MICROSOFT TEAMS · AVAILABILITY
Why does Teams keep changing to Away?
The yellow dot means Away. It is a presence signal—not a reliable measure of whether someone is working.
The short answer
Microsoft Teams can change Available to Away when your computer is idle, locked or asleep. On mobile, putting Teams in the background can also affect presence. To stay green while you work, use Teams Assist to keep the status you choose.
Microsoft’s status guidance ↗1. Check what actually changed
Working elsewhere, leaving the keyboard, locking Windows and putting a computer to sleep are different situations. Troubleshoot them separately.
| Situation | What to check |
|---|---|
| Working in another application | Check Teams web presence settings and other signed-in Teams clients. Do not assume changing windows is the sole cause. |
| No keyboard or mouse input | Teams may consider the computer idle and show Away. |
| Computer locked | Teams can change to Away. Teams Assist can keep the screen awake while it runs. |
| Computer asleep | The extension cannot execute checks while the computer is actually asleep. |
| Teams web tab closed | Teams Assist loses its control connection. Reopen a signed-in Teams web tab in the same Edge profile. |
| Desktop or mobile Teams also open | Other client activity can affect presence. Check which sessions are active and ask a second account to observe. |
2. Try Teams’ built-in controls first
Open your Teams profile and select the status that matches your availability. Where supported, choose Duration to decide when that status resets. Microsoft documents duration for statuses other than Available.
In Teams for web, also look under Settings → Notifications and activity → Presence for the option to keep your current status while you are active outside Teams on the web, if available in your version.
Busy is not the same as Do not disturb
Busy signals that you are occupied but generally still permits notifications. Do not disturb is intended to reduce interruptions, with exceptions set in Teams. Use the state that reflects how available you really are.
3. Keep your status with Teams Assist
Teams Assist is an Edge extension with a web Panel that keeps the status you choose in Teams for web. Pick a status, run it until you stop, for a set time or on a weekly schedule, and see your live Teams status in the Panel. While it runs it can also keep your computer awake, so short breaks do not turn you yellow.
How it works
The extension runs inside your own Edge browser, next to Teams for web. It applies your chosen status in the Teams tab, just as you would yourself, and reads it back to the Panel. Your Microsoft sign-in stays with Microsoft.
Open the Teams Assist PanelSources
- Microsoft Support: Change your status in Microsoft Teams — status meanings, automatic changes and duration.
- Teams Assist Help — current workflow, connection messages and limitations.
- Teams Assist Privacy — website and extension data handling.
Questions or feedback: support@teamsassist.net.