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The quickest way to change the presence status shown in Outlook is to change it in Microsoft Teams. For current Microsoft 365 work or school accounts, Outlook displays Teams presence rather than offering its own menu for choosing Available, Busy, Do not disturb, or Away.
Open Teams, select your profile picture, select your current status, and choose a new one. You can also use a Teams slash command if you want to change it without opening the status menu.
Change your Outlook presence status from Teams
- Open Microsoft Teams.
- Select your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- Select your current status.
- Choose the status you want Outlook and Teams to show:
- Available
- Busy
- Do not disturb
- Be right back
- Away
- Appear offline
Teams publishes the resulting presence to supported Outlook experiences. Microsoft describes this as Teams status information being displayed in Outlook, rather than an Outlook setting that independently controls your presence. See Microsoft’s Teams status information available in Outlook documentation.
Fastest keyboard method: use a Teams slash command
If Teams is already open, click the Search box at the top and enter one of these commands:
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/available
/busy
/dnd
/brb
/away
/offlineSelect the matching command from the results and press Enter.
| Command | Status applied |
|---|---|
/available |
Available |
/busy |
Busy |
/dnd |
Do not disturb |
/brb |
Be right back |
/away |
Away |
/offline |
Appear offline |
Microsoft’s command documentation calls the result of /offline “offline,” while the Teams status picker labels it Appear offline. Slash commands are not available in Teams mobile.
Keep a status for a specific period
A manually selected status can be changed automatically by Teams. To keep a status for a defined period:
- Select your profile picture in Teams.
- Select your current status.
- Select Duration.
- Under Status, select the status you want to display.
- Under Reset status after, select a duration.
- For a custom period, select Custom and enter the date and time.
- Select Done.
Teams supports a duration for every status except Available. When the selected period ends, Teams recalculates your status using your activity, calendar, and computer state.
A timed status does not always override another condition. For example, Microsoft notes that a timed Busy status will not necessarily override an Away state if Teams determines that you are inactive.
Why Outlook may change the status again
Teams presence is dynamic. Selecting a status manually does not guarantee that it will remain unchanged all day.
- Available can become Away when your computer is locked or enters idle or sleep mode.
- Mobile activity affects presence. Teams may change your status when the mobile app is running in the background.
- Meetings and calls can set Busy. Depending on the activity, the status may appear as In a meeting or In a call.
- Calendar information and Teams activity can produce Do not disturb.
- Be right back is not set automatically.
- Appear offline hides your signed-in appearance, although you can still receive notifications.
In Teams for the web, you can reduce incorrect Away changes while working in another application or browser tab. Go to Settings and more > Settings > Notifications and activity > Presence, then turn on Keep my current status when I’m active outside of Teams on the web. Teams requests browser permission to detect activity elsewhere. If that permission is blocked, Teams may still mark you Away.
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Classic Outlook includes this path:
File > Options > People > Online status and photographsThe checkbox Display online status next to name controls whether Outlook shows presence indicators beside people’s names. It does not let you select your own status.
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A commonly repeated instruction says to open File > Options > People and choose Busy or Away. That instruction is incorrect for current Teams-based presence. Use Teams’ profile menu to select the actual status.
Where Outlook displays Teams presence
Microsoft documents Teams presence integration in these Outlook versions and experiences:
- New Outlook for Windows
- Outlook on the web for business users
- Outlook for Microsoft 365
- Outlook 2024
- Outlook 2021
- Outlook 2019
- Outlook 2016
In new Outlook and Outlook on the web, presence indicators use Teams information together with Outlook calendar information. In classic Outlook, indicators can appear beside names in messages, the Reading Pane, and Contacts.
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This integration requires a work or school account with a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription. Teams status is not available in Outlook.com consumer accounts.
If Outlook does not show the new status
After changing the status in Teams, allow a short time for Outlook to update. If Outlook shows no indicator, stale information, or Status unknown, check the following.
