# Manually Switch Presence Status

Your presence tells colleagues whether you're reachable and drives the call-handling rules tied to each status. You can change it yourself at any time, either as a status that stays until you change it again or as a temporary status that reverts on its own after a set time.

## Set a status that stays until you change it

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice App on the desktop.
2. Open the presence drop-down list at the top of the window and choose the status you want.

   
   ![Cloud Voice, the presence drop-down list open at the top of the desktop app](/images/pbx/manually-switch-presence-status.png)

The new status, along with the [presence settings](/pbx/desktop-client-user-guide/configure-presence-settings/) associated with it, applies right away and remains in effect until you switch again.

:::caution
The change takes effect the instant you select it, and the call-handling rules attached to that status apply at once. Depending on the status you pick, incoming calls may be forwarded elsewhere, sent to voicemail, or blocked, so choose the one that matches how you actually want calls handled.
:::

## Set a temporary status that reverts automatically

Say you're stepping into a scheduled meeting where you can't take calls, but you want your normal call routing to resume the moment you're free. Rather than relying on yourself to switch back, set a temporary status and tell the app how long it should last.

1. Sign in to the Cloud Voice App on the desktop.
2. Open the presence drop-down list at the top of the window and choose **Set Temporary Status**.

   
   ![Cloud Voice, selecting Set Temporary Status from the presence menu](/images/pbx/switch-to-temporary-status.png)

3. In the window that opens, fill in the following:

   ![Temporary status dialog with fields for status, duration, and an optional message](/images/pbx/set-temporary-status.png)

   a. From the **Change Status To** list, pick the status to use temporarily.

   b. From the **Time** list, choose how the status should expire and set the specifics:

      - **Duration**: The status lasts for a fixed length of time. Set the length in the **Hour** and **Minute** lists.
      - **Date**: The status lasts until a specific point in time. Set it in the **Date** field.

   c. (Optional) Enter a note in the **Set Status Message** field.

   d. Click **Save**.

The temporary status and its [presence settings](/pbx/desktop-client-user-guide/configure-presence-settings/) take effect immediately.

:::tip
Hover over your presence at the top of the window to see when the temporary status is due to expire. Once the time runs out, your presence and its call-handling settings automatically revert to whatever they were before.
:::