Idle Session Timeout in Microsoft 365 Web Apps

Owned by Dan Jakubiak
Last updated: about 4 hours ago by Ashley Mattingly
2 min read

ITS has enabled a security feature in Microsoft 365 that automatically logs out unmanaged devices from Microsoft 365 after one hour of inactivity. This better protects personal and institutional data from unauthorized access.

This policy largely applies to unmanaged devices and web access to apps (details below). Installed apps are not subject to the timeout.

  • If you are using a personal device or one that is not enrolled in a UConn device management program, your online Microsoft 365 session will timeout after one hour of inactivity.

  • If you are using a UConn-owned device that is managed, you will not timeout while you are using Microsoft 365 web apps in Microsoft Edge, Firefox with the Microsoft Single Sign On setting enabled, or Google Chrome with the Microsoft Single Sign On extension installed. ITS has enabled the respective Firefox setting, as well as installed the Google Chrome extension, on all UConn-owned Windows laptops. For information on how to confirm or manually configure these options, please view guides for Google Chrome or Firefox.  

  • If you are using the installed apps, you are not subject to the timeout.

Managed vs Unmanaged Computer

All university-owned computers enrolled in Intune, the main UConn centralized device management system, are considered managed.

All macOS devices, such as MacBooks and iMacs, are considered unmanaged for this purpose.

What qualifies as inactivity?

  • Leaving your computer at the end of the workday.

  • Computer is locked.

  • Closing your web browser.

  • Minimizing your web browser.

  • Switching to another tab in your web browser.

  • Working in another window.

Authentication in the desktop apps

Microsoft desktop apps, such as Word and Excel, feature a tool named Seamless Single Sign-On. This tool allows these apps to connect to the account that you sign into your computer with.

As a result, these apps do not require you to reauthenticate every hour. Learn more about Seamless Single Sign-On.

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