Steam is the largest and most popular digital distribution platform for PC games. The software allows you to purchase games, download them instantly, and keep them updated automatically. One of Steam’s key features is its social network-like friends list. This allows you to see which of your friends are currently online and track their gaming activity.
When viewing your Steam friends list, you may notice certain friends showing a status of “Away”. This can be confusing for new Steam users who arn’t familiar with what this means. Does it mean they are offline or signed out of Steam entirely? Or are they still online but just idle?
This guide will explain everything you need to know about the “Away” status on Steam, including when it appears, how it differs from other statuses like “Offline”, and how you can change your own auto-Away settings.
What Does Away Mean On Steam?
When a friend on your Steam friends list has the status “Away”, it simply means they have not shown any Steam activity for a certain period of time. Steam automatically sets a user’s status to “Away” if it detects they have not interacted with the platform in roughly 10-15 minutes.
Some examples of activity Steam tracks include:
- Browsing the Steam store pages
- Clicking on game items or achievements
- Chatting with friends or in group chats
- Playing Steam games or changing games
- Using the Steam overlay while in-game
- Sending trade requests or gifts to friends
Essentially, if a user hasn’t performed any mouse clicks or keystrokes within the Steam client for around 10-15 minutes, their status will automatically switch from “Online” to “Away”.
So seeing a friend with an “Away” status simply means Steam has not registered them doing anything on the platform recently. However, it does NOT necessarily mean they are physically away from their computer or no longer sitting at their desk. They may just be working or browsing elsewhere with Steam open but untouched in the background.
When Does Steam Set Someone’s Status to “Away”?
By default, Steam will automatically set a user’s friends list status to “Away” after approximately 10-15 minutes of inactivity. However, the exact length of time required may vary slightly depending on the user’s Steam settings.
Some factors that influence the auto-Away delay include:
- Platform – The auto-Away timeout may differ slightly between the Steam desktop client, web browser, or mobile app versions.
- User preferences – Users can customize their auto-Away timeout delay in Steam’s settings menu. This allows them to make it shorter or longer.
- Buggy software – Sometimes Steam bugs may cause the auto-Away status to activate erroneously or with significant delays. Restarting the client usually resolves this.
In most cases though, you can expect a friend’s status to switch to “Away” around 10-15 minutes after their last registered Steam activity. The change is not always instant, but should happen within that rough time frame.
As soon as the user performs any new action within Steam, their status will automatically update back to “Online” to show they are actively on Steam again. Even just moving their mouse cursor or typing in a chat window will switch them back to “Online”.
Is “Away” Different From “Offline”?
Yes, the “Away” and “Offline” friend statuses mean very different things on Steam:
- “Away” means recent inactivity detected automatically by Steam, usually after 10-15 minutes of no interactions.
- “Offline” means the user has manually set their status to offline to hide their online presence and activity.
When a friend is showing as “Away”, it means Steam has simply not registered any activity from them recently. However, they are still signed in to the Steam client and considered online. You will still see them on your friends list with their avatar fully colored.
Whereas a friend showing as “Offline” has deliberately changed their status to display as offline. Their avatar will appear greyed out on your friends list. This prevents you and other friends from seeing if they are online, in-game, browsing the store, etc. All activity is hidden.
Think of “Away” as stepping out of the room temporarily, while “Offline” is leaving the house entirely. Users have full control over their “Offline” status, while “Away” is just an automatic timeout by Steam.
Can You Turn Off Auto-Away?
Since the auto-Away status is controlled by Steam detecting your activity, you cannot completely turn it “off” on your end. However, you can customize the timeout delay before it activates in your Steam settings.
To change your auto-Away preference:
- Click the “Steam” menu at the top left and select “Settings”.
- Choose the “Interface” tab.
- Look for the “Idle Detection” section.
- Click the drop-down menu to select your preferred auto-Away delay, anywhere from 1 minute up to 8 hours.
Setting a longer delay essentially minimizes auto-Away, keeping you shown as “Online” for longer during inactivity. But of course, the status will still eventually change to “Away” regardless of setting.
You can also toggle between “Online” and “Away” manually at any time. Just click your username at the top right of Steam and select the status you want from the menu. This overrides auto-Away.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the “Away” status on Steam:
Q: Does “Away” mean the person is actually away from their PC?
A: Not necessarily. “Away” just means Steam has not detected any activity for around 10-15 minutes. They may still be sitting at their computer but just not interacting with Steam.
Q: Does the mobile Steam app also use auto-Away?
A: Yes, the Android and iOS Steam apps will show you as “Away” after a few minutes of inactivity, similar to the desktop client. Any activity will set you back to “Online”.
Q: Can my friends see what game I have open if I’m “Away”?
A: No, being “Away” still hides your current in-game status or store activity from friends. They would only see the last game you launched or store page you had open.
Q: If I’m playing a non-Steam game, does that prevent auto-Away?
A: No, only activity within the Steam client itself will reset the auto-Away timer. Steam cannot detect what is happening in other applications.
Q: Can I appear offline while still showing in-game?
A: No, setting your status to “Offline” will prevent all Steam activity from being visible, including games. You can be “Away” and show in-game, but not “Offline”.
Q: Does auto-Away work the same on all platforms?
A: There may be minor timing differences between desktop, web, and mobile versions, but the functionality works largely the same across Steam platforms.
Conclusion
The “Away” status on Steam simply indicates a user has not interacted with the platform recently, about 10-15 minutes. It is applied automatically by Steam’s idle detection and does not necessarily mean the user is physically away or idle. They may just have Steam open in the background.
An “Away” friend still appears fully online and colored in your friends list, just with that status label. “Offline” means a user has manually hidden their online presence and activity. “Away” is just a temporary inactive status applied by Steam itself.
You can customize your auto-Away timeout in Steam’s settings, or switch your status to “Online” and “Away” manually as desired. Understanding the “Away” status will help you better track when your Steam friends are actively online versus inactive for the moment.