Microsoft Teams Not Showing Images or GIFs? Here’s How to Fix It on Windows

Microsoft Teams is widely used for workplace communication, file sharing, and collaboration. Images and GIFs play an important role in conversations—whether it’s screenshots, design previews, or quick visual feedback. However, many users encounter a frustrating issue where Microsoft Teams does not display images or GIF previews, forcing them to download files just to view them.

This problem is especially common on Windows 10 and Windows 11, and it can be caused by cache corruption, hardware acceleration issues, OneDrive sync problems, or a broken Teams installation.

Before jumping into advanced troubleshooting, start with a few basic checks. Then follow the fixes below to restore image previews in Microsoft Teams.

Preliminary Checks Before Troubleshooting

Before applying deeper fixes, make sure these basics are covered:

Check Your Internet Connection

A weak or unstable internet connection can prevent Teams from loading images, GIFs, and media previews correctly. If your connection drops frequently or is slow, Teams may fail to render images.

Restart Microsoft Teams

Temporary glitches are common. Fully closing Teams and reopening it can often resolve image loading issues.

Verify the Image File Format

Microsoft Teams supports common image formats such as JPEG, PNG, and GIF. Images in uncommon or unsupported formats may not display properly.

Update Microsoft Teams

Running an outdated version of Teams can lead to bugs and compatibility problems. Keeping Teams updated ensures you have the latest fixes and improvements.

Try Microsoft Teams Web

Open Teams in your browser to check whether images load there. If they do, the issue is likely specific to the desktop app.

Fix 1: Clear Microsoft Teams Cache (Most Effective)

A corrupted cache is one of the most common reasons why Microsoft Teams stops displaying images and GIFs.

Steps to Clear Teams Cache on Windows

1- Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog

2- Type: %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams and press Enter

3- File Explorer will open with Teams cache folders

4- Select all folders (Ctrl + A) and delete them

5- Restart your PC

6- Open Microsoft Teams and check if images load correctly

7- Clearing the cache does not delete your chats or files—it only removes temporary data.

Fix 2: Disable GPU Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration can sometimes interfere with image rendering, especially on systems with outdated or buggy graphics drivers.

How to Disable GPU Hardware Acceleration in Teams

1- Open Microsoft Teams

2- Click the three-dot menu at the top

3- Go to Settings

4- Open the General tab

5- Enable Disable GPU hardware acceleration

5- Restart Microsoft Teams

After restarting, try previewing images again.

Fix 3: Restart OneDrive Sync

Microsoft Teams relies heavily on OneDrive for file handling. If OneDrive is stuck or not syncing properly, image previews may fail.

Steps to Restart OneDrive

1- Click the OneDrive icon in the Windows taskbar

2- Click the Settings (gear) icon

3- Select Quit OneDrive

4- Relaunch OneDrive from the Start menu

5- Open Microsoft Teams and check image previews

This refreshes the connection between Teams and OneDrive.

Fix 4: Repair Microsoft Teams

If Teams system files are damaged, repairing the app can restore missing functionality without reinstalling everything.

How to Repair Microsoft Teams on Windows

1- Press Windows + I to open Settings

2- Go to Apps

3- Select Installed apps

4- Scroll to Microsoft Teams

5- Click the three-dot menu

6- Choose Advanced options

7- Click Repair

8- Follow the on-screen instructions

Once completed, reopen Teams and test image loading.

Fix 5: Reinstall Microsoft Teams (Last Resort)

If none of the above fixes work, a clean reinstall is the most reliable solution.

How to Reinstall Microsoft Teams

1- Open Settings

2- Go to Apps > Installed apps

3- Find Microsoft Teams

4- Click the three-dot menu and select Uninstall

5- Restart your PC

6- Download the latest version of Microsoft Teams from the official Microsoft website

7- Install Teams and sign in again

After reinstalling, images and GIF previews should display normally.

Final Thoughts

When Microsoft Teams is not showing images or GIFs, it disrupts conversations and slows collaboration. Thankfully, the issue is usually caused by cache corruption, GPU acceleration conflicts, OneDrive sync problems, or a broken app installation.

By following the steps in this guide—starting with clearing the cache and ending with a clean reinstall—you should be able to restore image previews and enjoy a smoother Teams experience.