How to Change Your Status in Microsoft Teams (and Why It Goes Yellow)
That little coloured dot on your Teams picture tells colleagues whether it's a good time to message you. Teams sets it automatically from your calendar and activity — but you can take control.
Change your status
1. Click your profile picture at the top right of Teams.
2. Click your current status (for example, Available).
3. Choose a new one.
2. Click your current status (for example, Available).
3. Choose a new one.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| 🟢 Available | Free to chat |
| 🔴 Busy | Working, but you'll still get notifications |
| ⛔ Do not disturb | Notifications are silenced (except priority contacts) |
| 🟡 Be right back | Away for a moment |
| 🟡 Appear away | Shows you as away |
| ⚪ Appear offline | Shows you as offline — you'll still get messages |
Make it reset automatically
Setting yourself to Do not disturb and forgetting for three days isn't ideal. Use a duration:
1. Click your profile picture, then your status.
2. Choose Duration.
3. Pick a status and how long — for example, Do not disturb for 2 hours, or until a specific date and time.
4. Click Done.
2. Choose Duration.
3. Pick a status and how long — for example, Do not disturb for 2 hours, or until a specific date and time.
4. Click Done.
Teams switches back to your normal automatic status when the time's up.
Add a status message
A short note helps people know what to expect:
• "In training until 3pm — will reply after"
• "Working from home today 🏠"
• "On leave until Monday. For urgent help contact Sam."
• "Working from home today 🏠"
• "On leave until Monday. For urgent help contact Sam."
To set one:
1. Click your profile picture.
2. Click Set status message.
3. Type your message.
4. Tick Show when people message me so it appears when someone starts typing to you.
5. Choose when to Clear status message after — Today, 1 hour, This week, and so on.
6. Click Done.
2. Click Set status message.
3. Type your message.
4. Tick Show when people message me so it appears when someone starts typing to you.
5. Choose when to Clear status message after — Today, 1 hour, This week, and so on.
6. Click Done.
Why does Teams show me as Away?
Teams changes you to Away automatically when:
• Your computer has been idle for a few minutes.
• Your computer goes to sleep or the screen locks.
• Teams on your phone is in the background.
• Your computer goes to sleep or the screen locks.
• Teams on your phone is in the background.
It also sets Busy or In a meeting from your Outlook calendar, and In a call or Presenting automatically.
Tip: Setting Available with a Duration keeps you showing as Available for that time, even if you step away from the keyboard.
Do not disturb, but let some people through
Do not disturb silences all notifications. To let your manager or family still reach you:
1. Go to ⋯ > Settings > Privacy.
2. Click Manage priority access.
3. Add the people who can always get through.
2. Click Manage priority access.
3. Add the people who can always get through.
Teams on your phone
Tap your profile picture at the top left, then tap your status to change it, or tap Set status message.
Troubleshooting
My status is stuck. Sign out of Teams and back in (profile picture > Sign out). Also check you don't have a status set with a long duration.
My status says Offline but I'm online. Check Teams isn't open in two places with one set to Appear offline. Restarting Teams usually fixes it.
Wrapping up
Click your profile picture to change your status, use Duration so it resets by itself, and add a status message to tell people when you'll be back.
