Troubleshoot Idle Pilot presence and setup

My schedule did not start. What should I check first?

1. Open Dashboard and read the status/warning above the workplace card.
2. Check that the main Work Hours switch is on.
3. Check that today's weekday is enabled and the current time is between its start and end in the selected time zone.
4. Check whether a lunch break is currently in progress.
5. For Slack, check Vacation Mode and the selected Slack status.
6. Follow any Re-link, Subscribe, Resubscribe, or Update payment warning.

Use the displayed next resume time. An outside-hours state is not itself a connection failure.

Slack or Teams still shows Away. What should I do?

Confirm Dashboard says Active, not just that Work Hours is switched on. Choose Is this working? on the workplace card and follow the guide. Check from another workplace account if possible. If the app asks you to Re-link, complete that on a computer. If Dashboard stays Active but the workplace indicator is still wrong, contact Support with the platform, time zone, visible state, and approximate time.

I turned Work Hours off but Slack or Teams still looks green. Why?

Pausing stops Idle Pilot maintaining availability; it does not force a particular workplace status. Your own Slack/Teams app activity can keep the indicator active. If you want to show Away, pause Work Hours first and then choose Away in Slack or Teams.

I set Away manually and it came back. Why?

If Idle Pilot's Dashboard says Active, it is maintaining availability during that work window. To keep a deliberately chosen Away or other status, turn Work Hours off first. Use the platform's normal status control afterward.

My schedule starts at the wrong local time. What should I check?

Open Dashboard → Work Hours → Edit, click the current zone under Timezone, and confirm the work location you intend to follow. Check the day and start/end times too. Travel or a different phone clock is not a reason to assume the saved zone changed automatically. Review the next resume time after correcting the setting.

Why can I not save my hours or break?

In Edit Work Hours, select at least one day. Make From earlier than To, and fit the entire break inside the work window with break start earlier than break end. Use the offered time choices. Then choose Apply to N days. If saving fails or the old values return, check your connection and try again before relying on the changes.

My lunch break did not pause me. Why?

Check the saved break on the specific weekday, the schedule time zone, and whether you are inside that break now. A break stops Idle Pilot's presence action; actively using Slack or Teams can still make you appear active. If the displayed saved break is correct and the result remains wrong, contact Support with the date/time and visible schedule.

Why does Vacation Mode not react immediately?

For Slack, Vacation Mode checks the selected status when a presence session starts, not continuously. If you change status during an active period and need to stop now, switch Work Hours off. Teams does not have the Slack Vacation Mode card.

I see credentials expired or Re-link. What do I click?

On a computer, sign in to the workplace app again. In Idle Pilot, choose Re-link Slack or Re-link Microsoft Teams in the Dashboard warning and finish setup. Review the connected account and Work Hours afterward. On a phone, continue on a computer as requested. Do not send any account-access details to support.

What if my organization keeps rejecting the connection?

Complete a normal workplace sign-in, then follow the app's recovery instruction. If a fresh connection is immediately rejected again, contact Support or your workplace administrator. Idle Pilot cannot override the organization's account/device/sign-in restrictions. Do not rely on repeatedly starting setup to bypass them.

My setup command expired or I cancelled setup. What next?

Return to your Idle Pilot onboarding screen and choose Start again if offered. Copy only the newly displayed command. Do not reuse a command after its displayed 30-minute deadline or after Back, a method/platform change, cancellation, or sign-out cancelled that attempt. Wait for the connected confirmation before assuming setup succeeded.

What if setup reports an internet problem or a saved attempt?

Restore your connection and use Try again. Some setup screens preserve the pending attempt while offline, so follow the displayed status instead of opening multiple attempts. If you leave while connection is finishing, reopen Idle Pilot and check whether it completed before starting over.

I cannot reconnect or switch from my phone. Is that a bug?

Those workplace-connection actions need a computer. Use the desktop handoff or sign in on a supported desktop browser. Once linked, normal schedule management is available from your phone. Do not buy another subscription to work around mobile linking.

I paid but I still cannot edit the schedule. What should I do?

Check that you returned to the same Idle Pilot login email used to pay. Reload once and read any payment or Re-link warning. Use Update payment if payment is incomplete, or Re-link if the workplace connection needs attention. If the purchase completed but access is still wrong, contact Support with the payment reference and visible message.

I removed the workplace. Why am I still being charged?

Removing a Slack/Teams connection does not cancel paid renewal. If you are back on the connection screen and cannot see the account menu or Profile, use the support launcher or email hi@idlepilot.com to ask for help cancelling. Ask for explicit confirmation; sending a request is not proof that cancellation is complete. If the account controls are available, use your name/email menu at the bottom left on a computer, or Profile on a phone, then choose Manage subscription and complete cancellation. Review the resulting subscription confirmation and contact Support about a charge you believe is wrong.

The subscription-management page does not open. What should I do?

