How To Block Microsoft Teams Away Status? 7 Best Methods 

Users complain that Microsoft Teams keeps telling them that they are “Away” when they aren’t. I don’t want the automatic Away status to appear after 5 minutes. You’d like to retain the status of your team active, green, online, and available. Here is how you can block Microsoft Teams Away status temporarily.

How To Block Microsoft Teams Away Status? 7 Best Methods

This feature is quite terrible; while a user is working in another app or performing another vital activity, their status will immediately shift from Available to Away.

Users/employees who work from home despise this feature. Many businesses often check their employees’ Microsoft Teams status to see if they work.

Why Do Microsoft Teams Automatically Change My Status?

When your computer goes to sleep or idle mode, Teams automatically changes your status to Away. When you lock your computer, the same thing happens. The program interprets these signals as proof of your unavailability, and your status is updated appropriately.

Even if you’re actively using other programs (so your machine isn’t idle), the status will still be switched to Away after five minutes if Teams is operating in the background and you’re not actively using it. When the Teams mobile app runs in the background, the status changes to Away.

Many users disagree with this strategy, claiming that Teams should not set the status to Away when actively using their smartphones. Keep reading to learn how to block Microsoft teams Away status.

How To Keep Microsoft Teams Status Active

When you don’t connect with Microsoft Teams, the availability status changes, even though you’re still connected to the internet. This is frustrating for many users, but there is a workaround.

If you change your availability status manually, you won’t be able to do it again unless you update it. You can also update your status in Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams will be able to update your status automatically once more if you select this option.

  • Microsoft Teams should be available to use at this time.
  • If you haven’t already, please do so right now.
  • In the upper right corner of the screen, click on your profile photo.
  • Select your current state from the drop-down menu beneath your profile photo.
  • Select Reset status from the drop-down menu.

How Change Your Microsoft Teams Away Status?

Microsoft Teams is a chat-based online workspace where coworkers and students can have meetings, share documents, and discuss ideas. Each user’s availability status is presented as icons on the Team members list, indicating whether they are online, offline, or busy. Learn how to Block Microsoft Teams Away Status in seven easy steps.

Microsoft Teams categorizes its members using a variety of different statuses:

  • Available: This signifies that you are currently online and available to communicate with other Team Members. 
  • In a meeting: You’re online, but your mind is on something else. You will continue to receive notifications, but Microsoft Teams will alter your status to “In a meeting” or “In a call.”
  • Please don’t disturb: you’re online, but other Team members can’t see you. This option turns off all of your notifications. Depending on your calendar entries, your status can also say Presenting or Focusing.
  • Be right back: This implies you’ve been forced to leave Microsoft Teams for a short time and will be back in a few minutes.
  • Appear away: This status indicates to your coworkers that you are unavailable for chat and focused on your job.

If you exit or move the app to the background while using the mobile app, your status will be set to Away.

Solutions Fix To Block Microsoft Teams Away Status

  1. Prevent Or Avoid System Going To Sleep
  2. Update Teams
  3. Use Third-Party Apps And Make System Available
  4. Change The Microsoft Teams Status Duration
  5. Manually Changing Microsoft Teams Status Settings
  6. Set Status & Reset Duration
  7. Set A Status Message

1. Prevent Or Avoid System Going To Sleep

When your machine goes to sleep, this feature automatically switches to away mode. To keep your Windows 10 PC from going into sleep mode and Block Microsoft Teams Away Status, follow the steps below:

  • Press the Windows key on your keyboard. To open it, type Control Panel and click on it.
  • Select Hardware and Sound from the View by category, as shown.
Select Hardware and Sound
  • Select Power Options from the menu.
Select Power Options
  • Click Change plan settings on the following screen.
  • Under the connected in option, Never change next to Put the computer to sleep.
Never change next to Put the computer to sleep
  • Under the On battery option, change the option next to Put the computer to sleep to Never. Similarly, for the Plugged in option, set it to Never.
  • Finally, click Exit and Save Changes.
  • Check you are able to block Microsoft teams away status for a while.

