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Teams and Slack both decide you've stepped away when your computer goes quiet. That's reasonable when you've actually left, and frustrating when you're reading a long document, sketching on paper or taking a call on your phone.
This page compares how the two apps decide you're Away and what you can do about it. For step-by-step detail, see the dedicated guides: how to keep your Microsoft Teams status green and how to keep Slack active.
Teams vs Slack: when you're marked Away
- Microsoft Teams: Away after about 5 minutes of inactivity, or when you minimize the Teams window, lock your computer or it goes to sleep. On mobile, when the app is in the background. Microsoft says the timeout can't be changed.
- Slack: Away after 10 minutes of inactivity on desktop, or when you leave or close the app on mobile. There's no setting to extend it.
In both apps, Available or Active can't be locked on through settings. Both timers count keyboard and mouse activity on your computer.
Built-in fixes worth trying first
In Teams
- Keep the Teams window visible instead of minimized. On Windows, split screen works well.
- Set a status message such as "I'm here, reading through the spec" and tick Show when people message me.
- Use Duration to hold statuses like Busy or Do not disturb during focus blocks. It works for every status except Available.
In Slack
- Use Set yourself as active after you've been marked Away.
- Add a custom status with an expiry, or schedule up to five statuses in advance.
- Turn on automatic statuses for huddles, focus mode and after-hours in Preferences.
These make your availability clear, but neither app lets them beat the inactivity timer.
Keeping your status green all day
To stay active through reading, planning or calls on another device, your computer needs to register some activity.
- Free mouse movers like Move Mouse or Mouse Jiggler on Windows nudge the cursor so the computer isn't idle. Our mouse mover comparison covers the options for Windows and Mac.
- LazyWork mixes natural mouse movement, light keyboard activity, scrolling and app switching, with adjustable activity levels and scheduling so it only runs during work hours. It keeps Teams, Slack and other chat apps active at the same time. Try it free for 7 days.
Keep-awake tools like PowerToys Awake stop your computer sleeping but don't generate input, so on their own they won't stop either app from showing Away.
Make the case for judging output, not dots
A status dot only shows whether someone touched their keyboard recently. Reading, planning, design review and calls on another device all look like inactivity while being the work itself. If your team leans heavily on presence, it's worth suggesting that deliverables and response times are a better signal, and using status messages so people know when you're in focused work.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take Teams and Slack to show me as Away?
Teams switches to Away after about 5 minutes of inactivity. Slack does it after 10 minutes on desktop. On mobile, both mark you Away when the app goes into the background.
Can I change the Away timer?
No. Microsoft says the Teams timeout can't currently be changed, and Slack has no setting to extend its 10-minute desktop timer.
Does one tool keep both Teams and Slack active?
Yes. Both apps look at activity on your computer, so a tool that simulates mouse or keyboard input keeps both active while they're open.
Why do I show as Away during calls?
Teams calls and meetings show as In a call or In a meeting, and Slack huddles can set an automatic status. Calls on another phone or app don't count as activity, so either app may mark you Away.