How to Restore Microsoft Teams Presence Status in Outlook

You can get your Teams presence status back in Outlook by following some easy steps. Presence status lets your team see if you are free, working from home, or busy. Microsoft found that clear presence status in Outlook helps teams work together and plan better. Teams can check if you are free for meetings or short talks. This helps everyone stay in touch and work well together. Most issues with presence status have simple fixes you can use now.

Key Takeaways

• Run Microsoft Teams and Outlook at the same time to keep your presence status visible.

• Set Teams as the default chat app for Office and use the same Microsoft 365 account in both apps.

• Keep Teams and Outlook updated and enable the Teams Meeting Add-in in Outlook for smooth integration.

• Check Outlook settings to make sure presence status is enabled and ask your IT admin if options are greyed out.

• Clear the Teams cache and verify group policy or registry settings if presence status still does not show.

Quick Fixes for Presence Status

Run Teams and Outlook Together

You need to run both Microsoft Teams and Outlook at the same time. Presence status only works when both apps are open and active. If you close one app, Outlook cannot show your current status.

Steps to follow:

1. Open Microsoft Teams and sign in.

2. Open Outlook and sign in with your work account.

3. Keep both apps running while you work.

Tip: If you do not see your presence status, close both apps and restart them. This refreshes the connection and often solves the problem.

Microsoft supports presence status integration for Outlook 2013 and newer versions. You should always use the latest version of both apps for best results.

Register Teams as Chat App for Office

Outlook needs to know that Teams is your main chat app. You can set this in Teams settings. This step helps Outlook get your presence status from Teams.

How to register Teams as the chat app for Office:

1. Open Microsoft Teams.

2. Click your profile picture in the top right corner.

3. Select "Settings."

4. Go to the "General" tab.

5. Find and check the box for "Register Teams as the chat app for Office (requires restarting Office applications)."

6. Restart Teams and all Office apps, including Outlook.

Note: If the option is missing or greyed out, try signing in with an admin account. You can also update Office and reinstall Teams if needed.

Some users fix registration issues by updating Office or changing settings in the Windows registry. You may need help from your IT admin for these advanced steps.

Match Sign-In Addresses

Outlook and Teams must use the same Microsoft 365 account. If you use different email addresses, presence status may not show or may display as "unknown."

Steps to check and match sign-in addresses:

1. In Outlook, go to File > Account Settings > Email tab. Check your email address.

2. In Teams, click your profile picture > Manage account > Accounts. Check your sign-in email.

3. Make sure both apps use the same Microsoft 365 work account.

4. If you find a mismatch, sign out and sign in again with the correct account in both apps.

Tip: After matching your accounts, restart both Teams and Outlook. This helps them sync and show your correct presence status.

Matching sign-in addresses is important because Outlook uses your Teams account to get your status. If you still have problems, check that the Teams Meeting Add-in is enabled in Outlook and that your mailbox is hosted on Exchange Online.

Common Causes of Missing Presence Status

Disabled Presence Status in Outlook

You may not see your Teams presence status in Outlook if the feature is disabled. Sometimes, Outlook settings hide this option. If you notice that the presence status option is greyed out or missing, check your Outlook settings. Go to the Outlook options menu and look for the section about people or contacts. Make sure the setting to show user presence is enabled. If you cannot change the setting, your IT admin may have set a policy that controls this feature.

Tip: If you do not see the option, ask your IT admin to review your Outlook policies. They can enable the setting for you.

Outdated Apps or Add-Ins

Outdated versions of Teams, Outlook, or their add-ins often cause problems with presence status. When you use old or improperly installed add-ins, Outlook cannot connect to Teams. This breaks the link that shows your status. Users have found that after updating Teams or Outlook, the presence status sometimes disappears. Bugs in certain versions or missing add-ins can cause this issue. Clearing the Teams cache may help for a short time, but updating both apps usually fixes the problem for good.

If you uninstall or upgrade Teams, the Teams meeting add-in might also get removed. This add-in uses special registry keys to work. Without these keys or with an old add-in, Outlook cannot show your Teams status. Reinstalling or updating the add-in and checking the registry keys restores the connection.

Group Policy or Registry Issues

Group policy and registry settings control how Teams and Outlook work together. If these settings are wrong, presence status will not appear. Here are some common issues:

• Teams is not set as the default chat app for Office.

• Registry keys for Teams integration are missing or incorrect.

• Group policy blocks Teams from starting with Office apps.

You can check the registry at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\IM Providers. Make sure the DefaultIMApp value is set to Teams. Under the Teams key, look for IMSupported set to 1 and ProcessName set to Teams.exe. Registering Teams TLB files also helps with integration. If you use the new Teams client, set Teams as the default chat app in Teams settings or ask your IT admin to update the registry or group policy.

Note: IT admins can fix most group policy or registry issues. If you do not have access, contact your support team for help.

