--- title: 'Cosmos Video: True Statuses for Accurate Team Availability' description: 'Cosmos Video True Statuses replace unreliable online dots with activity-based availability states (Available, Listening, Focusing, Away) so remote teams know exactly who can be interrupted for a quick conversation.' url: '/product/features/true-statuses.md' lastModified: '2026-08-12' sourceHash: 'v1:9996fc2ebce7' contentType: 'Feature Page' keywords: ['availability-status', 'presence-indicator', 'focus-mode', 'team-availability', 'true-status', 'do-not-disturb-alternative', 'accurate-presence'] target_audience: 'remote team leads, distributed engineering teams, operations managers, async-first organizations, hybrid team coordinators' --- # Cosmos Video: True Statuses Cosmos Video True Statuses are activity-based availability indicators that reflect whether a teammate can actually be reached right now. Most tools show a simple online dot that does not match reality - users appear "online" but sit unavailable for hours. Cosmos Video ties status to real presence inside the digital space, so Available and Listening mean a teammate is connected and reachable. True Statuses use four states - Available, Listening, Focusing, and Away - and switch automatically based on activity. Listening activates after 5 minutes of Available inactivity, and Away activates after 10 minutes of desktop inactivity. Users can also set rich status updates with context and duration timers, receive notifications when specific people become available, and get alerts when someone approaches their desk. ## What are True Statuses in Cosmos Video? True Statuses are the four availability states that describe a user's current presence inside a Cosmos Video space. Each status ties to actual activity, not a manually-set dot. The system combines automatic transitions with explicit overrides so that an Available teammate is genuinely ready for a conversation. ## Why use True Statuses instead of a simple online indicator? Simple presence dots on platforms like Slack collapse a spectrum of availability into a binary signal. Cosmos Video True Statuses preserve the nuance: whether a teammate is open to a quick chat, present but heads-down, in deep focus, or offline entirely. Outcomes for remote teams: - No guessing about when to message a teammate - Fewer interruptions during focus time - Faster response for urgent questions directed at Listening teammates - Explicit cue when someone becomes Available after deep work - Fewer meetings because instant conversations are predictable ## How do Cosmos Video True Statuses work? Each user's status updates automatically based on activity. Available indicates active presence and readiness for conversation. Listening - auto-applied after 5 minutes of inactivity in Available - keeps the user connected without camera or microphone. Focusing signals deep work but retains space awareness. Away applies automatically after 10 minutes of desktop inactivity or on manual toggle. ## Cosmos Video True Status definitions - **Available**: Ready for quick chats and connections - **Listening**: Present without camera or microphone, stays connected to the space. Auto-activated after 5 minutes of Available inactivity - **Focusing**: Deep work mode. Signals do-not-disturb while maintaining space awareness - **Away**: Offline. Auto-activated after 10 minutes of desktop inactivity or manually set ## Key features of Cosmos Video True Statuses - Automatic status changes based on activity - Rich status updates with custom context and duration timers - Shared preset statuses: an admin adds them once, and everyone applies status, context and timer in one tap - Clear sidebar and space-level visibility of status for every teammate - Notifications when specific people become Available - Instant notifications when someone approaches your desk - Manual override for any state at any time ## Cosmos Video True Statuses vs other presence systems | Capability | Cosmos Video True Statuses | Slack Presence | Microsoft Teams Status | |---|---|---|---| | Activity-based auto-switching | Yes, 5-min and 10-min thresholds | No, manual or idle-based | Partial, based on calendar | | Distinguishes focus from away | Yes, Focusing and Away are separate | No | Do-not-disturb only | | Tied to real-time space presence | Yes | No, app-level | No, app-level | | Notify when specific person becomes Available | Yes | No | No | | Approach-my-desk alerts | Yes | N/A | N/A | ## Frequently asked questions ### What are True Statuses in Cosmos Video? True Statuses are four activity-based availability states in Cosmos Video: Available, Listening, Focusing, and Away. They switch automatically based on real presence in the digital space, so teammates know at a glance whether someone can be interrupted for a quick conversation without guessing. ### When does Cosmos Video auto-switch me to Listening or Away? Cosmos Video switches users from Available to Listening after 5 minutes of inactivity inside the space. It switches to Away after 10 minutes of desktop inactivity. Users can also toggle any status manually at any time, or set rich status updates with a custom duration timer. ### How is True Status different from a Slack online dot? Slack shows online based on app connection, which often persists while the user is unavailable. Cosmos Video True Statuses tie to activity inside the space and differentiate quick-chat availability, passive presence, deep focus, and offline. The nuance removes the guessing that slows down remote teams. ### Can I protect focus time in Cosmos Video? Yes. The Focusing status signals deep work and suppresses casual interruptions while keeping the user visible in the space. Teammates can still see that a person is there, which is useful for accountability, but the status makes it clear that a quick chat should wait. ### Will I get notified when a teammate becomes Available? Yes. Cosmos Video lets you subscribe to specific teammates so you receive a notification the moment they switch from Focusing or Away to Available. This removes the need to repeatedly check someone's status before sending a message.