Keep Teams active: status, settings and limits

When Teams switches you to Away

• On a computer: when you lock it, or when it goes idle or to sleep^[1]. Microsoft's troubleshooting article puts the idle threshold at more than five minutes of desktop inactivity^[3]; the admin documentation just says “a few minutes”^[2].
• When the computer sleeps you can appear Offline rather than Away^[2].
• On mobile: you become Away whenever the Teams app is in the background, and Offline after 24 hours of inactivity^[2].
• Several devices: the most recently active device decides your status^[2]. Using the phone app while the desktop is idle can therefore show you as Away on the desktop^[3].

Calendar events also change your status automatically: you appear busy in meetings and presenting while you share your screen.

Set a status and a duration

You can set your status manually: select your profile picture, choose the current status, then Duration, and under Reset status after pick a time or a custom date^[1]. Durations work for every status except Available^[1].

Without a duration, a manual status lasts 1 day for Busy and Do not disturb, 7 days for other statuses, and indefinitely for Appear offline^[2]. Microsoft also notes that you can only pick a status that is less available than the one Teams calculates^[2]. In practice, a manual “Available” is overridden when the computer goes idle.

Teams on the web: keep your status while you work in other tabs

In Teams for the web, go to Settings > Notifications and activity > Presence and turn on Keep my current status when I'm active outside of Teams on the web. The browser then asks whether Teams may detect your activity in other tabs or apps. If you block it, Teams does not see that activity and may show you as Away^[1].

This is the documented answer to “Teams shows me as away while I am working in another tab”. It still reflects real activity: it does not keep you green while you are away from the computer.

Methods compared

Away even with a mouse jiggler

• The tool keeps the screen on but creates no input. That is how browser wake locks, PowerToys Awake and caffeinate work. Teams still sees an idle desktop.
• You were active on another device. If the phone app was used last, it can drive your status.
• The computer locked anyway. A lock-screen policy makes you Away regardless of input.
• Status not updating. Microsoft's troubleshooting article covers cases where the shown presence does not match the real state^[3]. Signing out and back in is the usual first step.
• The phone pattern stopped tracking. Check brightness and the sensor check, as described in mouse jiggler not working.

Green dot, workload and monitoring

A green dot shows presence, not productivity. If you feel you must look online all the time, the more durable fix is agreeing response times and using statuses like Be right back openly. If your concern is what your employer can actually see beyond the status dot, read what your employer can see on a work computer.