Teams status showing Away

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: Teams status showing Away. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Problem

Your Microsoft Teams status shows “Away” even though you’re at your computer and working, making it difficult for colleagues to know when you’re available.

Why It Happens

Teams automatically sets your status to “Away” when:

• You haven’t used your mouse or keyboard for 5 + minutes
• Your screen is locked or the computer sleeps
• You’re in a meeting but not typing

Solutions

Step 1: Show Yourself as Available

1. In Teams, click your profile picture (top right).
2. Select Available from the status list or set a custom status message.
3. Close the status window.

Step 2: Keep Teams Running

1. Ensure Teams is not minimised or closed; it must run in the background to update your presence.
2. Close the window (X) rather than quitting the app.
3. Confirm the Teams icon is visible in the system tray (bottom‑right).

Step 3: Adjust Activity Settings

1. Click your profile → Settings → General.
2. Under Privacy, disable any options that automatically set your status, such as “Turn on PC running status” (if present).
3. Ensure “Register Teams as the chat app for Office” is enabled so Teams can sync presence with other Microsoft apps.

Step 4: Keep Your Computer Awake

1. Press Win + I → System → Power & battery.
2. Set “Screen and sleep” to a longer duration or “Never”.
3. Consider adjusting the Windows power plan to prevent the device from sleeping during short breaks. See How to update Windows for guidance on managing power settings.

Step 5: Change Status from Away to Available

1. When you return to your computer, move the mouse or press a key; Teams should automatically change to “Available” within a minute or two.
2. Or manually click your current status and select Available.

Step 6: Restart Teams

1. Right‑click the Teams icon in the taskbar and choose Quit.
2. Wait about 10 seconds.
3. Reopen Teams and sign in if prompted.
4. The status should now show as Available.

Step 7: Verify Outlook Presence Settings

1. In Outlook, go to File → Options → Mail → Other.
2. Look for the “Manage Outlook status settings” section and ensure the integration with Teams is enabled.
3. For more information on scheduling meetings, see Using Outlook Calendar and Scheduling Meetings.

Status Colours Explained

• 🟢 Available – Green; you’re online and can chat.
• 🔴 Busy – Red; you’re in a meeting or focused on work.
• ⛔ Do Not Disturb – Red with a slash; do not interrupt.
• 🟡 Away – Yellow; you’re not at your computer.
• ⚪ Offline – Grey outline; you’re signed out.

Need More Help?

If your status continues to show “Away” incorrectly:

• Restart your computer.
• Check for Teams updates.
• Open a ticket with IT Support: Open a Ticket.

Still Having Issues?