How Long Before Teams Goes Yellow (Away)? About 5 Minutes
Microsoft Teams sets you to Away after a few minutes without keyboard or mouse input on your computer, about 5 minutes in practice, at once when you lock the computer, and when the phone app goes to the background. Sleep shows Offline. Every Teams timer, and how it differs from Slack.
Microsoft Teams turns your status yellow, meaning Away, after about 5 minutes without keyboard or mouse input on your computer, and at once when you lock it.
Microsoft's admin documentation gives no number, only "inactive for a few minutes". People on Microsoft's own Q&A forum report 5 minutes, for example in the thread Teams says I'm Away after 5 minutes. We have no Teams account to time it ourselves, so treat 5 minutes as the usual value, not a guarantee. Teams also goes yellow when the Teams app on your phone goes to the background. When the computer sleeps, Teams shows you as Offline. Unlike Slack, Teams counts activity anywhere on the computer, not only inside Teams. What admins can see from that activity is in does Microsoft Teams track your activity.
If you use Slack as well, its desktop app waits 10 minutes and also counts input anywhere on the computer (Slack desktop 4.52.178 code, checked 7 Oct 2026). For keeping Teams itself green, see how to keep Teams status available. For a full comparison of the two apps, see Slack vs Teams.
When Teams changes your status
| Situation | Teams status |
|---|---|
| No input on the computer for a few minutes (about 5) | Away |
| Computer locked | Away |
| Computer asleep | Offline |
| Mobile app in the background | Away |
| Mobile inactive for 24 hours | Offline |
| In a meeting or call | In a meeting / In a call (Busy) |
| A status you set with a duration | That status until it resets |
Microsoft Learn describes the computer and mobile rules: on a computer, presence becomes Away if you are inactive for a few minutes or the computer is locked, and Offline when it enters sleep mode; on a mobile device it becomes Away whenever the app is in the background, then Offline after 24 hours of inactivity. Once you are Away or Offline, coworkers also see how long ago Teams last saw you active; see what does Last seen mean on Teams.
How long does Teams stay green?
As long as there is keyboard or mouse input somewhere on your computer, and for about 5 minutes after the last input. Working in Word, a browser or another app keeps Teams green, because Teams reads the computer's idle state. A minimized desktop window does not change that, but Teams on the web and on phones can; see does Teams show Away when minimized. Reading a document without touching anything does not.
On a phone, Teams is green only while the app is open on screen. How the phone and the computer combine is in does Teams stay green on mobile.
Can you change the Teams away timer?
Not directly. Teams has no setting for the timeout, and admins cannot change it. Every setting that does move the moment you turn Away, with where to find it, is in how to change Teams away time. Microsoft's own advice is to change your device's sleep or idle settings so it takes longer before your status switches to Away, and those settings only help with sleep and lock. Two other controls exist:
- • Set a status with a duration. Select your profile picture, your current status, then Duration, pick a status and a Reset status after time. It works for any status except Available, and Microsoft notes that a more available status does not override a less available one, so a Busy duration will not stop an Away.
- • Teams on the web. Under Settings, Notifications and activity, Presence, turn on the option to keep your current status when you are active outside Teams, and allow the browser's idle detection permission.
- • Screen lock. A lock set by your IT policy after 2 or 3 minutes switches Teams to Away at once.
- • Phone in your pocket. If you last used Teams on your phone, the phone app in the background shows Away.
- • A status you set. "Appear away" stays until you change it.
Teams vs Slack: how long you stay green
| Microsoft Teams | Slack | |
|---|---|---|
| Idle time before away | A few minutes, about 5 | 10 minutes |
| What counts as activity | Input anywhere on the computer | Input anywhere on the computer (desktop app) |
| Computer locked | Away | Away |
| Computer asleep | Offline | Away |
| Phone app in background | Away | Away |
That is why a mouse jiggler usually keeps Teams green but often not Slack. Google Chat has a third rule: Idle after 5 minutes and Away after 10; see how to keep Google Chat active. The Slack timings are in how long does Slack stay active, and keeping both green is covered in keep Teams and Slack active.
Rocket.Chat also uses 5 minutes, but lets each user change it; see which chat apps let you change the away timer.
Why Teams turns yellow so quickly
Yellow is Away. If you turn yellow faster than 5 minutes, one of these is usually the reason:
If Teams stays yellow while you are working, see Teams status stuck on Away. Webex uses a similar rule on desktop; see how to keep Webex status active.
FAQ
Does Teams go Away if I am working in another app?
No, on the desktop app. Teams reads activity on the whole computer. It goes Away when you stop using the computer.
How long does Teams stay Available on mobile?
Only while the app is open on screen. In the background it shows Away.
How long until Teams shows Offline?
On a computer, when it goes to sleep or you sign out. On mobile, after 24 hours of inactivity.
Can admins change the Teams idle timeout?
No. There is no admin setting for it. Outlook shows the same status, so the same timings apply there; see how to keep your Outlook status green.
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