What Does Green Dot With Z Mean on Slack? The Slack interface might have been familiar to you as you navigated through it, as you observed various status indicators beside the names of your colleagues, such as green dots, red dots, or even “Z” icons.
While the green dot generally signifies a user’s availability, it might leave you confused as to what the “Z” signifies. What does it mean? Does the user want to sleep or not want to be disturbed?
Don’t worry, for we will take you through this intriguing symbol.
The purpose of this blog is to shed light on the meaning behind the green dot with a “Z” on Slack and shed light on how it plays a significant role in helping you to understand your teammates’ status on the platform.
Let’s dive in!
Do you want to know what that green dot with the Z means on Slack?
It is one of the icons on Slack to show that someone is currently online but has the Do Not Disturb (DND) feature enabled.
In this way, their notifications are muted, which means that if you message that person, they will receive the message but not receive any notifications related to it.
Therefore, it is possible that they will not be able to respond to you immediately until they turn off DND or end the DND period. # What Does Green Dot With Z Mean on Slack?
What Does Green Dot With Z Mean on Slack?
On Slack, a green dot with a “Z” indicates that the user is currently active, but is based in a different time zone.
As soon as a team member is online and available for communication, but resides in a time zone which differs significantly from the time zone of the majority of the team, Slack automatically sets this status.
It is commonly assumed that the “Z” symbol signifies Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+0), which is also known by the name “Zulu.”
On Slack, if you see a green dot next to the name of a user with a “Z” beside it, that user is actively using the platform.
However, if they are in a different part of the world, it might be a different time of day for them. # What Does Green Dot With Z Mean on Slack?
The “Z” icon can be particularly helpful to remote teams or organizations whose members are spread across a wide range of geographical locations.
In order for members of Slack to be aware of potential time differences and be considerate of each other’s availability for real-time communication, the “Z” icon is displayed.
The best way to communicate on Slack is to respect your teammates’ time zones and status indicators.
If you need to message someone with a “Z” status, keep in mind that they might be working on another day or resting during their off-hours if you message them.
When such circumstances occur, Slack’s scheduling features and asynchronous communication can be very helpful in ensuring effective collaboration across time zones.
When you see the green dot with a Z on Slack, that means someone is currently online and cannot receive notifications when you message them because they have turned on the Do Not Disturb (DND) feature.
Hence the green dot with a Z in Slack means someone is online and can’t receive notifications when you message them because they have turned on the Do Not Disturb (DND) function.
There are some situations when it is helpful to turn on the DND at work in order to focus on your work without being interrupted. # What Does Green Dot With Z Mean on Slack?
How To Enable DND on Slack
There are several settings which allow the DND status to be turned on, such as for a specific amount of time or until a specific hour.
Let’s look at how the DND status can be turned on.
For Desktop
- On your Slack desktop, click on the profile picture located at the top of the screen.
- Place your cursor over the “Pause notifications” option and select it.
- Click the “Custom” button if you would like to specify a particular time frame.
If you want to turn off the DND later, you can follow these same steps and click the button that says “Resume notifications”. # How To Enable DND on Slack?
For Mobile
- On your phone, open the Slack application and sign in.
- At the bottom of the page, you will find a tab called “You”. Click on it.
- By clicking on the “Pause notifications” button, the notifications will be paused.
- Click on a timeframe from the list to see what’s available, or click “Custom” to set your own timeframe.
If you wish to turn off DND, you can select the “Resume notifications” option by following the same steps you used to turn on DND. # How To Enable DND on Slack
How do I make Z go away in Slack?
When you are in a different timezone or when you manually set your status to “Do Not Disturb,” the “Z” appears next to your name when you are in a different time zone or you manually change your status to “Active” or “Online.”
The “Z” appears next to your name when you are not in a timezone that is compatible with Slack. Here is how you remove the “Z”: # make Z go away in Slack
Method 1: Change Status via the Sidebar:
- Go to the Slack app or to the Slack website in your web browser to get started with Slack.
- Right above your profile picture, you’ll find your initials.
- To access your profile menu, click your profile picture or initials.
- Activate your status by selecting “Set yourself as active” from the drop-down menu.
Method 2: Change Status via the Status Menu:
- In the top right corner of your Slack window, you can see your profile picture or initials.
- Open the menu by clicking your profile picture or initials. # make Z go away in Slack
- You can change your status from “Inactive” to “Active” by clicking “Set yourself as active.”
Method 3: Use the “/active” Command (Slack Commands):
- To send an active message, enter “/active”.
- Once the command has been entered, click “Enter.”.
- Changing your status to “Active” will remove the “Z” indicator.
You will no longer see the “Z” after setting your status to “Active,” and your status will show as online and available for team communication. # make Z go away in Slack
When you are inactive for some time, Slack automatically sets your status to “Away,” so removing the “Z” symbol might require updating your status to “Active.”
You will see the “Z” if you manually set your status to “Do Not Disturb,” which indicates that you are not interested in being disturbed. When you change your status back to “Active,” the “Z” will disappear and you will be able to communicate again.
Conclusion
The green dot with a “Z” on Slack represents the Slack platform’s “Do Not Disturb” mode, which allows team members to focus on work or rest without interruptions.
As a result of the “Z” symbol, a team member is currently in a different timezone or using Slack in the “Do Not Disturb” mode.
By respecting each other’s statuses, you can optimize communication and create a more supportive work environment.
By using Slack’s status indicators, you can foster effective communication and collaboration.
