No Teams chat on Android since September 2023

[German]Microsoft offers its Microsoft Teams client both on the desktop and for mobile devices. The MS Teams client on Android has the shortcoming that it does not support chats. A reader pointed this out to me by email. I'll post it here in the blog as information and possibly for discussion. It seems, that it's a Microsoft license thing.


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Teams chat is missing in Android

Michael contacted me by email and described a problem he had noticed under the heading "No Teams chat on Android devices". He wrote that there was still a major problem in the chat function of the Microsoft Teams client for Android. The reader reported the following  issue (I've translated his German description):

Since several weeks now, it has not been possible to chat in the MS Teams app in our tenant with Android devices. In addition, all settings for chat in Android are missing. This affects all users (except for one, no idea why) who use an Android.

On iOS, Windows and Mac clients, however, Microsoft Teams works as it should, writes the user. He has researched and writes that the current workaround is to install a dodgy APK from early September 23 on the devices. This APK probably works. The download from "third-party sites" is necessary because Microsoft does not offer an older MS Teams version as an APK.

App updates did not helped so far

According to Michael, there have been one or two app updates in the meantime, but these have probably not addressed this error and the chat is not working. The reader writes that the message that the administrator has deactivated the chat sometimes appears on the devices in his environment. However, this is often displayed in the app.

In the app, however, a black bar can be seen in the lower area (the reader does not have a screenshot), which otherwise displays the icons for telephony and the like. The reader is, of course, in contact with Microsoft support, but so far there has been no remedy. Everything is currently only at the usual level 1 support. The reader hopes to be passed on to Microsoft's second-level support today.

Report on Microsoft Answers

Michael sent me the link to the Microsoft Answers forum post I can't use chat on my Teams app on my phone – "Administrator has disabled chat for this user" error. The error is also described there on September 25, 2023.


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Today, my Teams app on my phone got an update, and it doesn't show the Chat option on my phone any more. there is the option Calls. When I open the app Settings, I have only the options Calling and People.

If I press and hold the Teams icon on my phone, it will show up a menu with the option "New chat", and if I click on it, it opens my list of contacts, and I open a chat can see the chat history with the contact, but it shows the message "Administrator has disabled chat for this user".

I contacted my IT support, and there was no change in my app permissions and access. Also, I can still use the Chat on my computer. The problem it is just happening on the app.

I have already tried to reinstall and clean the app data storage, and nothing has changed.

The problem of the missing chat occurred with the poster after an app update. The user asked if someone could help him and sent the following screenshot.

MS Teams for Android

Some users confirm the bug on Microsoft Answers, but no remedy was given by the Microsoft moderators.

It's a license thing?

A user Lleyton Ritchie reportet within MS Answers forum: Yes, changing to Microsoft Teams Phone Standard will resolve the issue. You can also go to a full Microsoft E5 license which covers Business Apps and Teams calling. And Tim Callan wrote: Yes, they removed the chat functionality if there's a shared license. bs. maybe if enough of us complain they'll add it back. not sure why it would be a good idea to make the product less useful.


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