How to Keep Webex Status Active (and Why It Says Active Minutes Ago)

To keep your Webex status active, keep the Webex App running and signed in on your Windows or Mac computer, and keep using the computer. Cisco's help page See people's availability states the rule: while you use your computer, Webex shows you as Available, and when you are away from it, Webex shows when you were last active, as "Active X minutes ago" with a clock icon. On iPhone, iPad and Android the rule is narrower: you show Available only when you send or read messages. So a phone in your pocket will not keep you active, and a computer that sleeps or locks will not either. To stop that, keep the computer awake with a tool such as PowerToys Awake or caffeinate, and set a custom status so people know you are working.

How Webex decides you are active

Webex shows these in an order of precedence: a meeting beats Available, for example. The full ranked list of icons is in Webex status icons meaning. Cisco does not publish how many idle minutes it takes to go from Available to "Active X minutes ago". People can see your availability only inside your own organization.

How to keep Webex active on your computer

• Keep the desktop app open and signed in. Closing the window may leave it running; quitting it from the tray or menu bar stops it.
• Stop the computer from sleeping and locking. A sleeping computer cannot report that you are using it. On Windows, PowerToys Awake keeps the PC awake. On a Mac, run the command below. If you cannot install anything, see keep your computer awake without admin rights.
• Set a status that explains the gap. When you read a long document or sit in a room meeting, a custom status such as "Heads-down on the Q3 report, reply within 30 min" tells people you are working even while the clock icon shows.

# Mac: keep the display and system awake until you press Ctrl+C
caffeinate -d

Keeping the computer awake is not the same as using it. Tools like caffeinate and PowerToys Awake stop sleep, but they do not type or move the mouse, so Webex can still show "Active X minutes ago" after its idle time. The same limit applies to a keep-awake Chrome extension.

Some people use a mouse jiggler, which creates input and so usually counts as using the computer. Check your company's policy first; we cover the risks in can a mouse jiggler be detected. If your company still runs Cisco Jabber, its Away timer and lock setting are in how to keep your Jabber status Available.

How to keep Webex active on your phone

You cannot, in the sense of a status that stays green by itself. On mobile, Webex shows you Available only when you send or read messages, and "Active X minutes ago" otherwise. Opening the app and reading a space updates it. For times you are reachable only by phone, a custom status is the honest signal.

Set a custom status in Webex



From Cisco's Set a custom status page:

• In the app header, click Set a status (on mobile, tap your profile picture, then Set a status).
• Pick a status from the list or type your own, up to 75 characters, emoji allowed.
• Under Clear after, pick a time, or Custom for a date and time. The minimum is 30 minutes and the maximum is 30 days.
• Click Save.

You can keep up to five statuses in the list for quick use. A custom status does not change the Available or "Active X minutes ago" state; it sits next to it. Away message wording, and out of office through Outlook, are in Webex away message.

Webex status showing inactive while you are working

If Webex shows the clock icon while you are at the computer:

• • Check the app is the desktop app, not only Webex in a browser tab or on your phone.
• • Sign out and back in, or quit and reopen the app.
• • Check you have not hidden your status. In Settings, General, Availability and status, Show availability and statuses must be checked. If it is off, nobody sees your status, and you cannot see theirs.
• • Check you did not hide it from specific people. In Settings, Privacy, Availability and status, the list under Hide my availability and status from another person should not include the person who reported it. Cisco says hiding can take up to 15 minutes to apply, and the same delay can apply when you undo it. The full steps for hiding, and what coworkers see, are in how to hide your online status on Webex.
• • Reply to a message. On recent versions, some users on the Cisco community report that only sending or reading a message brings them back to Available. If that happens to you, reading a new message is the quickest reset.

The opposite problem, a meeting status that will not clear, is in Webex status stuck in a meeting. To leave a meeting for a few minutes without leaving it, use the button covered in Webex step away from meeting.

Webex vs Slack vs Teams: what counts as active

Slack waits 10 minutes, and its desktop app counts work in any app. The rules for the others are in how long before Teams shows away and how long Slack stays active. If you use Teams and Slack together, see keep Teams and Slack active. For Skype for Business, see how to keep Skype status active.

FAQ

How do I make Webex always show available?

Keep the desktop app running and keep the computer awake and in use. Webex has no setting that pins you to Available.

What does "Active 5 minutes ago" mean in Webex?

That person has not used their computer, or on mobile has not read or sent a message, for five minutes.

Can I appear offline in Webex?

You can stop sharing your status in Settings, General, or hide it from specific people in Settings, Privacy. You then cannot see other people's status either, if you turn it off for everyone.

Does Webex on my phone keep me active when my computer is off?

Only while you read or send messages in the app.

Does slack.green work with Webex?

No. It sets your Slack presence only.