2. Update Teams

 Update Teams

To avoid any issues caused by obsolete Team versions, make sure Teams is up to date. While the tool searches for updates automatically, you may want to check for updates manually from time to time.

  • Select Check for updates in your Windows settings.
  • If a newer version of Teams is available, install it.
  • Check if the status issue persists after restarting your computer.
  • Check you are able to block Microsoft teams away status for a while.

3. Use Third-Party Apps And Make System Available

According to other users, third-party programs like MouseJiggler or Caffeine can prohibit Teams from changing Away’s status. These tools automatically jiggle your mouse slightly or prevent the computer from going idle to keep the system available.

  • You can use any media app, such as a VLC player, to play something like a movie or a playlist of tunes.
  • If the volume concerns you, you can mute it.
  • Another solution is to use third-party programs like MouseJiggler or Caffeine to prevent Teams from changing the status of Away.
  • These programs usually jiggle your mouse slightly, making your system available and preventing the computer from becoming idle.
  • Check you are able to block Microsoft teams away status for a while.

4.  Change The Microsoft Teams Status Duration

Setting the duration of your status is another way to do this. To find out how to follow these steps:

  • Microsoft Teams should now be open.
  • Go to the profile photo and click it.
  • Select the Duration option by clicking on the arrow next to your status.
  • Set a specific time frame for your status.
Set a specific time frame for your status
  • You can specify the duration of your status to 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, today, this week, or a custom period.
  • Check you are able to block Microsoft teams away status for a while.

5. Manually Changing Microsoft Teams Status Settings

If you’re using the mobile app, follow these steps to change your activity status:

  • Open the Microsoft Teams app on your mobile device.
  • In the upper left of the screen, tap the three horizontal lines.
  • A selection of status alternatives will appear below your current state when you tap on it.
  • Choose the desired status choice.
  • Microsoft Teams will change your status to Appear Away if you aren’t engaged for an extended period.
  • Check you are able to block Microsoft teams away status for a while.

6. Set Status & Reset Duration

Configure a status message to be displayed to your team members to avoid being perceived as Away while Microsoft Teams is minimized and operating in the background. 

  • In the top right of the screen, click the Profile Picture.
  • Select the current status, which is highlighted in the image.
  • Select Duration from the drop-down menu.
  • In the Reset status after column, select the reset’s status and time as needed.
reset's status and time
  • Finally, click the Done button.
  • Check you are able to block Microsoft teams away status for a while.

7. Set A Status Message To Prevent Microsoft Teams Away Status

Setting a status message that your colleagues and bosses will see when they message or @mention you is a convenient workaround. ‘I’m available,’ for example, or ‘Feel free to contact me.’

  • Microsoft Teams will be launched.
  • Then, on the top right-hand side, click on your profile.
  • Next, select Set Status Message next to the Available status.
Set Status Message
  • Enter any message you’d like to display or a period/full stop if you don’t want to say anything.
  • You may also enable the option to show when people message me.
  • Then, select Never from the drop-down menu on the Reset status message.
Reset status message

In Microsoft Teams, How Can You Change The Status Message?

You can also change the status of your team. You can choose how long the status will last. Take the actions outlined below.

  • Start Microsoft Teams on your computer or laptop.
  • In the top right-hand corner of the screen, click the Profile Picture.
  • As illustrated below, select Set Status Message.
  • In up to 280 characters, type the message you want to appear.
  • In the Clear status message after the drop-down option, choose Never.
  • Finally, press the Done button.
  • Check if you can block Microsoft teams away status for a while.

Conclusion

It’s quite inconvenient if Microsoft Teams keeps changing your status to Away all the time. This keeps your coworkers in the dark about when you’re available and absent from your desk.

Employees that work from home despise this feature even more. Many employers depend on their employees’ teams’ status to determine whether or not they are working. Follow all the solutions above to fix this “block Microsoft teams away status” issue.