Change your status in Outlook from the top of your window

Your status in Outlook — the indicator that shows whether you are available, busy, in a meeting, or away — lives in the top-right corner of the window next to your name and profile picture. Click on it, and a menu appears with five preset options: Available, Busy, Do Not Disturb, Away, and Offline. Select whichever matches what you are doing right now, and Outlook broadcasts that status to anyone who looks at your calendar or tries to reach you through Teams or other Microsoft apps.

The status you set is visible to your entire organization by default. When you pick "Do Not Disturb," Outlook will decline meeting requests automatically and silence notifications. "Away" tells people you are not at your desk but may return soon. "Offline" disconnects you from the service entirely. The status persists until you change it manually — Outlook does not automatically flip you back to Available after a meeting ends, so you have to remember to update it yourself.

Key Takeaways

  • Click your name and profile picture in the top-right corner of Outlook to open the status menu in one click.
  • The five status options are Available, Busy, Do Not Disturb, Away, and Offline — pick the one that matches your current situation.
  • Do Not Disturb automatically declines meeting requests and silences notifications, while Away and Offline only change how others see you.
  • Your status does not change automatically when meetings end, so you must update it manually when you return to your desk.
  • Status is visible to your entire organization unless your administrator has restricted it, and syncs across Outlook, Teams, and other Microsoft apps.

Where to find the status button on different devices

On a Windows or Mac computer running Outlook as a desktop app, the status menu is always in the top-right corner next to your name. Look for a circle with a color inside it — green means Available, red means Busy, yellow means Away. Click anywhere on that area and the menu drops down immediately.

On the web version of Outlook (outlook.office.com or outlook.com), the status button is also in the top-right, but it is smaller and easier to miss. You may see just the colored circle without your name visible. Click it the same way — the menu appears below it with all five options.

On Outlook for iPhone or Android, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the notification panel, then look for your profile picture. Tap it, and you will see the status options. The mobile version works the same way as the desktop version once you find the button.

Set a custom status message alongside your availability status

Beyond the five preset statuses, Outlook lets you add a custom message — something like "In a meeting until 3pm" or "Working from home today." This message appears next to your status indicator when someone hovers over your name or views your calendar. To add one, click your profile picture in the top-right corner and select "View profile" or "Set status message" (the exact wording depends on your version). Type your message in the box that appears, then press Enter or click the checkmark.

Custom messages are optional and separate from your availability status. You can be marked as Available but have a message that says "Heads down on project X," which tells people you are technically reachable but focused. Messages typically stay visible for 24 hours unless you delete them sooner. Some organizations set up automatic messages for common situations — your administrator may have created templates you can pick from instead of typing each time.

Understand what each status means to your colleagues

Available means you are at your desk and ready to respond. People will send you messages and meeting requests without hesitation. This is the default status when you first open Outlook.

Busy tells people you are working on something but can still be interrupted if it is important. Your calendar shows you are in a meeting or focused work, but you are not completely unavailable. Meeting requests still come through, though they may be declined automatically depending on your settings.

Do Not Disturb is the strongest signal that you should not be interrupted. Outlook automatically declines new meeting requests, silences notifications, and tells people you will respond when you can. This is the right choice when you are in a critical meeting, on a call, or doing work that requires complete focus.

Away signals that you have stepped away from your desk but expect to return soon — you are in the building, just not at your computer right now. Messages still reach you, and you will see them when you return. This status is useful when you are in a quick meeting in another room or grabbing lunch.

Offline disconnects you from Outlook entirely. You will not receive notifications, and people will see you as completely unavailable. Use this when you are leaving for the day or do not want to be disturbed at all.

Sync your Outlook status with Teams and other Microsoft apps

When you change your status in Outlook, it automatically updates in Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, and other Microsoft apps on the same account. If you set yourself to Do Not Disturb in Outlook, Teams will show the same status. This synchronization works in both directions — if you change your status in Teams, Outlook updates to match.

This sync happens instantly on the same device. If you are signed into Outlook on your computer and Teams on your phone, both will show the same status. However, if you sign out of one app and stay signed in to another, the status may not update across all of them until you sign back in.

Some organizations use status to control whether calls and messages come through at all. If your administrator has set up rules, changing to Do Not Disturb might silence Teams notifications or send calls to voicemail. Check with your IT department if you are not sure how status affects your incoming communications.

Troubleshoot when your status will not change or keeps resetting

If you set your status and it immediately flips back to Available, your Outlook account may be signed in on multiple devices at the same time. Outlook prioritizes the device you are actively using — if you are typing in Outlook on your computer, that device controls your status. If you then pick up your phone and use Teams, the phone takes over. Close Outlook on devices you are not actively using to prevent this conflict.

If the status menu does not appear when you click your profile picture, try signing out and back in. Close Outlook completely, wait a few seconds, then reopen it and sign in again. This refreshes your connection to Microsoft's servers and usually fixes display problems.

On the web version of Outlook, clearing your browser cache can help if the status button is not responding. Open your browser settings, find the option to clear browsing data, and select "Cookies and cached images." Then reload outlook.office.com and try again.

If your status changes on its own without you touching it, check whether your administrator has set up automatic status rules. Some organizations configure Outlook to mark you as Away after a set period of inactivity, or to switch to Do Not Disturb during certain hours. Ask your IT department whether these rules are active on your account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my status automatically change to Away if I do not use Outlook for a while?

Not by default. Outlook keeps you marked as Available until you manually change it, even if you step away from your desk. However, your administrator can configure automatic status changes based on inactivity. If you notice your status flipping to Away on its own, contact your IT department to ask whether this rule is enabled.

Can I hide my status from certain people?

Outlook does not have a built-in way to show different statuses to different people. Your status is visible to your entire organization unless your administrator has restricted it globally. If you need to limit who sees your availability, talk to your IT department about whether that option is available in your organization.

What happens to my status when I close Outlook?

When you close Outlook completely, your status remains visible to others for a short time — usually a few minutes — before the system marks you as Offline. If you want to appear offline immediately, set your status to Offline before closing the app rather than just shutting it down.

Can I set different statuses for different calendars or mailboxes?

No. Outlook uses one status for your entire account across all calendars and mailboxes. If you have multiple email accounts in Outlook, you can only show one status at a time, and it applies to all of them.

Why does my Teams status not match my Outlook status?

If you are signed into Outlook and Teams on different devices, the status may not sync immediately. Sign out of one app and back in to force an update. If the mismatch persists, restart both apps completely. If the problem continues, you may have a connection issue — check that both apps are connected to the internet and that you are signed in with the same account.