Confirm that Teams is running
Outlook presence depends on Teams being installed, running, and configured to provide presence information. Quit and reopen Teams, then restart Outlook if the status remains stale.
Check whether Teams is registered as the Office chat app
In Teams, open:
Settings and more > Settings > General > ApplicationEnable Register Teams as the chat app for Office (requires restarting Office applications), if that option is available. Close and reopen Outlook and other Office applications afterward.
Check matching addresses for another person’s presence
If the problem affects a contact rather than your own status, verify that the person’s email address and Teams sign-in address match. A mismatch can prevent Outlook from resolving presence correctly. The affected user may need to correct the addresses, sign out of Teams, and sign back in.
Be aware of external contacts
Outlook may show Status unknown for federated or external Teams contacts. That does not necessarily indicate a problem with your own Teams account.
Consider automatic replies
Outlook automatic replies and Teams presence are related but not identical. Microsoft documents cases where other people see Away or Offline in Outlook while Teams shows Out of Office.
Mac users: reset a stale status
On macOS, presence can remain unchanged after unlocking a locked Mac. Reset the status in Teams. If it remains stale, restart Teams and sign out of Teams on other devices where it is running.
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Avoid editing the registry unless instructed
Microsoft’s troubleshooting documentation references the Teams registration area at:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareIM ProvidersIt also documents Teams presence type-library entries under:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareClassesTypeLib{B9AA1F11-F480-4054-A84E-B5D9277E40A8}1.0These are troubleshooting details for administrators, not a normal way to change presence. Incorrect registry changes can damage Windows, so use Microsoft’s documented process or involve your administrator.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Presence status is different from a status message
A presence status is your availability state, such as Busy or Do not disturb. A status message is separate text that explains what you want other people to know.
To set a Teams status message:
- 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 does not set or display an Outlook automatic Out of Office reply. Use Outlook’s automatic-reply feature separately when you need an out-of-office response.
Quick reference
| Goal | What to do |
|---|---|
| Change the status Outlook shows | Teams > profile picture > current status > choose a status |
| Use the fastest keyboard method | Enter /busy, /dnd, /away, /brb, /available, or /offline in Teams Search |
| Set an expiration time | Teams > profile picture > current status > Duration |
| Hide indicators in classic Outlook | File > Options > People > Online status and photographs > clear Display online status next to name |
| Write an explanation for coworkers | Teams > profile picture > Set status message |
FAQ
Can I change my Teams presence directly in Outlook?
For current Microsoft 365 work or school accounts, Microsoft’s documented method is to change presence in Teams. Outlook displays Teams presence but does not provide a current menu for manually choosing Available, Busy, Do not disturb, or Away.
Why does Outlook still show Away after I selected Busy?
Teams can recalculate presence from computer inactivity, a locked or sleeping computer, mobile activity, calendar events, meetings, and calls. A timed Busy status does not always override an Away condition.
Does File > Options > People let me set my status?
No. In classic Outlook, Display online status next to name controls whether presence indicators are visible beside names. It does not select your own presence status.
Why does Outlook show Status unknown?
Teams may not be running or registered correctly, the contact’s email and Teams sign-in addresses may differ, or the contact may be external or federated. Restarting Teams and Outlook is a useful first check.
Can I change my Outlook presence from my phone?
Change it in the Teams mobile app through your profile and status controls. Teams slash commands such as /busy and /dnd are not available in Teams mobile.
Is a Teams status message the same as an Outlook automatic reply?
No. A presence status indicates availability, while a status message is text shown to other people. An Outlook automatic reply must be configured separately.
The Bottom Line
To change the presence status that Outlook shows, use Teams: select your profile picture, select your current status, and choose a new status. For the fastest keyboard method, enter /busy, /dnd, /away, /brb, /available, or /offline in the Teams search box. Outlook’s People settings only control whether presence indicators are displayed.
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