Microsoft Teams is one of the best tools for professional video calls and collaborative remote work. Its activity status system is an excellent way to show whether or not you are available to take a call. However, it does not always function properly and displays you as “Away” even when you are at your computer. But here’s how to maintain your Microsoft Teams status:
It’s pretty simple: just change the time it takes for your system to enter idle or sleep mode. To do this, go to Settings > System > Power & Battery > Screen and Sleep on Windows. Change the screen off and sleep durations.
Let’s go over this in detail…
How Long Does Microsoft Teams Stay Active?
When Microsoft Teams detects that your system is idle or in sleep mode, it automatically changes your status to Away. It also changes your status after five minutes if you aren’t actively using the program or if it is running in the background.
How to Keep Microsoft Teams Active
#1. Stop your computer from going to sleep or powering off
Change the time it takes for your system to enter idle or sleep mode to keep your status active on Microsoft Teams. Just keep in mind that if you don’t use Microsoft Teams for five minutes, no matter how long your computer is awake, it will still mark you as Away.
To stop your computer from sleeping or turning off:
- Navigate to the Settings menu.
- Navigate to the System tab.
- Expand the Screen and Sleep section under Power.
- Go through all of the options and select Never.
Note that your PC will now be running at all times, whether you use it or not. You can change your preferences later to allow the computer to sleep or shut down after a set period of time.
#2. Make it Known that you are Available
If you don’t want to leave your computer running without interruptions, you can simply instruct contacts to ignore your status by setting a message instructing them to do so. Let us demonstrate how it is done.
How to Configure a Status Message in Windows:
- Start the Microsoft Teams application.
- In the top-right corner, click on your profile icon.
- Set the status message.
- Fill in the blanks with something like “I’m available, even if Teams shows I’m away.”
- Click the dropdown menu next to Clear status message after.
- Set the duration for which the status message will be active.
- Hit Done.
- If you are unavailable, click the Trash button next to the status message.
Set a Status Message on Android:
- Launch the Microsoft Teams Android app
- In the top-left corner, tap on your profile icon.
- Set the status message.
- Fill in the blanks with something like “I’m available, even if Teams shows I’m away.”
- Select how long you want the status message to remain active by tapping the Clear After option.
- Select the checkmark icon.
Set a Status Message on iOS:
- Launch the Microsoft Teams iOS app to set a status message.
- In the top-left corner, tap on your profile icon.
- Set the status message.
- Fill in the blanks with something like “I’m available, even if Teams shows I’m away.”
- Select how long you want the status message to remain active by tapping the Clear After option.
- Click the Done button.
#3. Use Third-Party Apps
Install Caffeine on Windows
Windows users can use Caffeine, a fantastic little app, to keep their computer awake and their Teams status active. Caffeine stimulates a key press every 60 seconds, convincing your system to stay awake because you’re still typing.
Caffeine’s best feature is how hidden it is. It sits in the bottom-right corner of your screen, minding its own business, and you can turn it on or off as needed.
- Step 1: Go to the Caffeine app’s official website and download it.
- Step 2: Unzip the file from your downloads folder.
- Step 3: Double-click the extracted program to launch Caffeine and follow the on-screen wizard through the installation process.
Caffeine will appear on the bottom-right of your toolbar once it is installed and running. Hover your mouse over the icon to bring up a pop-up menu where you can specify how long you want it to be active for.
Install Amphetamine for Mac
If you’re using a Mac, you can install Amphetamine, a useful toolbar app. This small app will prevent your system from sleeping for a predetermined amount of time, keeping your Microsoft Teams status active.
- Step 1: Navigate to the Mac App Store.
- Step 2: Look up “amphetamine.”
- Step 3: On the Amphetamine app, press the Get button.
- Step 4: Once the Amphetamine app has been installed, open Launchpad and click on it. It will appear on the top toolbar by default.
- Step 5: To open a drop-down menu, click on the app’s toolbar icon. Choose how long you want your Mac to stay awake.
Microsoft may not provide any direct ways to keep Teams active, but there are a few workarounds available. There are simple ways to keep your status active on Teams, such as changing your computer’s settings so it doesn’t sleep or installing a third-party app like Caffeine or Amphetamine.
If you have any problems with Teams, we have a guide on the most common Teams problems that may have the solution you need.
Mouse Repositioning Software
There is no simple way to maintain your Microsoft Teams status as Available. Users have a plethora of tricks and workarounds at their disposal. Mouse-moving apps are among the most popular (and easiest to use). These applications make your cursor virtually move indefinitely, keeping your computer active and the Microsoft Teams status as available. MouseJiggler, which costs $2.99, is one of the most popular. However, Move Mouse is a popular free option.
How long until Teams appears?
After five minutes of inactivity, your active status on Microsoft Teams will time out and change to “Away”.
How do I change the timeout for inactivity in Microsoft Teams?
There is no way to change the inactivity timeout; the only thing you can do is keep your status active.
Is mouse-moving software effective?
Yes, most of the time. Not only in Microsoft Teams, but in any app that uses your input activity to determine your status, mouse-moving software will keep your computer active and your status as available.
Can I use the mobile app to stay active on Microsoft Teams?
When the mobile Microsoft Teams app is in the background, you will be marked as Away.
- HOW TO SCREENSHOT ON SAMSUNG LAPTOP: The Ultimate Guide
- How Does Apple Watch Calculate Calories Burned: All You Need
- How to Change Goals on Apple Watch: Detailed Guide
- What Does the Green Dot Mean on Facebook: Detailed Guide
- How to Turn on Apple TV: All You Need
References
