Slack Keeps Signing Me Out – How to Fix

Slack is an instant messaging platform on which many people rely to connect to their remote offices. The app has undergone various updates and upgrades over the years and is far more stable and durable compared to the original 2013 version.

However, Slack can malfunction in certain instances. One of the most common issues is auto-sign out. If Slack keeps signing you out, here are some tips that may help.

Slack Sign-In Issues

The bulk of problems with signing out boil down to the way Slack signs in on your computer. You may have noticed that every time you start the app, it will briefly show your last used workspace, turn into a blank screen for a couple of seconds, and then correctly display the main window.

However, this may be the reason why Slack is automatically signing you out. In most cases, all you’ll have to do is sign in again. If you’re experiencing this issue and none of the information below helps, feel free to contact Slack’s support.

Session Duration

Before concluding that you have a faulty app, you should check the settings. As a remote business platform, Slack allows you to make sure that you don’t receive any notifications outside your work hours. However, you can also set up the time that needs to elapse before signing the members out. That can create a unique atmosphere of a workplace that closes at a particular hour.

To see if it’s the session duration is to blame, use the desktop app. Once signed in, click on your workspace, located in the upper-left part of the app window. Then, from the drop-down list, select Settings & administration, followed by Workspace settings. Navigate to Authentication, then Session Duration, and then click Expand. From this menu, you’ll be able to select how much time is supposed to pass before Slack requires the members to sign in again. Adjust the settings as needed.

Finally, select Save.

Check for a Global Sign-Out

Back in 2015, Slack announced a security incident. Over four days, a hack happened, which compromised some of the Slack user data. This data included email addresses, hashed passwords, usernames, Skype IDs, and even phone numbers of some users.

This incident was a serious threat to the app’s reputation. Fortunately, the company acted quickly and managed to get back on its feet. It also handled the matter rather transparently, which helped.

Many users were automatically signed out at that time. Almost every user that was using SSO (Single Sign-On) service, even if it was Google Authenticator, got signed out.

Before taking the matters to Slack support, see if there was a global issue recently. Keep up with Slack on social media platforms.

Autorun

By default, Slack runs when your OS starts. That means that you’ll be at your virtual workspace as soon as you turn on your PC. However, you can disable this. Some people want to be in control of the apps on their devices.

If the autorun feature is disabled, you may think that Slack is signing you out. This setting is dead simple to change.

To enable the autorun option, open your Slack app, navigate to the workspace name in the upper-left corner, and click Preferences from the drop-down menu. In the Preferences menu, navigate to the Advanced tab and check the box next to the Launch app on login option. This option will make sure that the app runs the moment you log in to your device.

Extra Slack Tips

Getting around Slack will take some getting used to, and becoming Slack-savvy will take even more time. Here are some extra tips that will help you master Slack.

Check All Unread Messages

Most Slack workspaces have multiple channels, in addition to personal messages. Sometimes, especially when a workspace is sizeable, you will get a lot of DMs. Whether unread messages annoy you or you’re checking them out weekly, doing this one-by-one can be time-consuming.

Luckily, Slack allows you to see all the unread messages on a single page. All you need to do is use Ctrl + Shift + A.

Make sure that you’ve enabled Show All Unreads under Preferences > Sidebar.

Get Rid of Unread Messages

If you are sure that you don’t need to take a look at all unread messages that you haven’t seen, you can “read” them all at once with a single command. Hit Shift + Esc. Slack will ask you to confirm whether you want to Clear all unreads. Confirm, and that’s it!

Pin Key Messages

If you want a specific message to pop up on a channel, you should pin it. That’s useful for important notifications. To pin a message, click the three dots icon next to it and select Pin to channel.

Slack and Signing Out

There aren’t too many instances where Slack will sign out a user out of the blue. Usually, it’s either a user-enabled setting or a global Slack security concern.

What was the reason behind your sign-out? Did you manage to fix it? Did you have to refer to Slack support in the end? Feel free to hit the comment section below with any thoughts on the matter that you have.