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To manage Microsoft Teams, open Settings and more beside your profile picture and select Settings. What you can change depends on your account: personal-use settings include mobile data and privacy controls, while work or school files and retention are governed by Microsoft 365 storage and your organization’s policies.
Find a setting quickly
In the desktop app, select Settings and more next to your profile picture, then choose Settings. Use the settings search box to find an option by its category, name, or a descriptive keyword. From there, you can adjust preferences such as language and regional formats, appearance, profile, and status. Language or region changes may require restarting Teams to take effect. Microsoft’s settings guide describes the available settings and navigation.
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Set notification behavior
Go to Settings > Notifications and activity. Rather than treating notifications as one on/off switch, adjust the category and display behavior that matches what you want Teams to interrupt you for.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →- General and display choices: Control notification behavior and how alerts appear, including whether message content is previewed.
- Chat and channel alerts: Tune notifications for conversations and channel activity so less-relevant updates do not compete with direct messages.
- Meetings, apps, and activity: Review these categories separately to manage alerts about meetings and other Teams activity.
Options can differ by platform. For example, Microsoft lists muting all notifications except calls and meetings as a Windows option. See Microsoft’s notification guidance for platform-specific details.
#1 Best Overall
- Compatible with Nintendo Switch 2’s new GameChat mode
- Auto-Light Balance: RightLight boosts brightness by up to 50%, reducing shadows so you look your best—compared to previous-generation Logitech webcams (1)
- Privacy with a Slide: The integrated webcam cover makes it easy to get total, reliable privacy when you're not on a video call
- Built-In Mic: The built-in microphone lets others hear you clearly during video calls
- Easy Plug-And-Play: The Brio 101 works with most video calling platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet—no hassle; it just works
Manage data and storage in personal-use Teams on mobile
These controls are for Teams for personal use on iOS and Android; they are not a general desktop or work/school storage-management menu. In the mobile app, open your profile picture, then select Settings > Data and Storage. Microsoft’s guidance says this feature is currently available on iOS and Android. Microsoft’s data and storage instructions cover the menu.
- Clear temporary files or app data: Remove local app data through the options provided in the menu.
- Reset the app database: Use the reset option if you need to rebuild the app’s local database; it is distinct from managing cloud files or an organization’s retention policy.
- Reduce video-call data use: Change the setting intended to use less data during calls.
- Change image upload quality: Adjust the quality used when uploading images.
- Review history: Show or clear the history available in the app.
Control how people find a personal-use account
In personal-use Teams, open Settings > Privacy to review discoverability, calling, group-add, and profile contact-detail controls. Microsoft says personal accounts are searchable by email address, phone number, and profile name by default. Turning off contact details limits people who have never chatted with you from finding your profile through those details. If you hide your email address, it must remain visible on your profile card for you to receive calendar invitations. See Microsoft’s privacy and discoverability guidance.
Rank #2
- With a 78° fixed field of view, the C920e webcam displays individual users in a well-balanced frame, while also providing sufficient room to visually share projects and other items of interest.
- The C920e webcam features two integrated omnidirectional microphones that capture your audio clearly from up to one meter away, so your voice always sounds natural and clear.
- Built-in HD autofocus ensures you’re seen clearly throughout your video calls. With automatic light correction, C920e delivers optics that help you look good in all your video meetings.
- The C920e webcam features an attachable privacy screen that flips up and down to cover or expose the lens. A simple glance at the cover confirms if the lens is able to see into your space or not.
- The C920e webcam is certified for Zoom, TAA compliant and works with all popular video calling applications such as Microsoft Teams to ensure compatibility and seamless integration in the workplace.
Know where work or school files are stored
For work or school accounts, the storage location depends on where the file was shared. Microsoft Support states, “Files you upload to a channel are stored in your team’s SharePoint folder.” Chat uploads follow a different path.
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| File type | Storage location | How it is shared |
|---|---|---|
| Channel upload | The team’s SharePoint folder | Available to the team through the channel |
| One-to-one or group chat upload | The sender’s OneDrive for Business, in Microsoft Teams Chat Files | Shared with people in that conversation |
You can access shared files in Teams through the Shared area. These business files are associated with the Microsoft 365 account, rather than a personal OneDrive connection. For details, consult Microsoft’s file-storage explanation.
Rank #3
- Good stability/attachment to monitor, laptop, and desktop scenarios
- Auto white balance and exposure compensation with HDR
- Integrated privacy shutter with usage indicator light
- Updatable firmware
- Fixed focus to cover 0.4m to 1.5m
Export or delete personal-use files and conversations
For personal-use Teams, files in the Teams Chat Files folder in OneDrive can be copied or downloaded, or deleted. Microsoft also provides an export process for messages and media; the download is delivered as a TAR archive. This is separate from work or school organization retention. Follow Microsoft’s personal-use export and deletion instructions for the applicable steps.
Understand work or school retention before deleting messages
Deleting a sent message in a work or school account does not necessarily remove every retained copy. An organization’s retention policy determines how long messages and files are kept, and a compliance copy may remain after a user deletes a message. The duration is tenant-specific, so ask your IT administrator which policy applies. Messages removed by a retention policy cannot be recovered. Microsoft explains these distinctions in its Teams retention guidance.
Rank #4
- Compatible with Nintendo Switch 2’s new GameChat mode
- HD lighting adjustment and autofocus: The Logitech webcam automatically fine-tunes the lighting, producing bright, razor-sharp images even in low-light settings. This makes it a great webcam for streaming and an ideal web camera for laptop use
- Advanced capture software: Easily create and share video content with this Logitech camera that is suitable for use as a desktop computer camera or a monitor webcam
- Stereo audio with dual mics: Capture natural sound during calls and recorded videos with this 1080p webcam, great as a video conference camera or a computer webcam
- Full HD 1080p video calling and recording at 30 fps. You'll make a strong impression with this PC webcam that features crisp, clearly detailed, and vibrantly colored video
How long personal-use data remains available
Microsoft’s personal-use availability page gives two specific periods: call history is available for 30 days, and diagnostic data is available for up to 13 months, with diagnostic-data controls handled through the Microsoft account privacy page. The support page does not state a publication year for these values. Other listed personal-use data types remain available until they are deleted, you leave the conversation, or permissions change. See Microsoft’s availability information.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Compatible with Nintendo Switch 2’s new GameChat mode
- Be Your Best Self on Every Video Call: Full HD 1080p webcam resolution provides natural image quality, so you look like the real you on all meeting apps
- Auto Light Correction: RightLight 2 technology automatically compensates for poor video lighting conditions so you can be seen clearly
- Sound Like You: The mono noise reduction mic suppresses background sound so everyone on the call can hear you easily
- Spin for Instant Privacy: Spin the webcam privacy shutter to block the camera lens when you don’t need to be on screen
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