[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":390},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-\u002Fguides\u002Fteams-away-when-screen-locks-or-sleeps":3},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":379,"extension":380,"lang":381,"meta":382,"navigation":383,"order":384,"path":385,"seo":386,"stem":387,"updated":388,"__hash__":389},"guides\u002Fguides\u002Fteams-away-when-screen-locks-or-sleeps.md","Teams shows Away or Offline when your Mac locks or sleeps: what to do",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":353},"minimark",[9,14,18,21,26,37,40,69,72,80,84,87,92,101,119,126,130,147,151,155,163,171,175,178,181,185,192,196,209,213,216,233,237,263,266,270,274,280,284,290,294,301,305,311,315,322,326],[10,11,13],"h1",{"id":12},"teams-shows-away-or-offline-when-your-mac-locks-or-sleeps","Teams shows Away or Offline when your Mac locks or sleeps",[15,16,17],"p",{},"You step away to make coffee, or you leave your Mac to finish a call on your phone. When you glance at Teams later, a colleague says they could not reach you. Your dot was yellow, or even grey. Nothing is broken. Locking and sleeping are two separate triggers in Teams, and they behave differently.",[15,19,20],{},"This guide explains what each one does, which Mac settings affect them, and what you can do about it. Some fixes are free and built in.",[22,23,25],"h2",{"id":24},"lock-idle-and-sleep-are-three-different-things","Lock, idle and sleep are three different things",[15,27,28,29,36],{},"Microsoft's admin documentation describes the automatic rules for a computer in one sentence: presence \"becomes Away automatically if they're inactive for a few minutes or if the computer is locked; and it becomes Offline when the computer enters sleep mode\" (",[30,31,35],"a",{"href":32,"rel":33},"https:\u002F\u002Flearn.microsoft.com\u002Fen-us\u002Fmicrosoftteams\u002Fpresence-admins",[34],"nofollow","Microsoft Learn: User presence in Teams",").",[15,38,39],{},"Pulling that apart:",[41,42,43,51,63],"ul",{},[44,45,46,50],"li",{},[47,48,49],"strong",{},"Locked screen: Away."," A locked computer counts as inactive straight away, whatever else is happening.",[44,52,53,56,57,62],{},[47,54,55],{},"Idle for a few minutes: Away."," Microsoft's troubleshooting article gives a figure: your status changes to Away \"if your desktop is inactive for more than five minutes\" (",[30,58,61],{"href":59,"rel":60},"https:\u002F\u002Flearn.microsoft.com\u002Fen-us\u002Ftroubleshoot\u002Fmicrosoftteams\u002Fteams-im-presence\u002Fpresence-not-show-actual-status",[34],"Microsoft Learn: The correct presence status isn't reflected in Teams","). The admin article only says \"a few minutes\", so treat five as typical, not guaranteed.",[44,64,65,68],{},[47,66,67],{},"Sleeping computer: Offline."," Sleep is a step further than Away. Teams can no longer see you at all.",[15,70,71],{},"The troubleshooting article also lists what counts as an inactive desktop: locking the computer, the computer entering idle or sleep mode, and actively using the Teams mobile app instead of Teams on the desktop.",[15,73,74,75,36],{},"Microsoft's support article for end users says the same thing in plain words: Teams will set your status from Available to Away \"when you lock your computer or when it enters idle or sleep mode\" (",[30,76,79],{"href":77,"rel":78},"https:\u002F\u002Fsupport.microsoft.com\u002Fen-us\u002Foffice\u002Fchange-your-status-in-microsoft-teams-ce36ed14-6bc9-4775-a33e-6629ba4ff78e",[34],"Microsoft Support: Change your status in Microsoft Teams",[22,81,83],{"id":82},"what-this-means-on-a-mac","What this means on a Mac",[15,85,86],{},"On a Mac the chain usually runs like this: you stop touching the keyboard, the display turns off after the time you chose, the Mac locks after the password delay you chose, and eventually the Mac may sleep. Teams reacts at each step. Two of those timers are yours to change.",[88,89,91],"h3",{"id":90},"the-lock-settings","The lock settings",[15,93,94,95,100],{},"Apple's help page for Lock Screen settings describes two display timers and one lock delay (",[30,96,99],{"href":97,"rel":98},"https:\u002F\u002Fsupport.apple.com\u002Fguide\u002Fmac-help\u002Fchange-lock-screen-settings-mh11784\u002Fmac",[34],"Apple Support: Change Lock Screen settings on Mac","):",[41,102,103,108,113],{},[44,104,105],{},[47,106,107],{},"Turn display off on battery when inactive",[44,109,110],{},[47,111,112],{},"Turn display off on power adapter when inactive",[44,114,115,118],{},[47,116,117],{},"Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off",", where you choose how long after the screen saver or display-off the password is required",[15,120,121,122,125],{},"Open ",[47,123,124],{},"System Settings > Lock Screen"," to find them. The password delay matters for Teams: while the Mac is still unlocked, only the idle rule applies. Once it locks, the \"locked computer\" rule applies and you show as Away.",[88,127,129],{"id":128},"the-sleep-setting","The sleep setting",[15,131,132,133,136,137,140,141,146],{},"Apple's page on preventing your Mac from sleeping names the option for laptops: in ",[47,134,135],{},"System Settings > Battery > Options",", turn on \"Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off.