How Do I Set Microsoft Teams Status as Always “Available”?

How do you set your Microsoft Teams status as always “available”? Here is a step-by-step guide on how to always be avaliable to your cowrkers

How Do I Set Microsoft Teams Status as Always “Available”?

Microsoft Teams is one of many tools that have helped facilitate remote working, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform features many useful tools, including important communication tools that facilitate collaboration in projects.  Notably, team members can tell when their colleagues are online using the status indicator. However, the indicator doesn’t always work as well as desired. How do you set your Teams status as always “Available”?

The Problem

Microsoft Teams facilitates collaboration between multiple users. Ideally, both users should be online to collaborate on a project. Users check their colleagues’ status indicators to see whether they are online (and hence available to work). Unfortunately, this tool automatically changes the users’ status from “active” to “inactive/busy/in a meeting” after some time.

This is a frustrating problem that is confusing users. For example, many users have been reprimanded for appearing to be inactive while they were actually working. Additionally, it is making collaborating challenging, consequently risking teams’ productivity.

Microsoft Teams changes users’ statuses for several reasons, including:

Inactivity

Microsoft Teams automatically switches your status from active if your account is inactive for at least five minutes. This usually happens when the program is running in the background or when you leave it open but without activity such as scrolling or typing.

Sleep/Idle Mode

Your account’s status will also change automatically when your device (smartphone or computer) enters idle or sleep mode. This usually happens after some time of inactivity.

Setting Your Status to “Always Available”

Fortunately, you can overcome this problem by manually setting your Microsoft Teams status. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

  1. Click on your profile picture, located in the top-right corner.
  2. Click on the status indicator.
  3. Follow the drop-down menu to choose your preferred status from one of several options: Available, Busy, Do Not Disturb, Be Right Back, or Appear Away.
  4. Click on your preferred status and exit the profile.

Resetting your profile manually will ensure that your status remains active even when your device sleeps or the program runs in the background. It is also advisable to customize your status message to let your colleagues know that you are available. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can do it:

  1. Click on your profile picture.
  2. Click on the tab labelled “Set Status Message”.
  3. Write a brief message reflecting your status.
  4. Set an expiry date for your status by clicking the tab labelled “Clear Status Message After.”

A status message reassures your colleagues about your availability. It is advisable to customize your message as often as necessary to reflect your actual status.

Last but not least, it is advisable to update your Microsoft Teams platform to the latest version. Earlier versions didn’t have the option to set your status manually, but the latest version does.

Other Solutions

Microsoft Teams users have also developed alternative solutions to this problem. These solutions are recommended for versions that don’t have a manual status reset option. They essentially entail using third-party apps to trick the platform into staying active.

Third-party apps such as Caffeine are designed to keep platforms engaged by mimicking users’ actions. For example, the app can scroll your mouse automatically and periodically, tricking Teams into believing that you are active. However, these apps should be used with caution to avoid the growing threat of cyber-attacks.

Set Yourself as Always “Available”

It is important to let your boss and colleagues know that you are active when working remotely via Microsoft Teams. As such, ensure that you manually set your status to “Active” to avoid automatic resets. Update your Teams platform to the latest version if you cannot find the manual reset option explained above.

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