Setup guide

Sources

Sources are what tell your meter how busy you are. Turn them on and off in Settings › Sources (and in step 4 of setup). Every source is optional.

There are two groups:

• On this PC · no sign-in: Camera, Microphone, Teams app. They work straight away.
• Accounts: Microsoft 365, Slack, Calendar links. They need a sign-in or a link.

When several sources are active at once, the meter shows the busiest one, and the camera always wins. You can change this in Levels and looks.

Camera #

The meter shows Flash (all six stars flash red and blue) whenever any app uses your camera: Teams, Zoom, Meet in a browser, the Windows Camera app, and so on.

• The row shows In use and which app, or Not in use.
• Can't read: Windows privacy settings are stopping Busy Meter from seeing the camera. Click Open Windows settings and allow desktop apps to use the camera.
• Busy Meter only checks whether the camera is in use. It never sees the picture.
• A few virtual cameras and unusual apps bypass Windows' camera tracking and won't show.

Microphone #

The meter shows On a call (3 stars) whenever any app uses your microphone, so it covers Zoom, Webex, Meet, Discord and other call apps with no sign-in.

• The row shows which app is using the mic.
• Don't count these apps: click + Add an app to ignore an app that uses the mic for other things (dictation, voice assistants, games chat). Apps that have used your microphone show up in the list.
• Busy Meter never hears anything; it only checks whether the mic is in use.

Teams app #

Reads the Teams app on this PC, with no sign-in and no IT approval. It follows your Teams status (Available, Away, Be right back, Busy, Do not disturb) and sees when you're in a Teams meeting or call.

Your status comes from the new Teams app on this PC, so it works even where your company hides Teams' Third-party app API. The row then says, for example, Busy · from Teams' log. When you share your screen, Teams sets you to Do not disturb; while your microphone is in use, Busy Meter shows that as Presenting.

Pair to also see your camera and screen sharing in Teams:

1. In Teams, open Settings › Privacy › Third-party app API and turn it on.
2. In Busy Meter, click Pair on the Teams app row.
3. Join or start a meeting in Teams, then click Allow when Teams asks.

The row then says Paired. Other states: Not paired, Waiting for you in Teams (finish step 3), Teams isn't running, Third-party app API is off in Teams (do step 1). Unpair stops it.

The Teams app can't tell a call from a meeting, so Busy shows In a meeting (4 stars) by default; your microphone turns a call into On a call. If you also sign in to Microsoft 365, its fuller status is used instead.

Microsoft 365 #

Sign in with your work or school Microsoft account to read your full Teams status and, if you want, your Outlook calendar.

1. Click Sign in and sign in with your work account.
2. Two switches appear: Teams status (on) and Outlook calendar (off).
3. Turning on Outlook calendar asks Microsoft for calendar permission in a second prompt.

Good to know:

• Personal Microsoft accounts (outlook.com, hotmail.com) can't share Teams status. The row says Work or school account needed.
• Many companies only let employees connect apps their IT team has approved. If Microsoft shows Need admin approval when you sign in, the row says Blocked by your organization. You can send the approval request to your IT team from that page, or use the Teams app row, microphone and camera, and a calendar link instead.
• Calendar access often needs your IT team's approval. If so, the row says Needs admin approval; Teams status keeps working, and Use a calendar link instead takes you to calendar links.
• Needs sign-in again: click Try again and sign in.

Coming soon: if this row says Coming soon, Microsoft 365 isn't in your version yet and arrives in a free update. The Teams app and calendar links work now.

Slack #

Click Sign in with Slack and approve Busy Meter for your workspace.

• In a huddle shows On a call (3 stars).
• Do not disturb or snoozed notifications show Do not disturb (6 stars).
• Your workspace admin may need to approve Busy Meter first. If so, the row asks you to get it approved, then sign in again.
• Slack may ask you to sign in again from time to time; the row says Needs sign-in again.

Coming soon: if this row says Coming soon, Slack arrives in a free update.

Calendar links #

Any calendar that can give you a private iCal link works: Google Calendar, Outlook, iCloud and others. No sign-in needed. Busy events light the meter.

1. Copy your calendar's private (secret) iCal link. The ⓘ button next to the box shows where to find it:
   • Google Calendar (on a computer): Settings › pick the calendar under "Settings for my calendars" › Integrate calendar › Secret address in iCal format.
   • Outlook on the web: Settings › Calendar › Shared calendars › Publish a calendar › pick the calendar and "Can view all details" › Publish › copy the ICS link.
   • iCloud: share the calendar as a public calendar and copy the link.
2. Paste it into the box (it starts with https:// or webcal://).
3. Click Test to check it, then Add.

You can add up to 10 links; all their events count together. Each link shows its name and when it was last checked, with Remove to delete it.

• Busy Meter checks your calendars every minute. Google and Outlook can take a few minutes to publish a new event to the link, so a just-added meeting may show a little late.
• Links must be encrypted (https:// or webcal://). A plain http:// link is refused.
• Keep the link private: anyone who has it can read that calendar. Busy Meter stores it encrypted for your Windows account.
• Some companies turn off private calendar links. Use Microsoft 365 instead if so.

What counts by default: Busy and Out of office events show In a meeting (4 stars); events with "Focus" in the title, or Focus time, show Focus (2 stars). Tentative and all-day events are ignored unless you turn them on. See Levels and looks.

External connections #

At the bottom of Settings › Sources, off until you turn it on. It lets programs on this PC that you approve (an AI assistant, a focus timer, your stream software, your own script) set levels through Busy Meter, as one more source. See External connections.

Privacy #

Busy Meter only checks whether your camera and microphone are in use and which app is using them; it never sees or hears anything. Calendar titles are only checked for your focus keywords and never kept. Nothing is sent anywhere except to your own meter, and to Microsoft or Slack when you sign in to them. Sign-ins and calendar links are encrypted for your Windows account. No tracking; logs stay on your PC.