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Microsoft Teams away status time

Anonymous
2021-03-19T12:51:55+00:00

Hello,

Microsoft Teams status changes to "Away" after 5 minutes unless you are actively using the program.  This status can make employees appear "Away" even though they are simply working within a different application and running Teams in the background does not help. 

This is a known frustration with users.  Does Microsoft plan to add update this feature anytime in the foreseeable future? So far Microsoft has only offered workarounds, which are not adequate nor do they meet the customers' expectations.

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Settings | Online status

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  1. Anonymous
    2021-09-16T15:59:54+00:00

    Here’s a good work around:

    Go to the calendar page and click the “Meet Now” button without audio and no other participants join now. Your status is updated to “In a Call” Then tab over to my profile and set your status to “Available” instead. As long as you are in your "imaginary" call your computer won’t idle and Teams won’t change your status and your status will be Available until you leave the "Imaginary" meeting.

    I tested this and it works perfectly!

    1800+ people found this answer helpful.
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  1. Anonymous
    2021-07-22T16:00:31+00:00

    It's too bad the page to give feedback is so complex. It's almost as if Microsoft doesn't want to hear form people.

    It's also too bad that Microsoft would need "suggestions" on this particular feature. They addressed it fine in MSN Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, and even in Skype. They even address it in the Windows operating system with settings for how long before the screen goes to sleep, etc. It's not rocket science. It's not new.

    500+ people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2021-03-22T13:12:43+00:00

    Thank you Nik.  This information is really helpful.  It would be nice if Microsoft could simply raise the idle time from 5 minutes to 10 even or allow users to choose their preferred time. However, what you've given me will at least help to prevent others from thinking I'm constantly away from my computer.  

    Thanks again.

    300+ people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2021-10-05T18:41:35+00:00

    Microsoft responded with a mealy-mouthed non-answer to a valid, pointed question because, in my opinion, Teams is sold to management as a monitoring tool as much as it is a messaging interface. You may think of Teams as a useful tool for having meetings or sending quick chat messages, but in reality it is gathering productivity information for monitoring purposes. Microsoft gathers and makes available to management productivity metrics that you may or may not be aware of, and these are largely driven by your status. Microsoft has no intention of letting you say you are available when according to their rules, you are not busy. It's frustrating from an end-user's perspective, but don't hold your breath that Microsoft will make setting your status more flexible. At the end of the day they aren't paid by you, they are paid by your management.

    100+ people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2021-09-16T15:31:31+00:00

    MS Teams can detect when I am not using my PC, and change my status to Appear away. So, why can't it also detect that I am using my PC, and change my status to Available? I find it a nuisance to have to be continually setting my status manually back to Available ... often I don't do it. Just ask my teammates how often they get messages from me with an Appear away icon associated with it.
    [reposted bc MS email said my access was blocked. not true; sorry for the duplication.]

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