for new image file types like .heic.
You must right-click on the image and select Download to save the media on the computer. You can now find the file in the Downloads folder and check the received image.
4. Clear Microsoft Teams Cache
Like Android apps, Windows apps like Microsoft Teams collect cache in the background to improve the overall experience. Sometimes, the overburden of such data can lead to issues like the app not displaying images. You need to clear the app cache and try again.
Step 1: Press Windows + R keys and open the Windows Run menu.
Step 2: Type %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams and press the Enter key.
Step 3: The command will open the File Explorer menu with all the Teams cache folders.
Select all folders (use Ctrl + A keys) and delete them from the computer. Restart your PC and try checking images in the Teams app again.
5. Disable GPU Hardware Acceleration
Disabling GPU acceleration on Microsoft Teams can help you overcome images issue in the app. Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Open Microsoft Teams and click on the three-dot menu at the top.
Step 2: Go to Settings and open the General menu.
Step 3: Turn on Disable GPU hardware acceleration.
Restart Teams and check images previews.
6. Update Teams
An outdated Microsoft Teams app can also result in errors with image previews. Let’s update the app to the latest version, shall we?
Step 1: Launch Microsoft Teams on Windows and select the three-dot menu at the top.
Step 2: Select check for update and install the newest version of Teams on the computer.
7. Download Images and Check From File Explorer
As mentioned, Microsoft Teams only supports specific file types like PNG or JPG. It may not load GIFs, webp, and HEIC files in the app. You need to download such files in the File Explorer app and try opening them. Windows doesn’t natively support HEIC files. You need to download an extension from the Microsoft App Store and try opening them again.
8. Disable and Enable OneDrive
Microsoft Teams may store received files on OneDrive. You can temporarily disable and enable OneDrive on your computer and try previewing images again.
Step 1: Click OneDrive on the Windows taskbar.
Step 2: Select the Settings gear at the top. Select Quit OneDrive.
Launch OneDrive and try previewing images in Microsoft Teams.
9. Repair Microsoft Teams
You have the option to repair Microsoft Teams to fix the app’s irregularities. Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Press the Windows + I keys to open Settings.
Step 2: Go to Apps and select Installed apps.
Step 3: Scroll to Microsoft Teams and click the three-dot menu beside the app name. Open Advanced options.
Step 4: Hit Repair from the following menu and follow the on-screen instructions.
10. Reinstall Microsoft Teams
Do you still face issues with displaying images in Microsoft Teams. It’s time to reinstall the app and try again.
Step 1: Launch Windows Settings and go to Apps > Installed Apps menu.
Step 2: Scroll to Microsoft Teams and click the more menu. Select Uninstall.
Step 3: Head to the link below and install Microsoft Teams on your computer.
Download Microsoft Teams on Windows
11. Try Teams Web
Microsoft Teams is also available on the web. You can opt for the Teams web version and see if the service is displaying received images or not.
12. Ask the User to Send an Image Again
Maybe the other person has sent a broken or corrupted image over Teams. You need to ask the recipient to check the image file and send it again.
Tip: Fix the Microsoft Teams Profile Picture Not Showing
By default, Teams uses your Microsoft account picture as the display photo. There is no way to set a custom profile picture in Microsoft Teams. You should completely stop Microsoft Teams, connect to a robust internet connection, and try opening the app again.
Check Image Previews in Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams not showing images and GIFs forces you to download the media file to peek at it. It’s not convenient. Use the tricks above, and you will start seeing media previews right into Teams channels and conversations.
Which trick worked for you to troubleshoot Teams not displaying pictures on Windows? Share your findings with our readers in the comments below.
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