Teams autocorrect not working? How to turn it on (or off) in new Teams

How Teams autocorrect works

Microsoft announced autocorrect for chat and channel messages in Message Center post MC1192251 in December 2025, with general availability from mid to late January 2026. According to that post it fixes commonly misspelled words as you type, it’s on by default, and there’s no admin setting for it. It’s listed for the Teams desktop app on Windows and Mac.

Three things about how it behaves explain most “not working” reports:

• It only covers common misspellings. Typing mantain becomes maintain, but slang, names and technical terms are left alone. Everything else still gets the red spell-check underline, which you fix by right-clicking.
• Several testers have noticed it corrects a given typo once, and then only underlines the same mistake later in the session. That’s an observation, not documented behavior, but it matches what many people report.
• You can’t add your own entries. Unlike Outlook, Teams has no list of custom replacements, so a shortcut you set up in Word or Outlook won’t carry over.

When a word is corrected, it’s briefly highlighted and you can select it to undo the change. If you mainly want typos flagged rather than fixed, that’s spell check, which our guide to spell check on Teams covers.

Fix 1: Turn on Correct words while typing

In Teams, select Settings and more (the three dots next to your profile picture), then Settings. Under General, scroll to Editor spellcheck and switch on Correct words while typing. The same switch turns autocorrect off if it’s changing words you didn’t want changed.

The setting appears to apply per language. Users and testers report it’s on by default for your main spellcheck language and off for any extra languages you add, so check each language listed under Editor spellcheck. Send a test message with a common typo such as recieve to confirm it’s working.

Fix 2: The setting is missing

A common complaint on Microsoft Q&A is that Correct words while typing simply isn’t shown. Users report this happens when no language is selected under Editor spellcheck. The workaround that has worked for them:

• Open Settings > General > Editor spellcheck.
• Select Manage and add the language you type in, for example English (United States).
• Close the language list. The Correct words while typing switch should now appear.

Some people who are signed in to a second organization as a guest report that languages they add don’t stay saved, so the switch never shows up. If that’s you, try it again while switched to your home organization. If it still won’t save, it’s something only Microsoft can fix: ask your IT team to open a Microsoft 365 support request, or report it through the Microsoft Feedback Portal.

Fix 3: It corrects into the wrong language

If Teams is changing Dutch, German or Spanish words into English ones, autocorrect is working from the wrong dictionary. Under Editor spellcheck, make sure the language you write in most is listed and is the main one, and add any others with Manage. If you regularly mix languages in one chat, turning Correct words while typing off for the language that causes trouble is the most reliable fix, since spell check will still underline real mistakes.

Microsoft’s spelling help article explains how to add several spell-check languages. It doesn’t cover autocorrect, so these steps come from user reports rather than official guidance.

Why Windows and Mac typing settings don’t help

Many older guides tell you to switch on Autocorrect misspelled words in Settings > Time & language > Typing on Windows, or Correct spelling automatically in the Mac keyboard settings. Those guides were written before Teams had its own autocorrect.

Microsoft hasn’t said whether those system settings affect Teams. In a Microsoft Q&A thread from January 2026, users with both Windows switches already off still had Teams correcting their words until they used the switch inside Teams, and Mac users reported the same. So treat the Teams setting as the one that counts. Changing the system settings won’t do any harm, but don’t expect them to fix the problem on their own.

Fix 4: Check your Teams app and device

• Classic Teams: the feature arrived in new Teams. If you’re still on the old app, see why Teams classic is gone and how to switch.
• Teams on the web: Microsoft’s announcement names only the Windows and Mac desktop apps. One tester says it also works in the browser, but that isn’t confirmed. If it doesn’t work there, use the desktop app.
• Linux: users of unofficial Linux clients report the switch doesn’t exist, so there’s nothing to turn on.
• Phones and tablets: in the Teams mobile app, corrections come from your phone’s keyboard, not from Teams. Check autocorrect in your keyboard settings. One Android user with a work profile fixed it by switching from Samsung Keyboard to Gboard; SwiftKey is another option to try.

Fix 5: Update or reset Teams

Autocorrect rolled out over several weeks, so an out-of-date app may not have it. New Teams updates itself, and quitting it fully from the system tray and reopening lets a pending update install. To see which version you have, go to Settings and more > Settings > About Teams.

If the setting is there but nothing changes, resetting Teams is a reasonable last step, though Microsoft doesn’t document it as a fix for autocorrect. On Windows, Microsoft’s cache article lists Settings > Apps > Installed apps > Microsoft Teams, then the three dots, Advanced options and Reset. You can also quit Teams and delete the contents of this folder:

%userprofile%\appdata\local\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams

On a Mac, quit Teams and run these in Terminal:

rm -rf ~/Library/Group\ Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams
rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2

You’ll have to sign in again afterwards, and your settings may need setting again. Older guides give a %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams path, which belongs to classic Teams and does nothing in new Teams. If Teams then has trouble signing in, our Teams not connecting guide walks through the next steps.

Other automatic changes in Teams

Not every automatic change comes from autocorrect. Teams turns Markdown into formatting as you type, so text between asterisks becomes bold or italic; Microsoft says Ctrl + Z undoes it. Typing an emoji code between colons, such as :smile:, inserts that emoji. Neither is controlled by Correct words while typing. For more shortcuts like these, see our Microsoft Teams tips and tricks.

Related guides

• Spell check on Teams: turn it on, add languages and fix it
• Microsoft Teams not connecting: how to fix it
• Teams classic: why it’s gone and how to switch to new Teams
• Microsoft Teams tips and tricks: 10 ways to work faster

Official sources

• MC1192251: Autocorrect in Microsoft Teams compose (Microsoft 365 Message Center, mirrored)
• Check your spelling in multiple languages in Microsoft Teams (Microsoft Support)
• Clear the Teams client cache (Microsoft Learn)