The signals
Green dot: active. Slack sees recent activity, or the person set themselves active.
Hollow dot: away. Slack has not seen activity for 10 minutes on desktop, the mobile app was closed, or the person set themselves away.
Status: optional emoji and text, with an expiry you choose. It explains what someone is doing but does not change the dot.
Teams uses a green check and a yellow clock instead (see Teams status icons), and Google Chat adds an Idle state between active and away.
Keep the green dot during work
Set yourself as active for a quick fix. For a routine that works with your laptop closed, OnlineHours keeps Slack active during your hours from its servers, and can add a timed status like “🍽 Lunch 13:00–14:00”. Other services, such as Stay Green On Slack, keep the dot green too; see the full comparison.
Check what your colleagues see
Your own Slack window is not the best test: it updates as you use it. Ask a colleague to look at your name in a channel or DM, or check from a second account you are allowed to use.
Check at the moments that matter: after 10 minutes away from the keyboard, with the laptop closed, and just after your working hours end. If the dot and your status disagree with what you expect, note which app or device was open at the time.
Keep your status on your hours, laptop closed
OnlineHours sets Slack, Teams or ClickUp to online from its servers during the hours you choose, and stops outside them.
Setting yourself active is free and fine while you’re at your desk. OnlineHours repeats your hours every day without you remembering, laptop closed.
One app, no card. Nothing is charged when it ends.
Common questions
Does the green dot mean someone is reading Slack?
No. It means Slack considers the account active. Use a status to tell people more.