Microsoft blames macOS update for undismissible Teams location prompts

At a glance:

• Teams shows non‑dismissible location permission dialogs on macOS
• Issue linked to recent macOS security update that stops permission settings from being saved
• Work‑around: toggle Teams location access in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services

What happened

Microsoft confirmed that the Teams collaboration app has been presenting users with location‑permission prompts that cannot be dismissed on certain macOS devices. The dialogs, which ask for permission "for things like GPS and Wi‑Fi," have been observed since at least May 11, 2026, with some users reporting the problem as early as May 14. One user described repeatedly clicking “Don’t Allow” dozens of times only for the prompt to reappear instantly, noting that no Teams update was available to address the behavior.

The company logged the incident under report number TM1315837 and traced the root cause to a recent macOS security update. That update apparently prevents the operating system from persisting the user’s choice regarding location access for Teams, causing the app to request permission anew each time it launches.

Why it matters

Location permissions are a sensitive privacy setting, and repeated prompts can erode user trust in both the operating system and the collaboration platform. For enterprises that rely on Teams for daily communication, the annoyance may also lead to reduced productivity, especially if users are forced to interact with the dialog during meetings or while sharing screens. Moreover, the issue highlights the intricacies of cross‑vendor dependencies—Microsoft must now coordinate with Apple to resolve a bug that originates outside its own code base.

From a business perspective, the incident is being classified as an advisory, a label Microsoft uses for service issues with limited scope. While the exact number of affected users and the geographic distribution remain undisclosed, the company’s acknowledgment signals that the problem is being monitored closely and may influence future update strategies for both Microsoft and Apple.

Workaround details

Until a permanent fix lands, Microsoft advises affected users to manually adjust the location‑access settings for Teams within macOS. The steps are:

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services.
2. Locate the entries for Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Teams ModuleHost.
3. Toggle each entry off, then back on, and finally set the desired permission (e.g., “Never” or “While Using the App”).

This manual toggle forces macOS to re‑record the permission state, temporarily stopping the endless prompts. Users should repeat the process after any macOS or Teams update, as the underlying bug may re‑appear.

Microsoft’s response and next steps

Microsoft stated that it is working with Apple to understand the change introduced by the macOS security update and to identify a resolution. In parallel, the Teams engineering team is investigating an internal fix that could mitigate the repeated prompts without requiring users to adjust system settings.

The company also noted that it has been rolling out fixes for other Teams‑related issues in recent weeks, including a problem that blocked some Teams Free users from chatting, a bug introduced by a Microsoft Edge update that prevented Windows users from joining meetings, and a service update that stopped some customers from launching the desktop client. These concurrent efforts suggest that Microsoft is prioritising stability across its collaboration ecosystem.

The incident remains under observation, and Microsoft will likely issue a formal patch or an updated macOS compatibility note once the root cause is fully understood.