Webex Status Icons Meaning: Every Symbol and Color
In Webex, a green icon means available, orange means busy, red means do not disturb, a moon means quiet hours and a clock with 'Active X minutes ago' means not active. All ten Webex status icons, the order Webex ranks them in, and how to change yours.
Webex status icons show whether a coworker can answer right now. A green icon means available. An orange icon means busy, and a red icon means do not disturb. A moon means quiet hours. A camera means in a meeting, a handset means on a call, and an arrow means sharing a screen. An airplane means an Outlook out-of-office reply is on. A clock with "Active X minutes ago" means the person is not active. When two states apply at once, Webex shows the one higher in its list, so a meeting beats available.
The meanings below come from Cisco's help article See people's availability. We describe each icon in words and do not copy Cisco's artwork. We build Slack Green, which keeps a Slack status green on a schedule. It does not connect to Webex, so for Webex the settings on this page are what you have.
Every Webex status icon
| Rank | Icon | Status | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airplane | Out of office | An out-of-office reply is set in Microsoft Outlook |
| 2 | Grey handset | Away from desk | Not available for calls or meetings. Not shown in Webex for web |
| 3 | Orange icon | Busy | Focused, but still gets message and call notifications |
| 4 | Red icon | Do not disturb | Gets no notifications, only unread markers |
| 5 | Moon | Quiet hours | Inside the quiet hours they set |
| 6 | Arrow | Presenting | Sharing a screen or an application |
| 7 | Camera | In a meeting | In a meeting |
| 8 | Handset | On a call | On a call |
| 9 | Green icon | Available | Using the computer with Webex open, or reading and sending messages on mobile |
| 10 | Clock | Not active | Away from the app. The profile shows "Active X minutes ago" |
You can see availability only for people in your own organization. It shows wherever their profile picture appears: in a space, in a direct message, and in search.
Which Webex icon wins when two apply
Webex shows one icon at a time. It takes the highest state that is true, in the rank order in the table. Three cases people ask about:
- • In a meeting and set to Do not disturb. You see the red icon, because do not disturb ranks above a meeting.
- • Available but sharing a screen. You see the arrow. Webex also holds back message and call notifications while someone shares a screen in a call or meeting.
- • Out of office in Outlook. The airplane beats every other state, including busy and do not disturb.
How long before Webex shows you as not active
Never appear "away" on Slack again
Cloud-based. No downloads. Works 24/7 even when your laptop is off.
On Windows and Mac, Webex shows you as available while you use the computer. When you stop, it switches to the clock and "Active X minutes ago". On iPhone, iPad and Android, you count as available only when you send or read messages. Cisco does not publish the number of idle minutes before the switch, and posts on the Cisco community report that the time varies. If you see the clock while you work, the fixes are in how to keep your Webex status active.
"Active now" and a green icon mean the same thing: the person used Webex or the computer in the last few minutes.
How to change your Webex status
On iPhone, iPad and Android, tap your profile picture, then Availability, and follow the same steps. To add text such as "In the lab until 3", use Set a status in the app header. A custom status sits next to the icon and does not change it. If you want nobody to see your icon at all, see how to hide your online status on Webex.
Sync your Webex status with Outlook
The airplane comes from Microsoft Outlook. When you turn on an automatic reply in Outlook, Webex reads it and shows you as out of office, above every other state. Turn the Outlook reply off and the airplane goes away. If the airplane stays after you are back, check that the Outlook reply has an end time, then sign out of Webex and back in. The Outlook side of presence, and why it can differ from Teams, is in how to keep your Outlook status green.
Webex, Slack, Teams and Zoom icons side by side
Never appear "away" on Slack again
Cloud-based. No downloads. Works 24/7 even when your laptop is off.
| Meaning | Webex | Slack | Microsoft Teams | Zoom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Available | Green icon | Green dot | Green circle with a check | Green circle |
| Not active or away | Clock, "Active X minutes ago" | Hollow dot | Yellow clock | Grey clock |
| Busy | Orange icon | No built-in busy state | Red circle | Red circle with an X |
| Do not disturb | Red icon | Dot with a small z | Red circle with a bar | Red circle with a bar |
| In a meeting | Camera | No automatic icon | Red, "In a meeting" | Red camera |
Slack sets you away 10 minutes after your last input in the Slack window, and Teams after about 5 minutes. The details for each app are in Slack status icons meaning, Microsoft Teams status icons meaning, Zoom status icons meaning and Google Chat status icons meaning.
FAQ
What does the orange icon mean on Webex?
Busy. The person set it to show they are focused. They still get message and call notifications.
What does the red icon mean on Webex?
Do not disturb. The person gets no notifications until the time they picked ends or they clear it.
What does the clock mean on Webex?
Not active. The person has not used their computer or the app for a while, and their profile shows "Active X minutes ago".
What does the moon mean on Webex?
The person is in quiet hours, a time window they set when they do not want notifications.
What does the airplane mean on Webex?
An out-of-office reply is on in the person's Microsoft Outlook.
What does the grey phone mean on Webex?
Away from desk. The person is not available for calls or meetings. Webex for web does not show this state.
Can people outside my company see my Webex status?
No. Webex shows availability only to people in your own organization.
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