Quick answer

Keep Slack Active on Chromebook

Chrome OS aggressively suspends inactive browser tabs to save memory and battery. Cloud-based presence scheduling maintains your Slack status regardless of tab suspension.

Why this happens

Chromebooks run everything in the browser, and Chrome's tab management is aggressive about suspending tabs you haven't used recently. When the Slack tab gets suspended, it stops sending presence heartbeats to Slack servers. Chrome OS also has its own power management that can suspend the entire system faster than Windows or Mac laptops. The Android Slack app (if available on your Chromebook) faces the same background app restrictions as phones. This makes maintaining Slack presence on Chromebooks particularly challenging.

The reliable solution

Local workarounds try to keep your device active, but they can't solve the fundamental problem: Slack needs constant signals from your device. When your device sleeps, locks, or loses connection, those signals stop.

Cloud-based presence scheduling like Idle Pilot runs on always-connected servers. It maintains your Slack status during scheduled hours regardless of what your device is doing.

Works even when your laptop is closed or off
No local installs or device workarounds needed
No workspace bot or admin approval required
Set your schedule once, it handles the rest

Try Idle Pilot free for 14 days

Platform-specific options

Here are platform-specific settings you can adjust. Note that these are workarounds with limitations, not complete solutions.

Chrome OS

1 Pin the Slack tab to prevent it from being auto-suspended
2 Install the Slack PWA (Progressive Web App) which may have slightly better background behavior
3 Check if your Chromebook supports Android apps and try the Slack Android app
4 Go to chrome://flags and search for 'Tab Freeze' to adjust suspension behavior
5 Keep fewer tabs open to reduce memory pressure that triggers suspension

Limitation: Even pinned tabs can be suspended under memory pressure. Chrome's tab management is fundamental to how Chrome OS works.

Set up scheduled presence in 3 steps

Get reliable Slack presence without device workarounds:

Step 1
Connect your Slack account
Authorize Idle Pilot to update your presence. This uses Slack's standard OAuth, no workspace bot installation needed.
Step 2
Set your schedule
Choose the days and hours you want to appear active. Set your timezone so it aligns with your actual work hours.
Step 3
Enable and forget
Turn on your schedule and you're done. Idle Pilot keeps your Slack status active during those hours, regardless of your device state.

Troubleshooting

Slack tab keeps getting suspended despite being pinned

Memory pressure overrides pinning. Close other tabs, or use cloud scheduling that doesn't depend on tab state.

Android Slack app goes away after switching apps

Android apps on Chromebook face the same background restrictions as phones. Cloud scheduling is more reliable.

Chromebook sleeps too quickly

Settings > Device > Power > adjust sleep settings. But for reliable presence, cloud scheduling works regardless of sleep.

FAQs

Why does Chrome OS suspend my Slack tab?

Chrome OS uses aggressive tab management to conserve memory and battery. Tabs you haven't interacted with recently get suspended, stopping all JavaScript execution including Slack's presence heartbeat.

Does pinning the Slack tab prevent suspension?

Pinning a tab provides some protection from suspension, but under memory pressure, Chrome may still suspend pinned tabs. It's not a guarantee, especially if you have many tabs open or limited RAM.

Is the Slack Android app better than web Slack on Chromebook?

The Android app faces different but similar issues. Android on Chromebook has the same background app restrictions as phones. The web version may actually be more persistent if you keep the tab active.

Can I disable tab suspension in Chrome flags?

Chrome has various flags related to tab management, but disabling suspension entirely can cause performance issues on Chromebooks which often have limited RAM. Cloud scheduling avoids these tradeoffs.

Why does my Chromebook go to sleep faster than my Windows laptop?

Chromebooks are optimized for instant wake and long battery life, which means aggressive sleep policies. The tradeoff is that background activities like Slack presence don't persist as long.

Does the Slack PWA work better than the regular website?

The Slack PWA (Progressive Web App) has slightly better background capabilities than a regular tab, but it's still subject to Chrome OS resource management. It's worth trying, but cloud scheduling provides more reliable results.