Permanently disable colleague "Out of Office" notification banner in Teams

BostonTess 0 Reputation points
2026-09-30T12:41:33.6633333+00:00

Sept 2026 and it seems like Microsoft still hasn't figured out how to address this issue - the "XXXXX is out of office and may not respond" purple banner that appears in Teams group chats cannot be turned off. This is taking up some screen space and gosh, I'd love to gain it back.

Microsoft - you give us the ability to close the banner once, but it will just reappear when you come back to the chat. Why not make it permanent? In the world of hybrid/WFH/massive companies using Teams, this would be a deeply appreciated feature for your millions of users.

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Chats | Group chats
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  1. Walker Pollitt 160 Reputation points
    2026-09-30T12:53:33.5433333+00:00

    You're asking to hide a colleague's Out of Office banner in your group chat permanently—not to turn off that colleague's automatic replies. I couldn't find a documented Teams setting that remembers dismissing this banner when you return to the chat. Closing it appears to dismiss it only for the current view.

    Turning off the colleague's Out of Office setting would affect their intended availability messaging, so it isn't an appropriate fix. This is a feature request: in Teams, select Settings and more > Feedback > Suggest a feature, and ask for a per-chat option to remember the dismissal for the current Out of Office period.

    Microsoft's feedback instructions: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/teams/apps-service/give-feedback-in-microsoft-teams

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