How To Change Your Away Status On Microsoft Teams

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by

Vector Linux
in

Modifying your presence status on Microsoft Teams is a straightforward but effective tool that enables you to manage your accessibility for your co-workers and team members. In this piece, I will walk you through the steps of adjusting your away status on Microsoft Teams and share some of my own thoughts along the journey.

Setting Your Away Status

To change your away status on Microsoft Teams, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Microsoft Teams application on your device. Whether you are using the desktop app or the mobile app, the process remains the same.
  2. Click on your profile picture or initials at the top right corner of the screen. This will open a drop-down menu.
  3. Select “Set status message” from the drop-down menu.
  4. A dialog box will appear, allowing you to customize your away status message. You can enter a specific message indicating your availability or provide additional context to your colleagues.
  5. Once you have entered your desired away status message, click on the “Done” button to save your changes.

It’s important to note that setting an away status does not automatically change your presence status. Presence status indicates your availability, while the away status message provides more context to your colleagues.

Personal Touch:

I personally find the ability to set an away status message on Microsoft Teams extremely helpful in managing my work-life balance. By customizing my away status message, I can let my teammates know when I am taking a break or attending to other priorities, without having to explain it individually to each person.

For example, if I am going to be away from my desk for a lunch break, I can set my away status message as, “Taking a lunch break, be back in 30 minutes.” This simple message informs my colleagues about my availability and sets clear expectations about when they can expect a response from me.

Conclusion

Changing your away status on Microsoft Teams allows you to effectively communicate your availability and provide context to your colleagues. By following the steps mentioned above, you can easily customize your away status message and manage your work-life balance more efficiently. Take advantage of this feature and stay connected with your team while still maintaining personal boundaries.