Microsoft Acknowledges Microsoft Teams Consumes RAM on Idle Windows, and the “Fix” is Simply Another EXE

Microsoft Teams, specifically on Windows 10 and 11, operates on the WebView2 framework. Although it has moved away from Electron, users still face significant performance issues. However, relief may be on the horizon as Microsoft has announced to Windows Latest that they are testing an update aimed at enhancing startup times by relocating calling functions to a new, dedicated process.

If you rely on Microsoft Teams for your daily communications, you’re likely aware of its performance drawbacks. The application often consumes up to 1 GB of RAM while idle, a figure that surges dramatically during meetings. While modern devices can handle such RAM usage, many users report frustratingly slow startup times and a laggy experience overall.

Microsoft has acknowledged these performance concerns in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, exclusively available to enterprise users. They confirmed that the sluggishness of Teams, especially during calls, is a known issue. The company also plans to roll out an update in January 2026 that will shift calling functionalities to a distinct process.

Introducing ms-teams_modulehost.exe: A Separate Process for Calls

With this upcoming update, Teams will operate with two main processes: ms-teams.exe, which remains the core process managing messages, chat, and various UI components, and the new ms-teams_modulehost.exe, which will handle all calling functionalities. This architectural change is expected to alleviate performance issues significantly.

This strategic move by Microsoft is noteworthy. By isolating the calling process, the potential for conflicts diminishes. For instance, if performance issues occur during a call, they will not affect other functions of Teams. This means your chat and messaging services can continue to operate smoothly even if the calling component encounters problems.

“With the introduction of ms-teams_modulehost.exe, the Microsoft Teams Desktop Client for Windows will offload calling features to enhance performance and reduce startup delays, ” stated Microsoft in an update to the Admin Center.

The Current Limitations of Microsoft Teams

A recent Reddit discussion highlighted that many system administrators find Teams slow to initiate and cumbersome to use. This sluggishness is attributed to Teams’ nature as a comprehensive web application that must log in the user, fetch various teams, chats, calendars, and files, all while interfacing with multiple Microsoft services.

Some users have reported that organization-wide calls are plagued by interruptions: audio dropouts, video stutter, and lag during presentations. The separation of calling functions into their own process could potentially resolve these concerns.

Enhanced Performance with Modular Processes

The new ms-teams_modulehost.exe will act as a subsidiary process dedicated to managing calling features, allowing ms-teams.exe to handle everything else. This adjustment is expected to optimize resource allocation and enhance the overall meeting experience.

“This adjustment is designed to improve resource utilization while enhancing the quality of meetings, ” Microsoft stated. Notably, the user interface and features will remain unchanged, although it is recommended that users verify their antivirus settings to ensure ms-teams_modulehost.exe is not inadvertently blocked.

This updated Teams experience is set to roll out to all users, including individual consumers, starting in January 2026, with a complete rollout anticipated by February 2026.

The Need to Rethink WebView2

While the introduction of additional child processes represents a step forward, it does not address the underlying performance issues associated with WebView2. Despite Microsoft’s efforts to create modular processes, the persistent inefficiencies inherent in WebView2 remain problematic.

New Chromium based WhatsApp consumes more RAM than UWP WhatsApp — Chromium-based WhatsApp reportedly uses 7X more RAM compared to the UWP version.

Addressing the root causes of resource inefficiency—particularly concerning WebView2—remains crucial. This issue extends beyond Teams; for instance, the new WhatsApp version, which transitioned from native code to WebView2, has also shown to be a resource-intensive application, leading to prolonged launch times.

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