Microsoft Teams Status: Understand and Customize Your Availability
Microsoft Teams offers a valuable feature called “Status,” which allows you to indicate your availability to other users or team members. By setting a status, you can let others know if it's a good time to message or contact you. Microsoft Teams provides various status icons and messages to choose from, and you can even create your own custom status message. In this article, we'll explore the different status options in Microsoft Teams and learn how to change your status message on both desktop and mobile devices.
How Microsoft Teams Status Messages Work
Status messages in Microsoft Teams serve as a non-verbal and non-intrusive way to inform team members about your availability. Your status is displayed alongside your profile picture and name, visible to all other users who are using the Teams desktop or mobile app. However, if you have blocked specific members, they won't be able to see your status.
You can either select an existing status message or create a custom one that suits your situation or work requirements. Additionally, you can set a timer for your status. Once the set duration ends, your status will automatically update. This feature is particularly useful when you know how long you'll be away, such as during a 30-minute meeting.
Understanding Teams Status Messages
Microsoft Teams offers several status options, each represented by a colored dot icon. These icons help you easily remember and identify the different statuses. Here are the available status messages and their meanings:
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Available: Indicates that you are online and available to chat on the Teams app. It also means that you don't have any meetings or events scheduled on your calendar.
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Busy: Use this status when you're working and don't want to be disturbed. You will still receive notifications but won't be interrupted. If you're on a call or in a meeting, your status will automatically change to “In a meeting” or “In a call.”
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DND or Do Not Disturb: Select this status when you want to avoid receiving any notifications or being disturbed in any way.
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BRB or Be Right Back: This status indicates that you're away momentarily and will return to your desk soon.
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Appear away: Use this status when you need to focus on work and don't want to respond to notifications or messages immediately.
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Appear offline: This status is applicable when you're not signed in to the Teams app and cannot receive messages. However, you will still receive notifications.
How to Change Microsoft Teams Status Settings
Microsoft Teams is available on desktop, mobile, and web browsers. The user interface is consistent across all platforms, so we'll cover the steps for changing your status on browsers (Windows and macOS) and iOS (similar to Android).
Change Teams Status on Browser or Desktop
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Open the Teams desktop app or access the web app in your preferred browser.
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Click on your profile picture located at the upper right corner of the screen.
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From the dropdown menu, select a status. Your profile will immediately reflect the new status, visible to all team members.
Change Teams Status on Mobile App
The steps to update your Teams profile status are the same for both Android and iOS devices. Here, we'll focus on the iOS version.
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Open the Teams app on your mobile device.
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Tap on your profile icon located in the upper left corner. Then, tap on your current status to view the available options.
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Select a status from the list to update your profile status.
How to Set the Duration of Your Status on Teams
As mentioned earlier, you can choose a status to appear for a specific duration. After the set time, your status will automatically revert to the previous one. Here's how to set the duration:
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Open the Teams app and navigate to the Status section, following the previous steps.
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Click on the “Duration” option from the status dropdown menu.
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Choose a time duration from the dropdown menu or select “Custom” to set a specific date and time for your status to revert.
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Click on “Done” to save the changes.
How to Set a Custom Status Message in Teams
If none of the default status messages suit your situation, you can create a custom message to provide more clarity about your availability. Here's how:
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Open the Teams app and go back to your profile icon, where you update your status. Click on “Set status message” below your name.
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Type your custom message in the provided field. You can also use the “@name” operator to notify specific users, such as your boss or supervisor, about your status change.
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Check the “Show when people message me” option if you want your custom status message to appear above the compose message box when someone is typing a message or mentioning you in a group.
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Set a timer or schedule for your custom Teams status message, and then click on “Done” to save the changes.
Microsoft Teams has revolutionized team collaboration and communication, especially during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. While the Status feature is not new, Teams has added thoughtful enhancements to make it even more useful. Now you can easily indicate your availability and customize your status to enhance your productivity and streamline your work.
Did you know that you can also record Microsoft Teams meetings for future reference? Learn how to do it now and make the most out of Teams!

Jim's passion for Apple products ignited in 2007 when Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone. This was a canon event in his life. Noticing a lack of iPad-focused content that is easy to understand even for “tech-noob”, he decided to create Tabletmonkeys in 2011.
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