How to keep your Teams status "active"

If you work in sales or have a client-facing job and use Microsoft Teams, you'll likely want to highlight that people can contact you and get a timely response. Therefore, you will want to know how to keep your Team's status as "active."

In this IT Soho blog, we'll show you how to do that.

Understanding Microsoft Teams Status

Microsoft Teams is a fantastic tool for team collaboration. It allows you to chat, call, share files, and work together in one place. Many of our clients use it, and we recommend trying it alongside your Microsoft 365 toolbox.

A critical aspect of using M365 Teams is understanding the different status options available to team members. These status options include Active, Away, and Do Not Disturb.

Active status means that the team member is currently using Teams and is available to chat or collaborate.

Away status indicates that the team member is away from their computer or inactive for a certain period. 

Do not disturb status means the team member is busy and does not want to be interrupted.

Other status options in Teams include Available, Busy, and Offline. 

Available status means the team member can chat or collaborate but is not currently using Teams.

Busy status indicates that the team member is busy and needs help to talk or collaborate.

Offline status means that the team member is not presently using Teams and is not available to chat or collaborate.

Why does my Microsoft Teams app status show as inactive, even when I'm online?

Team status can sometimes appear inactive even when you are active. This can be caused by several reasons, such as network issues, the Teams app not being updated, or incorrect settings.

If you are experiencing this issue, you can troubleshoot it by checking your network connection, updating the Teams app, or adjusting your Teams settings.

Tips and tricks to keep your Teams status "active"

Here are some valuable tips and tricks to help you make the most of Teams' status features:

Adjusting your activity settings

Teams allow you to set your status as available, busy, away manually or do not disturb. You can also let Teams automatically adjust your status based on your activity level.

To adapt your activity settings, click on your profile picture and select 'Settings'. From there, choose 'Privacy' and 'Show my activity'. You can then decide how long you want Teams to wait before changing your status to away.

Customising your status message

Teams allow you to add a custom status message to your profile. This message can help your colleagues understand your availability and your work.

To customise your status message, click on your profile picture and select 'Set status message'. Type in your message and choose a status option.

Using Teams keyboard shortcuts

Teams offer a variety of shortcuts to help you quickly change your status or send messages. Some of the most valuable shortcuts include Ctrl+Shift+A (set status as available), Ctrl+Shift+B (set status as busy), and Ctrl+Shift+O (set status as away).

Setting up Presence on mobile devices

Using Teams on your mobile or laptop, you can set up Presence to let your colleagues know when you're available. To do this, select 'Settings' and 'Notifications'. From there, choose 'Manage notifications' and turn on the 'Presence' toggle.

Hopefully, this has solved the problem for you.

Check out our blog for more Microsoft 365 resources.