In modern IT environments, Cross-Tenant Synchronization (CTS) is essential for organizations managing multiple tenants in Microsoft Entra ID. It simplifies user provisioning, automates updates, and enhances collaboration across different organizations. However, one common challenge in CTS setups is the creation of multiple Microsoft Teams profiles instead of maintaining a single unified identity.
This issue occurs when organizations sync users between two or more tenants, but instead of retaining one Teams profile, users end up with duplicate profiles—causing confusion and workflow disruptions.
Why Do Users Get Multiple Teams Profiles?
There are several reasons why users might experience duplicate Teams profiles in a CTS environment. Below are the most common causes and recommended solutions.
1. B2B Collaboration vs. B2B Direct Connect
🔹 B2B Collaboration (traditional guest access) creates separate identities in each tenant, resulting in multiple Teams profiles.
🔹 B2B Direct Connect, on the other hand, allows seamless collaboration without generating separate guest accounts, helping to unify user identities across tenants.
✅ Solution: Enable B2B Direct Connect instead of B2B Collaboration to consolidate Teams profiles.
📌 Reference: B2B Direct Connect Overview
2. UPN and Email Address Mismatch
🔹 If a user’s User Principal Name (UPN) and email address don’t match across tenants, Teams may create a duplicate profile instead of linking the user’s existing profile.
🔹 Microsoft recommends matching UPNs with the primary SMTP address to ensure identity consistency across Entra ID and Teams.
✅ Solution: Align UPNs and primary email addresses across all tenants to avoid duplicate profiles.
📌 Reference: Plan and Troubleshoot UPN Changes in Microsoft Entra ID
3. Guest vs. Member Role in CTS
🔹 When users are synced into another tenant, they can be assigned as either Members or Guests.
🔹 If users are created as Guests, Teams may treat them as external users, resulting in a separate Teams profile.
✅ Solution: Configure Cross-Tenant Sync to assign synced users as Members instead of Guests to ensure a unified profile.
📌 Reference: Cross-Tenant Synchronization Overview
4. Microsoft Teams Cache Issues
🔹 In some cases, duplicate profiles persist due to cached credentials in Microsoft Teams.
✅ Solution: Clearing the Teams cache can force Teams to refresh user profiles, which may help resolve this issue.
📌 How to Clear Microsoft Teams Cache:
- Windows:
- Close Microsoft Teams.
- Open Run (
Win + R), type%appdata%\Microsoft\Teams, and hit Enter. - Delete all files inside the Teams folder.
- Restart Teams.
- Mac:
- Quit Teams.
- Open Finder > Go > Go to Folder and type
~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams. - Delete all contents in the Teams folder.
- Restart Teams.
- Mobile (iOS/Android):
- Go to Settings > Apps > Microsoft Teams and clear cache/storage.
Final Thoughts
The multiple Teams profiles issue in Cross-Tenant Synchronization setups is primarily caused by B2B configuration settings, UPN mismatches, and role assignments.
By implementing:
✅ B2B Direct Connect,
✅ UPN and email address alignment,
✅ Assigning synced users as Members instead of Guests,
✅ Clearing Microsoft Teams cache when needed,
Organizations can reduce duplicate profiles in Microsoft Teams and create a seamless collaboration experience across tenants.
As Cross-Tenant Sync evolves, IT administrators should proactively monitor user identity behavior across tenants and leverage Microsoft Entra ID best practices to ensure a smooth and unified user experience.