Hey @Adamkdaley — yeah, that can feel frustrating! 😬
Chess.com has an “abandonment detection” system that kicks in if you switch apps or tab away for too long during your turn. The timer usually gives you 10–15 seconds before it assumes you’ve left the game. But if it's your opponent's turn and you switch apps, it shouldn't trigger — unless the app thinks you've disconnected entirely.
The reason you sometimes see others let the clock run out without getting flagged is that technically they’re still “connected” — they're just choosing not to move (which can be annoying, but not against the rules).
Hopefully, they’ll tweak this system a bit in the future to better distinguish between disconnects and multitasking! For now, the best bet is to stay on the app while it's your move, just to be safe.
You’re not alone with this one. 😅
Why does chess.com tell me abandoned game, simply because I switch to what's app for 10 seconds during my opponents move ??? It's ridiculous ... yet sometimes I play players who let the clock run down and run down and no abandonment.. seems such a stupid , needless flaw