Troubleshooting Steps

Enable Presence Status in Outlook

Start by making sure Outlook is set up to show your Teams presence.

1. Open Outlook.

2. Go to File > Options > People.

3. Find and check the box for Display online status next to name.

4. Click OK to save your changes.

Tip: If you cannot change this setting, your IT admin may have set a policy. Ask them to check your Outlook group policy settings.

You should also check that the Teams Meeting Add-in is enabled. Go to File > Options > Add-ins > COM Add-ins and make sure the Teams add-in is active.

Clear Teams Cache

A corrupted Teams cache can cause problems with presence status in Outlook. Clearing the cache often fixes these issues.

• Close Microsoft Teams completely.

• Press Windows + R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams, and press Enter.

• Delete all files and folders except the meeting-addin folder.

• Restart Teams.

Note: Clearing the cache removes temporary files that may block Teams from syncing with Outlook.

Check Group Policy Settings

Group policy or registry settings can block presence status from showing.

1. Open the Registry Editor (regedit).

2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\IM Providers.

3. Make sure the value for DefaultIMApp is set to Teams.

4. Under the Teams key, check that IMSupported is set to 1 and ProcessName is Teams.exe.

For IT admins: Also check group policy settings under Microsoft Outlook > Options > Other > Instant Messaging. Make sure “Display online status next to name” is enabled.

Reinstall or Update Teams and Outlook

Outdated or corrupted apps can break presence integration.

1. Update Outlook: Go to File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now.

2. Update Teams: In Teams, select your profile, then choose Check for updates.

3. Restart both Teams and Outlook after updating.

If problems continue, uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Teams.

• Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features.

• Uninstall Teams, then download and install the latest version from Microsoft.

If you still cannot restore presence status, contact your IT support or Microsoft for more help.

License and Account Requirements

Supported Microsoft 365 Plans

You need a supported Microsoft 365 plan to see Teams presence status in Outlook. Most business and enterprise plans let you use this feature. If you have a personal or basic plan, you might not get Teams to work with Outlook. The table below shows which plans let you use presence status:

Check your subscription before you try to fix problems. If your plan does not support Teams presence in Outlook, you will not see any status updates. If you are not sure about your license, ask your IT admin to check it for you.

Tip: If you upgrade to a business or enterprise plan, you get more features. This includes presence status in Outlook.

TeamsOnly Mode and Permissions

TeamsOnly mode changes how presence status works in Outlook. If you switch to TeamsOnly mode and remove Skype for Business, Outlook might stop showing your Teams presence status. You can still see your status inside Teams, but Outlook needs extra setup. You must set Teams as the default chat app for Office in the settings. After you turn this on, restart all Office apps, including Outlook. This step brings back presence status in Outlook, even if you do not use Skype for Business.

You also need the right permissions for Teams presence to show in Outlook. These permissions let Outlook read your calendar and manage your status. The permissions you need are:

• Calendars.ReadBasic.All

• Presence.ReadWrite.All

• User.Read.All

Your organization usually sets these permissions for you. If you do not see presence status, ask your IT admin to check your account permissions. Without these permissions, Outlook cannot show your Teams status.

Presence status helps your team know when you are free. Make sure your account and permissions are set up the right way for the best experience.

---

To restore presence status in Outlook, follow these steps in order:

1. Run both Teams and Outlook at the same time. 2. Set Teams as the default chat app for Office and restart both apps. 3. Sign in with the same Microsoft 365 account on both apps. 4. Update Teams and Outlook to the latest versions. 5. Clear the cache for both apps. 6. Check registry keys and group policy settings. 7. Enable the Teams add-in in Outlook.

If you still cannot see your presence status, contact your IT support or Microsoft for help.

Save this guide for future reference by bookmarking it or using the /saved command in Teams.

FAQ

Why does my Teams presence not show in Outlook?

You may not see your Teams presence in Outlook if you use different accounts, have outdated apps, or if the Teams add-in is disabled. Make sure you run both apps, use the same account, and update everything.

How do I enable the Teams add-in in Outlook?

Go to File > Options > Add-ins in Outlook. Select COM Add-ins and check the box for Microsoft Teams Meeting Add-in for Microsoft Office. Click OK. Restart Outlook to apply the changes.

Can I use Teams presence in Outlook with a personal Microsoft account?

No, Teams presence in Outlook only works with supported Microsoft 365 business or enterprise accounts. Personal or home accounts do not support this feature.

What should I do if the presence status option is greyed out in Outlook?

Ask your IT admin to check your Outlook policies. Sometimes, group policy settings control this feature. You may not have permission to change it yourself.

Will clearing the Teams cache delete my files or chats?

Clearing the Teams cache removes temporary files. Your chats, files, and settings stay safe. Teams will reload your data when you sign in again.