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Problem guide · 11 fix-it guides · Last reviewed · By Harry
Meetings, calls and chat problems (Teams, Zoom, Webex, Slack)
Can't join a Teams or Zoom meeting, calls freezing, messages stuck sending? Tell a vendor outage from client cache, audio, firewall and Wi-Fi faults.
Meeting problems get escalated fast because they happen in front of an audience, usually a client or the board, two minutes before the start. The temptation is to say "Teams is down" and move on. In practice most join failures and frozen calls come from the local client (a stale cache, an outdated app, a broken meeting-link handler), the headset or camera, or the network path: office Wi-Fi, a VPN routing media through another country, or a firewall that only allows web traffic.
Chat and calls also fail independently. Chat uses ordinary HTTPS; live audio and video prefer UDP to the vendor's media relays. So "chat works but calls freeze" points at the network, while "nothing loads for anyone" points at the vendor. Use the checks below to decide which, then open the guide that matches the symptom.
Which guide fits your symptom?
Can't join or start a meeting
- Teams “We couldn’t connect you”: can’t join meeting triageTeams says 'We couldn't connect you' or will not join a meeting.
- Can't open Teams meetings from OutlookClicking Join in an Outlook invite does nothing or loops in the browser.
- Zoom meeting won't start or join button does nothingZoom will not start, the join button does nothing, or you wait in the waiting room forever.
- Webex meeting won't join or keeps disconnectingWebex fails to join, crashes on entry or drops you mid-meeting.
App will not load
Messages and notifications
- Teams chat messages not delivering or stuck sendingTeams chat messages are stuck on sending or missing.
- Teams notifications not working on desktop or phoneTeams banners, phone alerts or incoming call rings stop appearing.
- Slack messages not sending or notifications not arrivingSlack messages show a red warning, or Slack notifications do not arrive.
Also worth a look
These guides live under another problem type but often turn up with this symptom.
- Wi-Fi keeps dropping on a work laptopCalls drop because the laptop's Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting.
- VPN connected but no internet or can't reach internal sitesMeetings and chat break only while the VPN is connected.
Related status pages
Live vendor status, checked every five minutes. If the vendor has posted an incident, the guides above become a waiting game rather than a fix.
FAQ
- Is Teams down or is it just me?
- Try the Teams web app and the mobile app on mobile data. If they work, Teams is up and your desktop client or network is the problem. A real outage affects many organisations and appears on the Teams and Microsoft 365 status pages.
- Why does chat work but calls freeze?
- Chat runs over normal HTTPS, while calls prefer UDP media to the vendor's relays. A congested access point, a VPN routing media the long way round, or a firewall that only allows port 443 will break calls and leave chat fine.
- What should I do two minutes before an important meeting?
- Do not troubleshoot. Join from the browser or your phone, or dial in if the invite has a phone number, and fix the desktop client afterwards.
- Does clearing the Teams or Zoom cache delete my chats?
- No. Chats, files and recordings live in the service. Clearing the local cache only removes temporary data on the PC; you may need to sign in again afterwards.