Changing your away status on Microsoft Teams can be a valuable tool for managing your schedule and informing your coworkers of your current availability. This article will walk you through the process of adjusting your away time on Microsoft Teams, and also offer some helpful suggestions and personal experiences.
What is away time on Microsoft Teams?
Away time on Microsoft Teams refers to the status that indicates you are currently unavailable or not actively using the application. It can be helpful when you need to focus on a task, attend a meeting, or take a break from continuous notifications.
Changing your status to away
To adjust your away time status on Microsoft Teams, follow these steps:
- Open Microsoft Teams on your device.
- On the top-right corner of the application, you will find your profile picture or initials. Click on it.
- A drop-down menu will appear with different status options. Select “Away” from the available options.
Once you have selected the “Away” status, your colleagues will see a small dot next to your profile picture indicating that you are currently away and not actively using Teams.
Setting a custom away message
You can also add a personal touch to your away status by setting a custom away message. A custom away message can provide additional context to your colleagues about your availability or when you’ll be back.
To set a custom away message, follow these steps:
- Open Microsoft Teams and click on your profile picture or initials at the top-right corner.
- From the drop-down menu, select “Set status message”.
- A text box will appear where you can enter your custom away message. Type in your message and click “Done”.
Once you have set a custom away message, it will be displayed along with your away status, providing your colleagues with additional information about your availability.
My personal experience with adjusting away time
As someone who frequently uses Microsoft Teams for work, I have found adjusting away time to be extremely beneficial. It allows me to signal to my colleagues that I am not currently available for immediate communication, which helps me maintain focus and productivity.
During times when I need to concentrate on a complex task or attend a virtual meeting, setting my status to away helps reduce interruptions and distractions. It also helps create a boundary between work and personal time, as I can set my status to away when I need to take a break or step away from work temporarily.
Furthermore, by setting a custom away message, I can provide more context to my colleagues about why I am away or when they can expect a response. This helps promote clear communication and transparency within my team.
Conclusion
Adjusting away time on Microsoft Teams is a valuable feature for managing your availability and improving productivity. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily change your status to away and set a custom away message to provide additional context to your colleagues. Give it a try and experience the benefits of controlling your availability on Microsoft Teams.