\" On a desktop Mac the equivalent, under ",[47,138,139],{},"Energy",", is \"Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off.\" Apple also warns that \"delaying, preventing, or allowing disruption of sleep may increase power consumption\" (",[30,142,145],{"href":143,"rel":144},"https:\u002F\u002Fsupport.apple.com\u002Fguide\u002Fmac-help\u002Fprevent-your-mac-from-sleeping-mchle41a6ccd\u002Fmac",[34],"Apple Support: Set sleep and wake settings for your Mac","). The page lists the laptop option for power adapter use only, so a laptop on battery will still sleep.",[22,148,150],{"id":149},"the-honest-fixes-free-ones-first","The honest fixes, free ones first",[88,152,154],{"id":153},"_1-set-a-status-that-tells-people-what-you-are-doing","1. Set a status that tells people what you are doing",[15,156,157,158,162],{},"If you are stepping away or heads-down, say so. Teams lets you set a duration for any status except Available, and at the end of the period it resets automatically (",[30,159,161],{"href":77,"rel":160},[34],"Microsoft Support","). A \"Be right back\" or \"Do not disturb\" with a duration is clearer than a dot that flips on its own.",[15,164,165,166,170],{},"You also cannot force Available. Microsoft's admin article says that outside calls and meetings you can select \"any status that is less available than the automatically calculated status\" (",[30,167,169],{"href":32,"rel":168},[34],"Microsoft Learn","), so the lock or idle rule always wins over a manual Available.",[88,172,174],{"id":173},"_2-lengthen-the-lock-and-sleep-timers","2. Lengthen the lock and sleep timers",[15,176,177],{},"This is free and uses only Apple's settings above. Raise the display-off time, raise the password delay, and on a plugged-in laptop consider the \"prevent automatic sleeping\" option. This pushes back the lock and sleep triggers.",[15,179,180],{},"Two cautions. First, a short lock timer is often a deliberate security policy on work laptops, so check with your IT team before changing it, and do not leave a Mac unlocked in a shared space. Second, this does nothing for the idle rule: if you stay unlocked but untouched, you can still go Away after the idle period.",[88,182,184],{"id":183},"_3-run-teams-on-the-machine-you-are-using","3. Run Teams on the machine you are using",[15,186,187,188,191],{},"If you work on a second computer, Teams follows the device you were most recently active on. Microsoft says that when you are signed in on several devices, \"the device where they were active most recently determines their presence\" (",[30,189,169],{"href":32,"rel":190},[34],"). Using Teams on the machine you actually type on removes the problem for free. On mobile, presence turns Away whenever the app is in the background, per the same page.",[88,193,195],{"id":194},"_4-keep-awake-apps-they-help-with-sleep-not-with-idle","4. Keep-awake apps: they help with sleep, not with idle",[15,197,198,199,203,204,208],{},"Tools such as Amphetamine, Caffeine, KeepingYouAwake or the built-in ",[200,201,202],"code",{},"caffeinate"," command stop the Mac from sleeping. That addresses the Offline-on-sleep case. They are not designed to produce input, so they generally leave the idle rule alone, and a locked screen is still a locked screen. We explain this in ",[30,205,207],{"href":206},"\u002Fguides\u002Famphetamine-doesnt-keep-teams-slack-active","Amphetamine and Caffeine will not keep Teams or Slack active",".",[88,210,212],{"id":211},"_5-a-tool-that-resets-the-idle-timer-only-when-you-are-idle","5. A tool that resets the idle timer only when you are idle",[15,214,215],{},"Full disclosure: this is our app. Stay Green is a small macOS menu-bar app that resets the system idle timer once you have actually gone idle, using one harmless keypress (F20 by default) and a zero-distance mouse move, so your cursor never moves. It can also keep the screen awake if you choose, which stops the display-off and lock chain from starting while you are at your desk reading or on a call. It pauses itself outside work hours by default (adjustable) and can pause over lunch, and nothing about your activity leaves your