Check your internet connection, reload Idle Pilot, and sign in again if your session expired. Use the Update payment, Reactivate, or Resubscribe action shown for your current state if Manage subscription is absent. Contact Support if the expected paid-account controls still fail; include the screen/button name rather than payment-card details.

What if the support chat does not open?

Check your connection, reload Idle Pilot, and sign in again if needed. Some browser blocking settings can prevent chat from loading. Use hi@idlepilot.com if you cannot open it. Include the problem and screen you were using; do not send passwords, sign-in links, or setup commands.

What should I include when reporting a problem?

Tell support what you were trying to do, what you clicked, the exact visible error, Slack or Teams, computer or phone, approximate date/time, and the selected schedule time zone. A screenshot of the ordinary Dashboard can help after removing private information. Do not include workplace chats, full card details, passwords, or account-access material.

How do I use the online mouse jiggler, and will it keep Teams green?

Open https://idlepilot.com/tools/online-mouse-jiggler/ in a supporting browser over HTTPS and choose Keep screen awake. Wait for the active confirmation. It requests screen wake lock only; it does not move your mouse or control Teams or Slack availability. Switching tabs stops the request; return and start again. Choose Stop to release it. If the browser refuses the request or does not support it, the tool cannot keep the screen awake. The tool’s request stays in page memory, without an account or saved tool history. The website’s separate privacy settings still apply.

How does the Teams away timer work?

Open https://idlepilot.com/tools/teams-away-timer/ and choose Start timer. Use Pause, Resume timer, or Reset to control the elapsed measurement. It does not read your Teams status, watch activity in other apps, or prevent Away. Touching the page does not reset it. There is no guaranteed five-minute Teams countdown; the result is a reference clock, not a presence prediction.

How do I use the Teams and Slack status icon reference?

Open https://idlepilot.com/tools/teams-status-icons/. Use Search icon names and meanings and Platform to find the relevant description. Compare the shape and accompanying text as well as the color; an empty circle has different meanings in different contexts. Searching changes the local reference list only. It does not connect an account or change anyone’s status.

How do I make a Slack emoji with the free tool?

Open https://idlepilot.com/tools/slack-emoji-maker/ and use Choose a local image. Select a genuine PNG, JPEG, or WebP image you have permission to use. The converter reads it locally, checks file type, size, and image dimensions, and shows a preview when ready. Choose Download PNG, then add that file to Slack yourself if your workspace allows it. A small compressed file can still exceed the image-dimension limit. The tool does not upload the original image.

How do I use the Slack status generator?

Open https://idlepilot.com/tools/slack-status-generator/, choose the occasion and tone, enter any return time or contact, and choose Generate draft. Edit Your editable draft, check the character count, and choose Copy text. Select and copy manually if clipboard access is blocked. Paste the text and choose the suggested emoji in Slack yourself. The same choices can produce the same draft because the tool uses fixed templates. This tool does not change availability or connect to Slack.

How do I use the Teams status message generator?

Open https://idlepilot.com/tools/teams-status-message-generator/, fill in the choices, and choose Generate draft. Edit Your editable draft, choose Copy text, and paste it into Teams yourself. It uses local templates rather than an AI service. A colleague’s name here is plain text; create or verify any actual mention inside Teams. Copy before leaving or clearing the page because the widget does not save drafts.

How do I use the out-of-office message generator?

Open https://idlepilot.com/tools/out-of-office-message-generator/, select the destination and tone, enter the relevant details, and choose Generate draft. Edit and copy the text. Create internal and external versions separately if needed; the tool does not save a library. If Copy text is blocked, select the output and use Ctrl+C, Command+C, or your device’s Copy command. Enable and schedule automatic replies in your email or chat application yourself.

How do I use the auto-clicker test?

Open https://idlepilot.com/tools/auto-clicker-test/, select a Test window, then activate the test button to start counting. It counts activations on that button only; it never clicks another page for you. You can focus the button and use its normal keyboard activation keys, but interpret that as a keyboard-activation result. Counting ends with the selected window. Read the result and choose Reset test before another run.

What can the mouse-jiggler test measure?

Open https://idlepilot.com/tools/mouse-jiggler-test/, choose Start observing, and move inside the observation area. Use Read current result to inspect the result. Movement outside that area, a hidden page, or keyboard focus alone does not produce measurements there. Touch or pen input describes that input method. This measures pointer events only: it cannot identify their source or prove that a jiggler is undetectable. Choose Stop when finished.

Can the time-zone overlap tool calculate overnight shifts?

Yes. Open https://idlepilot.com/tools/work-hours-time-zones/, enter the local shift start date, each time zone, and each local start and end time, then choose Calculate overlap. A 22:00–06:00 shift ends on the following local date. A skipped or repeated DST boundary is rejected; choose an unambiguous time. Shifts that only touch have zero overlap. This calculator does not save or change your Idle Pilot schedule; the app’s Work Hours editor still supports one same-day window from 6:00am to 11:00pm.