How to Set an Out of Office Automatic Reply in Outlook

If you are routinely sending and receiving emails but are planning to go on a vacation soon, then setting up automated replies is going to be a lifesaver for you. Automatic replies are machine-generated texts that activate once you receive an email but aren’t around to reply to it. This way, the sender will know that you are out of the office for vacation, and it saves your inbox from follow-up email bombardment.

If you are looking for an easy way to set up “out of office” replies in Outlook, then this guide is for you. The article below discusses setting up “out of office” replies in Outlook on various platforms.

How to Setup Out of Office in Outlook on a PC

If you are using the web version of Outlook on a PC to send and receive emails, then setting up an “out of office” reply can be quickly done in a few steps. All you need to do is:

1. Sign in to your Outlook account on your browser.
2. Click on the Gear Icon in the top right corner.
   
3. Click on View all Outlook settings.
   
4. Select the Mail tab.
   
5. Toggle on the Automatic replies on option.
   
6. Type your “out of office” response in the text box.
   
7. Click Save, and the window will close.
   

At Step 5, below “Automatic replies on,” you will find another option named Send replies only during a time period. This option is ideal if you want to send “out of office” replies only for a limited time, such as the start and end of your vacation.

Enabling this option also saves you from the extra step of going back into Outlook when you want to turn off automatic replies.

How to Setup Out of Office in Outlook on the iPhone App

Outlook has a fantastic mobile version available on the App Store. If you manage your emails from the convenience of your iPhone, then setting up “Out of Office” replies is pretty straightforward.

Here are the steps to get started:

1. Launch the Outlook app on your iPhone.
2. Click the Home.
   
3. Click the Settings icon.
   
4. Select your Outlook account.
   
5. Tap the Automatic Replies option.
   
6. Tap the Automatic Replies toggle to enable “out of office” replies.
   
7. Type the “out of office” response in the text box under the Automatic Replies toggle.
   

After you are back in your office, just return to your Outlook account in the Outlook app and follow the same steps until Step 6. Tap on the Automatic Replies toggle to turn off “out of office” replies.

How to Setup Out of Office in Outlook on an Android

Working on the Android Outlook app is a great experience but turning on your “out of office” replies before going on a vacation is even simpler. Before you leave town, enable your “out of office” responses with these steps:

1. Launching the Outlook app on your Android.
   
2. Select the Home button at the top left corner.
   
3. Enter Settings.
   
4. Choose the account to set up “out of office” responses.
   
5. Tap on Automatic Replies under the title of the account to open a new window.
   
6. Type the “out of office” text you wish to use in the box under Reply to everyone with.
   
7. Select the Check icon at the top right corner of the window.
   

Now you won’t need to worry about not keeping your customers in the loop.

Additional FAQ

How do I turn it back off when I’m back in the office?

If you want to turn off automatic “out of office” responses in Outlook, then you can easily do it by following the steps below:

1. Sign in to your Outlook account on your browser.

2. Click on the Gear Icon in the top right corner.

3. Click on View all Outlook settings.

4. Select the Mail tab.

5. Switch the Automatic replies on toggle off.

Does Outlook support “Out of Office” replies for Gmail?

Outlook supports out of office replies for Gmail as well as Yahoo. Setting up out of office replies is relatively simple for Gmail and Yahoo accounts on Outlook. Microsoft Exchange accounts work similarly, with only slight differences in setting up out of office replies.

Keep Your Clients in the Loop

Everyone deserves a break now and then, but it is best to set up “out of office” replies in your Outlook account before going away from the office. It can be a lifesaver as it lets clients know that you’re not available for an immediate response. They may also know when to expect a response if you provided that type of information in your “out of office” reply, making communication a lot easier and life a lot simpler.

How often do you set out of office replies in your Outlook? Do you manually turn off automatic responses? Tell us in the comment section down below.