How to Keep Teams Active: 5 Quick and Easy Ways

Keep Microsoft Teams status green with these easy tips

Co-authored by Laura Rogers and Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: June 26, 2026 Fact Checked

• Set a Status Message (Computer)
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• Set a Status Message (Mobile)
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• Disable Sleep Mode (Computer)
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• Use a Mouse Jiggler App
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• Start a Private Meeting
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• Video
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• Tips

|Show more |Show less

Microsoft Teams is a vital tool for students and professionals alike, and one of its many great features is the ability to set your status as "busy" or "available," among other options. Teams automatically changes your status to "away" when your computer is in sleep or idle mode, but what if you want to remain available to your peers at all times? Fortunately, there are some clever workarounds to help keep Microsoft Teams active even when you are away from your computer. Keeping the mobile app open is perhaps the easiest way to keep your status set to "available," but this wikiHow article will teach you all the different ways you can keep yourself available on the popular communication platform.

Staying Active on Teams

• On a computer, phone, or tablet, click your profile icon and select Set Status Message. Write a message, select how long to keep it active, and click Done.
• Adjust your computer’s power settings to prevent it from going to sleep. You can also keep your computer awake with a mouse jiggler.
• You can also start a meeting with just yourself, then set your Teams status to “Available.” This should prevent Teams from going idle.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

Set a Status Message on a Computer

1. 
   1
   Click your profile picture icon atop the Teams page. Setting a status message may not keep your Teams status set to active in the literal sense, but it is likely the most convenient way to communicate to your peers that you are still active and available.

   • If you have the Teams plug-in for Outlook (or if you’re using New Outlook, which has Teams built in), your status will automatically shift in conjunction with your calendar's scheduled meetings. Setting a status message is likely the best way to let people know you are still available even when your calendar seems booked.
2. 2
   Select Set status message. Clicking your profile picture will prompt a drop-down menu. Next to your current status, you will see the option to Set status message, indicated by a small pencil overlapping a circle.
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3. 
   3
   Write a message communicating that you are active. Teams will continue to set your status to "away" when you are away from your computer, but you can write a message explaining to your peers that you are available even when Teams says you’re not.

   • Try something like "I'm available even if it shows that I'm away!"
   • You can make this message appear automatically to anyone who messages you by checking the box that says "Show when people message me" beneath the text box. Keep in mind this status message will then replace any "out of office" message you might have set on Microsoft Outlook.
     • This option isn’t available in all versions of Teams.
4. 
   4
   Select how long you want your status message to appear. Teams provides several options for how long your status message remains until it clears. You can set your status message to clear after today, this week, 4 hours, 1 hour, or never.

   • If you want to always remain active even when you are away, you likely want the status message to never clear.
5. 
   5
   Select Done. Your status message is now set, and your peers will see that you are available even when Teams says otherwise.
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Section 2 of 5:

Set a Status Message on Mobile

1. 
   1
   Open the Teams app on your mobile device. You can set a status message on your phone to communicate to your peers that you are available even when Teams says you’re away.

   • Keeping the mobile app open in the background on your phone is also a good way to keep your Teams status set to "available" at all times!
2. 
   2
   Tap your profile icon and then Set status message. Tap your profile picture at the top right corner of the screen to open a menu. You’ll see the option to set a status message near the top of the menu.
3. 
   3
   Write a message explaining that you are active. Teams will continue to set your status to "away" if your phone or tablet goes idle, but you can write a message explaining that you are active even when Teams says you’re not.

   • Try something like "I'm available even if it shows that I'm away!"
   • You can make this message appear automatically to anyone who messages you by toggling on the switch that says "Show when people message me" beneath the text box. Keep in mind, this status message will then replace any "out of office" message you might have set on Microsoft Outlook.
4. 
   4
   Set how long you want your status message to appear. Teams provides several options for how long your status message remains until it clears. You can set your status message to clear after today, this week, 4 hours, 1 hour, never, or a custom length of time.

   • If you want to always remain active even when you are away, you likely want the status message to never clear.
5. 
   5
   Tap Done. It’s in the top right corner of the screen. Your status message is now set, and your peers will see that you are available even when Teams says you’re away.
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Section 3 of 5:

Turn Off Sleep Mode on a Computer

1. 1
   Windows Keeping your computer awake will help ensure that your Teams status doesn’t switch to “Idle” or “Offline.” In Windows 10 or 11, you can easily do this in your computer’s System Settings:

   • Click the Start menu and select Settings.
   • Click System > Power & battery (or Power & sleep, in Windows 10).
   • Under the Plugged in and On battery headers, set the sleep timer option to Never.
2. 2
   Mac You can also prevent your Mac from going to sleep in System Settings. To do this:

   • Click the
     
     Apple menu at the top of your screen and select System Settings.
   • In the left sidebar, select Battery (on a laptop) or Energy (on a desktop).
   • Click Options at the bottom right side of the window. You might need to scroll down.
   • Toggle on “Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off.”
   • Next, click Lock Screen in the left sidebar, and set the “Turn display off when inactive” timer options to Never. If you’re using a laptop, you can adjust this setting for both “on battery” and “on power adapter.”
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Section 4 of 5:

Use a Mouse Jiggler App

1. 
   1
   Download a mouse jiggler app. A mouse jiggler automatically jiggles your computer's mouse every once in a while, preventing it from falling asleep. There are plenty of low-cost options out there, but some particularly popular ones are Move Mouse (Windows) and Mouse Jiggler – Mouse Mover (Mac).

   • Because the mouse jiggler will prevent your computer from falling asleep, Teams will remain active as well.
2. 
   2
   Adjust the mouse jiggler's settings to prevent your computer from going idle. Check your computer's sleep mode settings and schedule your mouse jiggler to activate at a similar interval, keeping your system on and your Teams status as "available."

   • A mouse jiggler may be preferred to deactivating your computer's sleep mode entirely, as apps like Move Mouse allow you to establish an entire schedule, so you can customize it around your work week.
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Section 5 of 5:

Start a Private Meeting

1. 1
   Click the Calendar tab in Teams. This simple hack will force your Teams status to remain active as long as the meeting stays open. To get started, open your Teams calendar.
2. 2
   Click Meet now. It’s at the top of the window. A “Start a meeting now” dialog box will open.
3. 3
   Click Start meeting. If you want, you can change the meeting’s default name, but that’s optional. Click the Start meeting button to open a new window where you can adjust your meeting settings.
4. 4
   Close the “Invite people to join you” window. There’s no need to add anyone else to your meeting! Just click the X on the dialog box.
5. 5
   Turn off your camera and mic if you want. This will help save your computer’s energy and resources. The meeting will continue to run even if you turn them off.
6. 6
   Set your status to Available. By default, your status will change to “In a call” with a red dot as soon as you start the meeting. To change this, click your profile picture at the top of the main Teams window, then select Available.
7. 7
   Let the meeting run until you’re ready to go inactive. Your Teams status should show as “Available” as long as the meeting is on! When you’re done, click Leave at the top right corner of the meeting window to end the meeting.
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