What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
If your Outlook contact card shows Away, Busy, or Do not disturb, change the presence status in Microsoft Teams—not in Outlook. Outlook displays Teams presence for eligible work or school accounts, but it does not provide a separate manual control for setting yourself to Available.
The steps below apply to Microsoft 365 work or school accounts using classic Outlook, new Outlook, or Outlook on the web. Teams presence is not available in Outlook.com in the same way.
Change your status to Available in Teams
The quickest method is to use the Teams desktop or web app.
- Open Microsoft Teams and sign in with the same work or school account connected to Outlook.
- Select your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- Select your current status, such as Away or Busy.
- Select Available.
Teams synchronizes the change with Outlook. It may take a short time for the green Available indicator to appear beside your name or beside a contact’s name in Outlook.
#1 Best Overall
- Designed for Your Windows and Apple Devices | Install premium Office apps on your Windows laptop, desktop, MacBook or iMac. Works seamlessly across your devices for home, school, or personal productivity.
- Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook | Get premium versions of the essential Office apps that help you work, study, create, and stay organized.
- 1 TB Secure Cloud Storage | Store and access your documents, photos, and files from your Windows, Mac or mobile devices.
- Premium Tools Across Your Devices | Your subscription lets you work across all of your Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices with apps that sync instantly through the cloud.
- Easy Digital Download with Microsoft Account | Product delivered electronically for quick setup. Sign in with your Microsoft account, redeem your code, and download your apps instantly to your Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
Use a Teams command instead
You can also change the status from the Teams search box:
- Click the search box at the top of Teams.
- Enter
/available. - Press Enter and choose the matching command if Teams displays one.
These commands are entered in Teams, not in an Outlook search or message field:
| Status | Teams command |
|---|---|
| Available | /available |
| Busy | /busy |
| Do not disturb | /dnd |
| Be right back | /brb |
| Away | /away |
| Offline | /offline |
Change your status in Teams mobile
- Open the Teams app.
- Tap Menu.
- Tap your current status.
- Choose Available.
Teams can still change Available to Away when the mobile app is running in the background. Your computer can also become Away when it is locked, idle, or asleep.
Recommended Free Tools
Why does Teams change Available back to Away?
Available is activity-based. Teams normally changes it to Away when it detects that you have been inactive, your computer is locked, or the computer enters sleep mode. On a phone, putting Teams in the background can also result in Away.
A status duration can prevent some manual statuses from changing immediately, but Microsoft does not allow a duration to be set for Available. To set a duration for another status:
- Select your profile picture in Teams.
- Select your current status.
- Select Duration.
- Choose a status under Status.
- Choose when Teams should reset it under Reset status after.
- Choose Custom if you need a particular date and time.
- Select Done.
At the end of the duration, Teams reassesses your activity, calendar, and computer state. To cancel a duration, open the status menu and select Reset status, or select a different status.
Stop Teams for the web from changing your status when you use another app
If you use Teams in a browser, you can ask it to retain your status while you work in another browser tab or application:
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute- In Teams for the web, select Settings.
- Open Notifications and Activity > Presence.
- Turn on Keep my current status when I’m active outside of Teams on the web.
Your browser may ask permission to detect activity in other tabs and applications. Select Allow if you want this feature to work. Selecting Block prevents the detection, so Teams may still mark you Away.
Hide the status indicator in classic Outlook
Classic Outlook includes a setting that controls whether online-status indicators are displayed next to names. This does not change your actual Teams status.
- In classic Outlook, select File.
- Select Options.
- Open the People tab.
- Under Online status and photographs, clear or select Display online status next to name.
- Select OK.
Clear the option if you only want to remove the visual indicators from Outlook. To become Available, use the Teams status menu instead.
Do not confuse Available with Outlook’s other status features
Several Outlook and Teams settings can look like a “status,” but they do different jobs:
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →| Feature | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Teams presence | Available, Busy, Do not disturb, Away, and Offline indicators shown in Outlook and Teams. |
| Teams status message | Text such as “Working from home” or “Back at 3 PM.” |
| Automatic replies | Outlook’s email response to people who send you messages. |
| Calendar Show As | Whether a calendar event appears as Free, Tentative, Busy, Working Elsewhere, or Out of Office. |
Set a Teams status message
To display an explanation alongside your presence:
- In Teams, select your profile picture.
- Select Set status message.
- Enter your message.
- Optionally select Show when people message me.
- Choose a period under Clear status message after.
- Select Done.
A Teams status message is separate from Available. Also, when a Teams status message is set, it can prevent Outlook’s automatic out-of-office text from appearing in Teams.
Set an Outlook automatic reply
In new Outlook for Windows, select View > View settings > Accounts > Automatic Replies. Turn on automatic replies, add the message and time period, then select Save.
In Outlook on the web, select Settings > Mail > Automatic replies, turn on the feature, enter the message and dates, and select Save.
In classic Outlook for Windows, select File > Automatic Replies, choose Send automatic replies, enter the response, and select OK.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteAn automatic reply does not directly select Available, Busy, or Away in Teams. A calendar event marked Out of Office, however, can affect calendar availability and Teams presence.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to check if Available does not appear in Outlook
- Check the account type: Teams presence in Outlook requires a qualifying Microsoft 365 work or school account. Outlook.com accounts do not provide the same Teams status integration.
- Sign in to the same account: Teams and Outlook must use the organization account whose presence you want to display.
- Open Teams: If Teams is not signed in, Outlook may show Offline or no presence indicator.
- Check classic Outlook’s display setting: Go to File > Options > People and confirm that Display online status next to name is selected.
- Check your calendar: An active meeting, call, or calendar event marked Busy or Out of Office can affect the status people see.
- Allow browser activity detection: If you use Teams on the web and blocked its permission request, the browser may continue changing your status to Away.
- Wait for synchronization: Close and reopen Outlook or Teams if the change does not appear after a short delay.
FAQ
Can I change my Available status directly in Outlook?
No. For Microsoft 365 work or school accounts, Outlook displays presence supplied by Teams. Open Teams, select your profile picture, select your current status, and choose Available.
Why does Outlook show me as Away when I am working?
Teams can mark you Away when your computer is idle, locked, or asleep. Teams for the web may also change the status when you work outside its browser tab. Enable Settings > Notifications and Activity > Presence > Keep my current status when I’m active outside of Teams on the web, and allow the browser to detect activity.
Can I set Available for a fixed amount of time?
No. Teams supports status duration for statuses such as Busy, Do not disturb, Away, and Offline, but Available cannot have a duration. Teams determines Available or Away from activity, calendar information, and device state.
Does setting an Outlook automatic reply make me Available or Away in Teams?
No. Automatic replies send email responses. They are separate from Teams presence. Calendar information, such as an event marked Out of Office, can affect the presence shown to others.
How do I remove the green status dot from classic Outlook?
Select File > Options > People. Under Online status and photographs, clear Display online status next to name, then select OK. This hides the indicator in Outlook but does not change your Teams status.
Does Appear offline stop Teams messages?
No. Offline or Appear offline makes you look unavailable or unsigned-in to other people, but messages can still arrive.
The Bottom Line
To change Available status in Outlook, change it in Teams: select your Teams profile picture, select the current status, and choose Available. Outlook only displays the synchronized Teams presence. If you want to hide the indicator rather than change the status, use classic Outlook’s File > Options > People setting.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
