Keeping Always Active on Teams

Ever get that sinking feeling when Microsoft Teams turns your status yellow just because you dared to check your phone or, gasp, took a snack break? Yep, we’ve all been there. Teams, the omnipresent overlord of remote work, has a sneaky way of switching your green “Active” dot to “Away” if it thinks you’re slacking off for longer than five minutes. But fear not, fellow digital worker bees—there are ways to game the system and keep that coveted green glow alive.

Why Your Teams Status Even Matters

Maybe you’re wondering, “Who cares about a tiny green dot?” Well, your team does. That little status light is how people know if you’re ready to collaborate, join a meeting, or jump on a chat. Plus, if you’re working from home, staying “Active” can help give the impression to the higher-ups that you’re, you know, actually working.

Teams, like most apps designed to manage our modern lives, loves to think it knows what’s best for us. If it notices you’ve gone idle for more than five minutes—whether your computer is snoozing or you’re just not engaging with the app—it flips your green dot to yellow. Suddenly, you’re “Away” and everyone’s wondering where you went. So how do you stay green and active, even when you’re not at your desk?

Here’s the short answer: Microsoft Teams doesn’t let you lock in that green “Active” status forever. The app wants proof you’re actually alive and working. But don’t worry—there are hacks.

How Teams Decides Your Status

Teams uses your “Status” to tell coworkers if you’re good to go or have checked out. The green “Active” dot is automatic as long as you keep poking around the app. But stop for longer than five minutes? Boom—”Away” status it is. You can manually change your status to Busy, Do Not Disturb, or whatever mood you’re in by clicking your profile picture, but that’s just temporary. Teams will eventually flip you back to “Available” (or not) depending on its mood.

Unlike Netflix, which asks if you’re still watching, Teams doesn’t give you an option to stay “Active” without proof of life. So, you’ll need a few tricks to keep that green dot glowing.

Hacks for Keeping Teams Green

Here’s where we get crafty. Since you can’t force Teams to keep you “Active” on its own, you’ve got to make it *think* you’re still around. Let’s break it down:

1. Keep Your Computer Awake:

Teams flips out when your PC or Mac goes to sleep. So, tweak your settings to prevent that.

On Windows:

– Hit the Windows key.

– Search “Control Panel.”

– Under Power Settings, set your computer and screen to “Never” go to sleep.

On Mac:

– Click the Apple icon.

– Under Lock Screen settings, switch off sleep mode.

2. Stay Awake on Mobile:

The mobile app loves switching you to “Away” if your screen locks or the app goes into the background. Change your phone settings so the screen doesn’t lock (you’ll find this under “Display”).

3. Simulate Activity (Yes, Fake It):

Teams just needs to think you’re still moving. You can wiggle your mouse every few minutes or use a mouse-jiggling app (yes, they exist). Apps like **Caffeine** for Windows or **Amphetamine** for Mac simulate activity by triggering tiny actions every minute to keep your status green.

4. Host a Solo Meeting:

Start a one-person Teams meeting (no, really). Just click “Meet Now” in the Calendar, join yourself, and voilà—you’ll stay green. Fair warning, though, this can hog your computer’s resources if you leave it running too long.

Just Let Them Know You’re There

If keeping Teams green feels like a full-time job, you could just let your colleagues know you’re still around. Set a status message in Teams like “I’m working—ignore the yellow dot,” and be done with it.

Look, keeping Teams green all the time isn’t easy, and sometimes it’s not even worth the hassle. But if you need to make sure you always look available, these hacks should help keep your status on point. Just don’t forget—your messages and meeting invites will still come through even if your dot turns yellow, so maybe don’t stress too much if Teams decides to throw you into the “Away” zone.