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Status only · Nothing to install in your workspace · Off outside your hours

Keep Slack Active With Your Laptop Closed

Set your work hours once, for example Mon–Fri, 9:00–18:00. OnlineHours keeps your Slack status Active from our servers while you work, step away or close your laptop, and stops when your workday ends.

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5.0/56 ratings · Chrome Web StoreOnlineHours Connector · As of Oct 28, 2026
  • Status onlyWe only update your availability and, if you choose, your status text. We don’t read, store or send your messages or files.
  • No workspace app to installNothing is added to your company’s Slack apps. You link your own browser session with a private code, and you can remove it any time in your dashboard, which deletes the stored session.
  • Pause any timeChange your hours or pause it from your dashboard, on any device.
Slack
Preview · not connected
YouLaptop closed
Active
Your work hours

Choose your days and type any start and end time.

Stay online longerThen back to your usual hours.

Laptop closed. Preview online.OnlineHours runs on our servers.

Preview only. Connect your app to control its real status.

Connection details

After connecting, you can see activity, replace your connection and disconnect in your dashboard.

Try it. Changes to your hours are saved for sign-in.

Your hours. Your time zone.

The green dot and your status message do different jobs

Slack separates availability, the green dot, from your custom status. A message such as “Working on a proposal” gives teammates context; it does not hold the availability dot active.

Use a clear status message alongside any availability routine so people know whether to expect an immediate reply.

Connect one workspace first

Install the OnlineHours extension, open Slack in your browser and sign in normally. The extension creates a private connection code for that workspace; paste it into Apps in your dashboard. The connection starts paused.

Start a short session and check what a teammate sees before relying on a recurring schedule. Slack still decides what is displayed, and another open Slack client can change the result.

How the cloud connection works

Slack’s own settings only let you choose Automatic or Away, and Automatic still shows you as Away when you’re inactive or close Slack. OnlineHours uses the Slack session from your connection code and keeps it active from our servers during your hours. For the other ways to stay active and their limits, see how to keep Slack active.

The code gives OnlineHours access to your signed-in Slack session. We store it encrypted and use it only to check the connection, keep you active at your hours, set any Slack status you choose, and stop or remove the connection. Delete the connection to remove its stored credentials. Use Slack’s session controls to revoke the underlying session as well. This is not an official Slack integration, so check your workspace’s rules first.

Set it up in Chrome on your computer

Already started your trial? Add the connector and connect Slack from your dashboard, or here:

Add to ChromeOnlineHours Connector · freeCloud connection options

Common questions

Will a Slack status emoji keep me active?

No. Custom status text and emoji communicate context; availability is a separate signal.

Can I schedule different workspaces?

Yes, each workspace is a separate connection with its own code. Check each one on its own; activity in one workspace says nothing about another.

Does my laptop need to stay on?

No. Your schedule runs on OnlineHours servers while the connection is valid. The extension is used for setup and reconnection; it does not need to stay open.

Related

Official sources