You're at your desk. You're working. You're not on a beach, in the pub, or halfway through a suspiciously long lunch.
Then you glance at Slack and the green dot has vanished.
Helpful.
It happens because Slack presence isn't really a measure of whether you're working. It's a measure of detected activity. Not the same thing, which is where the little green dot starts causing trouble.
Slack is looking for activity, not effort
Slack decides whether you're active or away on its own. Per Slack's own Help Centre, you're set to away after 10 minutes of desktop inactivity. On mobile, you can also show as away if you close the app or switch to something else.
Simple enough. But it misses a lot of normal work.
You might be reading a long document.
Or watching a demo.
Reviewing a spreadsheet.
Thinking through something awkward before you reply.
Buried in another app for half an hour.
None of it necessarily looks like activity to Slack. Your brain might be doing cartwheels, but Slack can't see your brain. Probably for the best.
Why Slack gets it wrong
Presence tools are built around signals. They watch for desktop activity, app activity, whether the app is open.
That's useful most of the time. Close your laptop and go for a walk, and Slack marking you away is fair enough.
The problem is the middle ground. Remote work is full of quiet activity. Reading, planning, listening, checking, thinking. There's often a gap between being productive and actually touching the keyboard.
Slack doesn't know the difference between "away from desk" and "reading something painful but important". It only sees whether the right kind of activity is happening.
Common reasons Slack may show you as away
The obvious one is desktop inactivity. If nothing's happening on your computer for long enough, Slack marks you away.
Another is working in another app. Deep in a design file, a browser tab, a doc, some local tool? You're busy, but Slack isn't getting much from you.
Your sleep settings can get involved too. If the machine sleeps, locks, dims or pauses background activity, your Slack presence can change with it. It helps to keep your computer awake so it doesn't drop into idle while you're still at your desk.
Mobile's messy too. Slack says availability there can change when you close the app or switch away from it. So leaving Slack running on your phone isn't a clean fix.
Things people try
Some people set themselves active by hand. Works until it doesn't. You have to remember, and Slack can still change your availability later anyway.
Others leave Slack open all day. Helps a bit. An open window still isn't the same as activity.
Some change their sleep settings. That can stop the computer going idle, but it won't always keep Slack showing you as active.
A lot of people reach for a mouse jiggler. It creates movement, sure, but it's not exactly controlled. Your pointer twitches about without doing anything useful.
A better way to think about it
The better question isn't "how do I force Slack to stay green?"
It's this:
How do I stop my computer looking idle whilst I'm genuinely working?
That's a fair problem. If you're reading, listening, thinking or working in another app, your status gives the wrong impression. You want your desktop staying awake and active, in a controlled way.
That's where controlled desktop activity comes in. Rather than leaving it to chance, you pick a harmless safe screen area and keep a bit of activity happening there.
Where Green Dotter fits
Green Dotter is a free Mac and Windows app that automates mouse clicks in a screen area you define. It's local, it's simple, and it's built for the times you're still working but your computer would otherwise go quiet.
Handy for reading, calls, long documents, repetitive workflows, and work in other apps where your presence indicator doesn't reflect what you're actually doing. If you want the full walkthrough, see how to prevent Slack going idle.
Use it sensibly. Follow your workplace policies and the rules of the tools you use.
Green Dotter is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Slack Technologies, LLC, Salesforce, or any other third party.
FAQ
Why does Slack show me as away when I am working?
Because Slack uses activity signals. If your desktop or app activity goes quiet for long enough, Slack can mark you away, even if you are still reading, thinking or working elsewhere.
How long before Slack marks you away?
Slack says it sets you away after 10 minutes of desktop inactivity.
Does keeping Slack open stop away status?
Not always. Keeping Slack open can help, but an open window is not the same as active input.
Can Green Dotter help with Slack away status?
Green Dotter can help keep controlled desktop activity happening whilst you are genuinely working. It should be used responsibly and in line with workplace rules.