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 actively typing or moving your mouse

Solutions

Step 1: Set Your Status to Available

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

Step 2: Keep Teams Running in the Background

1. Ensure Microsoft Teams is running in the background so it can update your presence.
2. If you close the Teams window by selecting the X button, the app minimises to the system tray rather than quitting. This keeps your presence active.
3. To fully exit Teams, right‑click the Teams icon in the system tray (bottom‑right of the screen) and choose Quit.
4. Confirm the Teams icon is visible in the system tray to verify the app is still running.

Step 3: Adjust Windows Power and Sleep Settings

1. Press Win + I to open Windows Settings.
2. Go to System, then select Power & battery.
3. Under Screen and sleep, increase the time before your screen turns off or your device goes to sleep.
4. Setting these options to a longer duration—or to Never when plugged in—prevents Teams from marking you as Away due to system inactivity or sleep mode.

Note: Teams presence is primarily governed by system idle time. There is no user setting in Teams that fully disables automatic Away status.

Step 4: Restart Microsoft Teams

1. Right‑click the Teams icon in the taskbar or system tray and choose Quit.
2. Wait about 10 seconds.
3. Reopen Teams and sign in if prompted.
4. Your status should now reflect your current activity.

Step 5: Outlook Integration

If you use Outlook for work or school, Teams presence syncs automatically with Outlook when both applications are signed in with the same account. There is no separate Outlook menu to enable Teams presence integration.

Step 6: Organisational Policies

In managed business environments, your IT administrator may set presence policies that override your manual status settings. If you cannot change your status or it reverts to “Away” automatically, contact your internal IT team or open a support ticket for assistance.

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:

• Check for Microsoft Teams updates.
• Contact your IT administrator to review any presence policies applied to your account.
• Open a ticket with IT Support: Open a Ticket.

Still Having Issues?