Where are Teams files and photos stored before they are sent on an iPhone

Dear @Paul Pawelski,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Community.

I am sincerely sorry to hear about this difficult situation with your photos. I can only imagine how stressful it is when important work disappears from an application.

Unfortunately, due to the way iOS is designed, directly accessing unsent photos from a specific app's temporary storage is extremely difficult, if not impossible, without using specialized tools.

On iOS, every app operates in a secure, isolated environment called a "sandbox." This means that Microsoft Teams stores all of its data including unsent messages and photos within its own private app folder. This folder is not accessible to a user via a standard file browser or the Photos app. Since the messages never successfully sent, they were never uploaded to the cloud (like your personal OneDrive) and remain only in this inaccessible local storage. You might see a preview of a message in your notifications before it is unsent. This only works because the iphone sending the message has “Show Previews” turned on. Even then, you might only see part of the message. And the notification might go away quickly.

Your best and safest option is to try and get the messages to send. Since the issue started after an update, it's possible the app is just in a buggy state and needs to be refreshed.

1. Check Your Network Connection: Even if you have Wi-Fi, ensure the connection is strong and stable. A weak or intermittent connection can cause messages to fail repeatedly.
2. Restart the Teams App: Force-close the Teams app by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (or double-pressing the home button on your iPhone 7) and swiping the app's preview off the screen. Then, reopen the app. This can sometimes trigger a re-sync.
3. Restart Your iPhone: If restarting the app doesn't work, power your iPhone off and on again. This is a simple but effective step that can clear up temporary glitches.

If these steps do not work, I would suggest reaching out to Official Apple Support or Official Apple Support Community This issue may be related to an underlying iOS or hardware issue on your older device, and they can provide advanced troubleshooting and diagnostic support for the unsent messages on your iPhone. I really understand how disruptive and frustrating this kind of issue can be for your workflow. I want you to know that I wish I had a way to change it for you directly but as a moderator of Q&A forum, my support is limited to the existing product functionality.

I know this isn't the answer you were hoping for, and it's disappointing when the solutions aren't straightforward. Please know that as a forum moderator, directing you to the correct, specialized support is the most effective help I can provide from my position. I truly hope you get your issue resolved swiftly. I wish you all the best.

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