Fixes / Teams · Checked September 30, 2026

Teams status stuck on Away: what it means and how to fix it

Short answer

Teams sets you to Away when your computer is locked, idle for a few minutes or asleep, or when Teams is in the background on your phone. Sometimes it doesn't switch back to Available when you return. First, click the Teams window. If that doesn't help, select your profile picture, click your current status and choose Reset status.

What this message means

The yellow clock icon means Teams thinks you are Away. On a computer, Teams sets Away automatically when you have been inactive for a few minutes or your screen is locked. On a phone, it sets Away whenever the Teams app is in the background. If you are signed in on several devices, the device you used most recently decides your status. If your status stays on Away while you are working, the usual reasons are a status you set yourself that is still on its timer, a phone that counts as your most recent device, or the new Teams client not noticing that you came back until you click its window.

Common causes

Cause	How to tell
You set a status yourself (Appear away, or any status with a duration) and it is still active	When you click your profile picture and then your status, a Reset status option appears. Without a duration, a manual status lasts 7 days (Busy and Do not disturb last 1 day), so something you set last week can still be on.
The new Teams client doesn't switch you back after you were idle or locked your screen	You went Away after a break or after locking your PC, and you only turn Available again when you click the Teams window. Typing in other apps doesn't change it.
Teams on your phone or tablet is deciding your status	You recently opened Teams on your phone, and it now sits in the background. Your desktop shows you as Away until you click around in desktop Teams. Signing out on the phone fixes it.
You are only using Teams in a web browser	You use teams.microsoft.com in a browser tab. You go Away while you work in other tabs or apps, and turn Available when you switch back to the Teams tab.
Outlook calendar or automatic replies are affecting your status	Your status icon has a purple arrow or an Out of Office label, or you have a calendar event set to show as Out of office or Away right now. Your status goes back to normal when that event or your automatic replies end.
Your status data or the local Teams cache is stale	Your status stays wrong after you reset it and restart Teams. Colleagues may also see a different status than the one your own Teams shows.

How to fix it

1. Bring Teams to the front and reset your status

Click the Teams icon on the taskbar (Windows) or in the Dock (Mac) so the Teams window is active, then click anywhere inside it.
Select your profile picture at the top right of Teams.
Click your current status. If Reset status appears at the bottom of the list, select it.
If there is no Reset status option, choose Available.
Wait up to a minute, then ask a colleague what status they see for you.

2. Set Available with a duration so it can't slip back

Select your profile picture, then click your current status.
Select Duration.
Choose Available, then pick how long it should last (for example Today or This week).
Select Done.
When you finish work, return to the same menu and select Reset status so Teams tracks your status automatically again.

3. Stop your phone from controlling your status

Anyone signed in to Teams on both a computer and a phone or tablet

On your phone, fully close Teams (swipe it away in the app switcher).
If your status is still wrong, open Teams on the phone, tap your profile picture, go to Settings and select Sign out.
On your computer, click inside the Teams window so your computer becomes your most recent device.
Check your status again. You can sign back in on the phone once your desktop status is right.

4. Quit Teams completely and restart it

On Windows, right-click the Teams icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner, near the clock) and select Quit. Closing the window with X does not quit Teams.
On Mac, click Teams in the menu bar and select Quit Microsoft Teams, or press Command+Q.
Wait 10 seconds, then open Teams again.
If you only use Teams in a browser, install the desktop app. The browser tab can only tell that you are active while it is the tab you are looking at.

5. Check Outlook for Out of Office settings

In Outlook, check whether Automatic replies are turned on. In new Outlook and Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Account > Automatic replies. In classic Outlook for Windows, go to File > Automatic Replies.
Turn automatic replies off, or change their end date.
Open your calendar and look for an all-day or current event set to Show as Out of office or Away. Change it to Free or Busy.
Wait a few minutes for Teams to update. If your mailbox is hosted on your company's own Exchange server (on-premises), this can take up to an hour.

6. Clear the Teams cache

New Teams on Windows 10/11 and macOS. Classic Teams uses %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams (Windows) or ~/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Teams (Mac).

Quit Teams completely (see the previous fix).
Windows: press Windows key+R, paste %userprofile%\appdata\local\Packages\MSTeams_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Microsoft\MSTeams, select OK, and delete everything in that folder.
Windows alternative: open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, search for Microsoft Teams, select the ... button > Advanced options, then select Reset. This also clears your Teams personal settings.
Mac: open Terminal (Applications > Utilities) and run rm -rf ~/Library/Group\ Containers/UBF8T346G9.com.microsoft.teams and then rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.teams2
Open Teams again and sign in. The first start takes longer than usual while Teams rebuilds its files.

Next time, skip the search

Crade is an AI assistant for Mac and Windows that sees your screen. When a message like this pops up, ask “what does this mean?” and it explains the exact error in front of you, step by step.

Download Crade

Still not fixed?

Update Teams (select the ... menu next to your profile picture, then Settings > About Teams, which checks for updates) and restart your computer. Then sign out of Teams on every device and sign back in on your computer only. If the new Teams client still only shows you as Available while its window is active, other users report the same thing and Microsoft hasn't released a permanent fix. Setting Available with a duration is the most reliable workaround. If colleagues see a different status than you do, or your status never updates at all, contact your IT department. They can check your account's presence and calendar setup in the Teams and Exchange admin centers, and open a Microsoft support case if needed.

Questions people ask

How long before Teams shows me as Away?

On a computer, Teams sets you to Away after a few minutes of inactivity, or right away when you lock the screen. Microsoft doesn't publish an exact number of minutes. When your computer goes to sleep, Teams shows you as Offline.

Why does Teams show me as Away when I'm working?

Teams watches your mouse and keyboard activity, but the new client often doesn't switch back to Available until you click its window. A phone in the background or a manual status still on its timer can also keep you on Away.

How do I keep my Teams status Available?

Select your profile picture, click your status, select Duration, choose Available and pick how long it should last. Without a duration, a manually set Available status lasts up to 7 days.

Can other people see when I went Away?

Yes. Colleagues can see Away, and in some organizations also a 'Last seen' time. Everyone in your organization can see your status by default.

Does my phone affect my Teams status on my computer?

Yes. If you are signed in on more than one device, your status comes from the device you used most recently. Teams on a phone shows you as Away whenever the app is in the background.

Sources

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