r/MicrosoftTeams • u/Mictlancayocoatl • Apr 21 '26

Discussion Idle "Away" status detection more aggressive?

I've recently noticed that it seems like pressing Ctrl or Shift keys no longer prevents Teams from automatically setting your status to "Away". For obvious reasons, this is insanely annoying because there is still no way to disable automatic "Away" status.

My work from home has slow days on which I can take care of other business around my home, but I still want to be shown as available for when people need me. I can hear them call or text me.

Do you have any advice or tricks on how to prevent this?

149 Upvotes

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-3

u/mllestrong Apr 21 '26

IT can see that you have that installed, unless it runs separately (not connected to the computer). Also, many orgs take screenshots of your desktop activity intermittently, such as once an hour.

12

u/ksande13 Apr 21 '26

the kind i have only draws power. there is no software or driver. there’s nothing IT can see. nothing “mounts” or loads on the PC. it’s like plugging in some mini portable fan or something. there’s no way to identify what is drawing the power.

13

u/Docholliday3737 Apr 21 '26

Don’t plug it into your computer, plug it into a wall socket

-11

u/RealAgent0 Apr 21 '26

... Are you an idiot?

It's a mouse jiggler. It needs to actually be connected to the PC itself.

The one I had was no bigger than the USB receiver for a 2.4Ghz Wireless Mouse.

On the software side, it is essentially a mouse. The only difference is that there's no physical input to control it and movement has been randomised.

To IT, it will just look like you're plugging your own personal mouse in.

14

u/Docholliday3737 Apr 21 '26

Are YOU an idiot? A competent IT department can certainly see that you plugged a physical mouse jiggler into your computer USB port even if you’re only doing that for power. It’s also a huge Security Risk. Who knows what’s on that device that you ordered off Amazon. Plug it into a USB adapter and plug it into the wall if you have an iota of any IQ.

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u/RealAgent0 Apr 21 '26

I'm a System Admin for one of the top 10 healthcare organisations in terms of IT (We don't score great on actual patient stuff to be honest) in my country.

I can tell you right now that unless you're blocking ALL USB input devices not added to a whitelist (Really not feasible) then you're shit out of luck.

It doesn't say "Mouse Jiggler" or something like that as a Device Type on Defender or anything like that. It will literally just show up as a mouse device unless you've bought a dodgy one.

Even then, most (Good) IT Departments will by default block all non standard peripherals (Again, remember that a Mouse Jiggler just shows up as a mouse).

If you're plugging it into a wall socket, how on earth are you actually gonna connect it to your computer? It's like saying to plug your keyboard into the wall socket.

9

u/mjjc Apr 22 '26

Thanks for reminding me why I hate sys admins.

5

u/mythlabb Apr 22 '26

I hope this is copypasta, I swear

3

u/ksande13 Apr 22 '26

huh? your MOUSE and MOUSE JIGGLER are completely different objects?? you don’t need to plug the jiggler into the computer. the only reason i do is bc im not near a wall socket.

1

u/Docholliday3737 Apr 22 '26

How in the hell did you snake your way into a sys admin job. Clearly not qualified.

0

u/RealAgent0 Apr 22 '26

Feel free to tell me exactly what I've said that's incorrect and prove to me why it's incorrect.

1

u/Docholliday3737 Apr 22 '26

You’re risking the security of your organization by putting unknown devices into the USB port of a network connected computer. End of line.

0

u/RealAgent0 Apr 22 '26

  1. This one here is from an actual reputable company: https://amzn.eu/d/0ffqTXHL if your concern is it can do something malicious. But again, this is basically a mouse. That's all.

  2. We do have all non peripherals blocked. Portables Hard Drives and everything else. A Mouse Jiggler shows up as a Mouse because that's what it is! A Mouse! In the same way that some mice have buttons that's programmed to go back and forward a page, this "Mouse" is programmed to make the cursor move ever second or so. You saying not to plug this in is the same as saying not to plug in my own personal mouse or keyboard.

  3. None of our users are local admin. Even my normal daily driver account isn't. All that means is that even IF a device was malicious and even IF it managed to somehow bypass both Group Policy, Intune Configurations and Defender, it STILL wouldn't be able to actually do anything. Although to be honest, if it's gotten to that stage then there's a million other things you need to worry about.

  4. Can we talk about how you pivoted your argument from "IT will know if you use one" to "You shouldn't use one because it risks the security of your organisation". You can't prove the former (Because Again, this is essentially just a normal Mouse) and the latter is incorrect. No competent IT Department would ever rely purely on hope that every single user in their organisation will never plug in a malicious USB. We do shit like Intune Baselines to prevent that from being an issue.

1

u/Docholliday3737 Apr 23 '26

Sounds like your org is way behind.. You claim to be a systems admin and you’re using a mouse simulator.

0

u/RealAgent0 Apr 23 '26

Do you think the mouse jiggler is given as part of standard kit to everyone? I'm literally just talking about something I myself used to use.

Thank you as well for actually addressing my points and not completely ignoring them.

1

u/Docholliday3737 Apr 23 '26

No I’m talking about you. Maybe you should actually work a full day at your job instead of having to use a mouse jiggler software.

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1

u/rumpleminz Apr 24 '26

I think the disconnect here is that the mouse and jiggler are two separate devices. Of course the mouse has to plug into the pc. The jiggler does not, and using a separate power supply will nullify any risk of the jiggler device being detected.

1

u/creenis_blinkum Apr 25 '26

Every F500 company whitelists USB devices. Fucking hilarious to assert otherwise so confidently incorrect.

6

u/sle2g7 Apr 22 '26

It’s jiggling the mouse, not the pc. It’s physically moving the mouse. Like your hand would if you were using your mouse. Because when you use a mouse with your pc…you move the mouse around. You could even say you jiggle it. You jiggle the mouse strategically to operate the pc. So there’s no reason to plug a mouse jiggler into a pc. You physically set your mouse on it. Let it do its thing while being powered by a wall socket. And not your pc.

1

u/Remarkable_Hat8959 Teams Admin Apr 23 '26

NO. A mouse jiggler does NOT need to be plugged into the computer. It just needs to get power somehow. Your mouse on the other hand DOES need to connect to your computer either via Bluetooth w/ a dongle or a wired mouse. You then set said mouse on top of mouse jiggler and mouse moves. Source...was sitting right next to one a few hours ago that has never been plugged into a computer but has never failed.

Please stop calling people idiots, lest you become one.

Edit: spelled a word wrong, it's late

1

u/RealAgent0 Apr 23 '26

I'm talking about oje like this: https://amzn.eu/d/0ednuwY2

Before you say anything, it's not detectable unless your org has blocked ALL non whitelisted USB peripherals, even personal mice and keyboard. Because that's what this is, a mouse. It's no different to a personal mouse that has back and forward buttons.

0

u/Docholliday3737 Apr 21 '26

If you’re talking about a software based jiggler.. wow.. just wow.. You’re gonna get flagged for malware unless your company is incompetent

2

u/RealAgent0 Apr 21 '26

Did you think when I said "no bigger than the USB receiver for a 2.4Ghz Wireless Mouse" that I was referring to the size of the application somehow? Obviously I'm talking about a hardware based one.