diff --git a/change/@fluentui-react-badge-ddd7ad34-0c86-4cbf-8df7-498ff221cfbf.json b/change/@fluentui-react-badge-ddd7ad34-0c86-4cbf-8df7-498ff221cfbf.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a600d25cb770b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/change/@fluentui-react-badge-ddd7ad34-0c86-4cbf-8df7-498ff221cfbf.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "type": "prerelease",
+  "comment": "pass in icon props to presence badge icon slot, and use default strings",
+  "packageName": "@fluentui/react-badge",
+  "email": "mgodbolt@microsoft.com",
+  "dependentChangeType": "patch"
+}
diff --git a/packages/react-badge/etc/react-badge.api.md b/packages/react-badge/etc/react-badge.api.md
index f6d98bd18ce39..e391ea4bec006 100644
--- a/packages/react-badge/etc/react-badge.api.md
+++ b/packages/react-badge/etc/react-badge.api.md
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ export const presenceBadgeClassName = "fui-PresenceBadge";
 export const presenceBadgeClassNames: SlotClassNames<BadgeSlots>;
 
 // @public (undocumented)
-export type PresenceBadgeProps = Omit<ComponentProps<Pick<BadgeSlots, 'root'>>, 'color'> & Pick<BadgeProps, 'size'> & {
+export type PresenceBadgeProps = Omit<ComponentProps<Pick<BadgeSlots, 'root' | 'icon'>>, 'color'> & Pick<BadgeProps, 'size'> & {
     status?: PresenceBadgeStatus;
     outOfOffice?: boolean;
 };
diff --git a/packages/react-badge/src/components/PresenceBadge/PresenceBadge.types.ts b/packages/react-badge/src/components/PresenceBadge/PresenceBadge.types.ts
index e378866ad06af..7c81496ace84a 100644
--- a/packages/react-badge/src/components/PresenceBadge/PresenceBadge.types.ts
+++ b/packages/react-badge/src/components/PresenceBadge/PresenceBadge.types.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export type PresenceBadgeStatus =
   | 'doNotDisturb'
   | 'unknown';
 
-export type PresenceBadgeProps = Omit<ComponentProps<Pick<BadgeSlots, 'root'>>, 'color'> &
+export type PresenceBadgeProps = Omit<ComponentProps<Pick<BadgeSlots, 'root' | 'icon'>>, 'color'> &
   Pick<BadgeProps, 'size'> & {
     /**
      * Represents several status
diff --git a/packages/react-badge/src/components/PresenceBadge/usePresenceBadge.tsx b/packages/react-badge/src/components/PresenceBadge/usePresenceBadge.tsx
index 3a7de3ea25a20..4a703a48fc664 100644
--- a/packages/react-badge/src/components/PresenceBadge/usePresenceBadge.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-badge/src/components/PresenceBadge/usePresenceBadge.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
   presenceOofRegular,
   presenceUnknownRegular,
 } from './presenceIcons';
-import { useBadge_unstable, BadgeProps } from '../Badge/index';
+import { useBadge_unstable } from '../Badge/index';
 import type { PresenceBadgeProps, PresenceBadgeState } from './PresenceBadge.types';
 
 const iconMap = (
@@ -37,6 +37,16 @@ const iconMap = (
   }
 };
 
+const DEFAULT_STRINGS = {
+  busy: 'busy',
+  outOfOffice: 'out of office',
+  away: 'away',
+  available: 'available',
+  offline: 'offline',
+  doNotDisturb: 'do not disturb',
+  unknown: 'unknown',
+};
+
 /**
  * Returns the props and state required to render the component
  */
@@ -49,8 +59,11 @@ export const usePresenceBadge_unstable = (
       {
         size: 'medium',
         ...props,
-        icon: resolveShorthand(undefined as BadgeProps['icon'], {
+        icon: resolveShorthand(props.icon, {
           required: true,
+          defaultProps: {
+            'aria-label': props.status && DEFAULT_STRINGS[props.status],
+          },
         }),
       },
       ref,