Does the 10 year IRS clock keep running if you just... never talk to them?

Been reading that the IRS only has 10 years to collect and then the debt expires. Mine's from 2016, so in theory Im getting close. But heres what im not clear on. Does that clock just keep ticking on its own if i do nothing or does staying totally silent somehow pause it? I havent set up a payment plan or filed anything with them about it, just kept my head down and kept filing my regular returns on time. Someone told me applying for stuff can actually pause the clock which sounds backwards to me. So is doing nothing actually the move here or am i missing something?