Mac.",[15,217,218,219,223,224,228,229,208],{},"It will not and should not keep you Available once you have really walked away and locked your Mac. It is for the false Away while you are working but not touching the machine. There is a ",[30,220,222],{"href":221},"\u002Fdownload","14-day free trial, no card needed",", then EUR 1.99 a month, EUR 12.99 a year or EUR 29 lifetime (",[30,225,227],{"href":226},"\u002F#pricing","pricing","). For a fuller walkthrough see ",[30,230,232],{"href":231},"\u002Fguides\u002Fkeep-microsoft-teams-green-mac","Keep Microsoft Teams green on Mac",[22,234,236],{"id":235},"which-fix-should-you-pick","Which fix should you pick?",[41,238,239,245,251,257],{},[44,240,241,244],{},[47,242,243],{},"You really are leaving:"," set Be right back or Do not disturb with a duration, and let Teams show Away.",[44,246,247,250],{},[47,248,249],{},"Teams says Offline after a while:"," the Mac is sleeping. Adjust sleep settings, within your IT policy.",[44,252,253,256],{},[47,254,255],{},"You work on two devices:"," run Teams where you type.",[44,258,259,262],{},[47,260,261],{},"You read, think and take calls at your desk and the screen keeps locking:"," lengthen the timers if allowed, or use something that keeps the idle timer reset.",[15,264,265],{},"Whatever you choose, check your workplace policy first. Some employers have rules about lock timers and activity simulation, and the honest use of any of these tools is to cover genuine work time.",[22,267,269],{"id":268},"faq","FAQ",[88,271,273],{"id":272},"does-locking-my-mac-make-me-away-in-teams","Does locking my Mac make me Away in Teams?",[15,275,276,277,36],{},"Yes. Microsoft says presence becomes Away when the computer is locked (",[30,278,169],{"href":32,"rel":279},[34],[88,281,283],{"id":282},"why-does-teams-show-me-offline-instead-of-away","Why does Teams show me Offline instead of Away?",[15,285,286,287,36],{},"Offline is what Teams shows when the computer enters sleep mode, or when you are not signed in on any device for a few minutes (",[30,288,169],{"href":32,"rel":289},[34],[88,291,293],{"id":292},"why-do-i-stay-away-after-i-come-back-to-my-desk","Why do I stay Away after I come back to my desk?",[15,295,296,297,300],{},"Microsoft's troubleshooting article describes this case, where status stays Away even though you resumed activity, and offers diagnostics to run, such as the Teams Presence Based on Calendar Events connectivity test (",[30,298,169],{"href":59,"rel":299},[34],"). Your IT admin can run a presence diagnostic from the Microsoft 365 admin center.",[88,302,304],{"id":303},"can-i-set-myself-as-available-for-a-fixed-time","Can I set myself as Available for a fixed time?",[15,306,307,308,36],{},"No. Teams allows durations for every status except Available (",[30,309,161],{"href":77,"rel":310},[34],[88,312,314],{"id":313},"is-this-the-same-as-the-general-away-problem","Is this the same as the general Away problem?",[15,316,317,318,208],{},"Related, but narrower. For the idle timer side, read ",[30,319,321],{"href":320},"\u002Fguides\u002Fwhy-teams-says-away-when-working","Why does Teams say I'm Away when I'm working?",[22,323,325],{"id":324},"sources","Sources",[41,327,328,333,338,343,348],{},[44,329,330],{},[30,331,35],{"href":32,"rel":332},[34],[44,334,335],{},[30,336,61],{"href":59,"rel":337},[34],[44,339,340],{},[30,341,79],{"href":77,"rel":342},[34],[44,344,345],{},[30,346,99],{"href":97,"rel":347},[34],[44,349,350],{},[30,351,145],{"href":143,"rel":352},[34],{"title":354,"searchDepth":355,"depth":355,"links":356},"",2,[357,358,363,370,371,378],{"id":24,"depth":355,"text":25},{"id":82,"depth":355,"text":83,"children":359},[360,362],{"id":90,"depth":361,"text":91},3,{"id":128,"depth":361,"text":129},{"id":149,"depth":355,"text":150,"children":364},[365,366,367,368,369],{"id":153,"depth":361,"text":154},{"id":173,"depth":361,"text":174},{"id":183,"depth":361,"text":184},{"id":194,"depth":361,"text":195},{"id":211,"depth":361,"text":212},{"id":235,"depth":355,"text":236},{"id":268,"depth":355,"text":269,"children":372},[373,374,375,376,377],{"id":272,"depth":361,"text":273},{"id":282,"depth":361,"text":283},{"id":292,"depth":361,"text":293},{"id":303,"depth":361,"text":304},{"id":313,"depth":361,"text":314},{"id":324,"depth":355,"text":325},"Teams marks you Away the moment your computer locks and Offline when it sleeps. Here is exactly what each state means on a Mac, which settings change it, and the honest fixes, free ones first.","md",null,{},true,10,"\u002Fguides\u002Fteams-away-when-screen-locks-or-sleeps",{"title":5,"description":379},"guides\u002Fteams-away-when-screen-locks-or-sleeps","2026-10-15","g0vmEcRhqhrwpd6SiUF36tvlxFTG6ZhuvVWwefpar7Q",1792953342855]