Imagine being able to send a professional, personalized message to anyone who emails you while you’re on vacation or busy with other tasks. In such a scenario, you may want to use the automatic replies feature or out of office in the Outlook app.
Furthermore, automatic replies are messages that are sent automatically when you receive an email message that matches certain criteria, such as the sender’s name, domain, or subject.
- First, open Outlook and click File, then select Automatic Replies.
- Next, click “Send automatic responses.”
- Then, write your message and format it however you want.
- After that optionally, set schedule.
- Additionally, select select who receives responses (all emails, contacts only, etc.).
- Finally, click Save to activate your automatic replies.
Follow our blog to learn detailed steps and how to set up automatic replies on desktop and mobile devices.
How to setup Automatic replies on Outlook desktop application ?
Are you tired of manually answering all emails ? If so, the Outlook desktop app makes it easy to set up automatic replies.
Furthermore, simply follow these steps to have Outlook send you a personalized out-of-office message at scheduled times.
- First, open the Outlook application.
- Next, click File.
- Then, click Info.
- After that, under “Account Information,” select the email address you want to set up (if applicable).
- Subsequently, click the Automatic Replies button.
- Following this, select the Send automatic responses option.
- Moreover, if you don’t want messages to be sent immediately, select Send only during this time range. Furthermore, choose the dates and times you want to set up your automatic reply for.
- Then, write a message. Additionally, you can format text using the toolbar or cut and paste text that you have formatted, including hyperlinked text.
- Finally, to set up an automatic reply for contacts outside your company, select Outside my organization > Automatically reply to people outside my organization, type a message, and select OK.
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How to set automatic replies in Outlook web app ?
The good news is that setting up automatic replies in the Outlook Web App is quick and easy to do right from your browser.
Furthermore, you can also customize your automatic replies to suit your needs and preferences.
To begin configuring out of office in Outlook web app, follow the below mentioned steps:
- Firstly, sign in to your Outlook account on Outlook.com from any web browser.
- Next, click the gear icon at the top right and select See all Outlook settings.
- Then, select Mail > Automatic Replies in Outlook on the web.
- After that, activate the option Activate automatic responses.
- Furthermore, if you want to send responses only during a certain period of time, check the Send responses only during a period of time box and enter the start and end dates and times.
- In addition, if you want to lock your calendar, decline new invitations, or cancel meetings while you’re away, check the boxes for those options.
- Subsequently, write your message in the box at the bottom. You can use the formatting options to personalize your message.
- Also, if you want to send responses only to your contacts, check the box for that option.
- Finally, click Save when you’re done.
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How to set up automatic replies on Outlook App on Mac ?
Unfortunately, the Outlook app on Mac does not offer a built-in feature to set up automatic replies.
However, you have a couple of options to achieve similar functionality:
Use Outlook Web
- Firstly, open your web browser and navigate to Outlook.com.
- Secondly, sign in to your Outlook account.
- Next, follow the steps I provided above to set up automatic replies in Outlook Web (formerly Outlook.com).
- Additionally, any auto reply configured in Outlook Web will also apply to your Outlook app on Mac.
Use a third-party plugin
Several third-party add-ins for Outlook on Mac offer auto-reply functionality. Some popular options include:
Out of Office Assistant: Highly rated with advanced features like scheduling, rule on message, and personalized messages.
Explore the add-on options available in your App Store and choose one that suits your needs.
Subsequently, install and configure the plugin according to its specific instructions.
Use an automation tool for Mac
Advanced users can explore tools like Keyboard Maestro or Hazel to automate sending a pre-written email based on specific conditions, such as receiving an email in your inbox.
Alternatively, this requires some technical knowledge and programming skills, but offers a more customized and flexible solution.
Consequently, remember, when using any third-party plugin or automation, make sure it is trustworthy and secure. Therefore, always check the reviews and permissions of the app before installing it.
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How to add an automatic reply on Outlook from mobile devices? (iPhone and Android)
Are you tired of checking work emails even when you’re trying to relax? In this section We’ll show you the easy steps to enable out of office messaging in outlook mobile application.
Furthermore, follow below mentioned steps to set up automatic replies option on Outlook from mobile devices:
- Firstly, open the Outlook app on your mobile device.
- Secondly, tap the home icon in the top left corner.
- Next, tap Settings (gear icon) in the bottom left corner.
- Then, tap Accounts and select your Office 365 account.
- Subsequently, select Automatic Replies and turn it on.
- Following this, choose whether you want to reply to everyone or just your organization.
- Additionally, if you reply to everyone, choose whether you want to use different messages for different contacts or send the same message to everyone.
- Moreover, write your message in the box at the bottom. You can use the formatting options to personalize your message.
- Finally, tap the check mark in the upper right corner to save your settings.
How to set out of office in outlook 365 ?
Microsoft Outlook makes it easy to set up an out-of-office notice that will activate during certain dates and times.
Furthermore, with just a few clicks, you can create an away message that will be attached to all outgoing emails during the specified away period.
Follow below mentioned steps to set out of office on Outlook 365:
- First, open Outlook and select File > Automatic Replies.
- Then, select Send automatic responses and choose the time period for your absence.
- After that, enter the message you want to send to people within your organization.
- Furthermore, if you want to send a different message to people outside your organization, select Outside my organization and enter your message.
- Finally, select OK to save your settings.
- In addition, you can also set up automatic official replies from Outlook on the web, Outlook for Mac, or Outlook on a mobile device.
Why is my automatic reply not working on Outlook app ?
There could be several reasons for automatic reply on Outlook app, such as:
- Firstly, the automatic official reply setting is not configured correctly or has been accidentally disabled.
- Secondly, your email account type does not support automatic replies or has some limitations on sending them.
- Additionally, your auto-reply message is too long, contains invalid characters, or has been filtered by spam filters.
Follow below mentioned steps to fix this issue:
- Firstly, check your auto-reply settings and make sure they are turned on and have the correct time period, message, and recipients. You can follow the instructions at this link to set up automatic replies in the Outlook app.
- Secondly, check your email account type and see if it supports automatic replies or has any restrictions on sending them. For example, if you have a Gmail, Yahoo, or other POP or IMAP account, you may not be able to use the auto-reply feature in the Outlook app. You can check out this link to see the differences between email account types and how they affect automatic reply.
- Additionally, review your automatic reply message and see if it is too long, contains invalid characters, or has been filtered by spam filters. You can check out this link to see best practices for writing an effective automatic reply message and how to avoid common mistakes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, automatic reply is a useful and convenient feature that allows you to communicate with your email contacts in a professional and courteous manner when you are not available to respond to them.
Furthermore, by setting up automatic replies, you can also help yourself manage your workload more efficiently and avoid missing important messages that require your attention.
In addition, no matter what device or platform you use to access Outlook, you can easily set up and customize your automatic reply with just a few clicks.
Reference:
support/microsoft/tips for automatic replies on outlook app
microsoft.com/send automatic replies out of office from outlook
Frequently Asked Question’s (FAQ’s)
Yes, you can set out of office from your phone, depending on the type of email account you have.
Double-check settings, update app, clear cache. 2. Verify network & account, contact MS Support if needed.
Open the Outlook app and go to File > Automatic Replies.
Select Send automatic responses and type your message.
Choose who to send the response to (inside or outside your organization).
Click OK to save your changes.
