I’m trying to set an out of office message in my Outlook app but can’t figure out how to do it. I need to make sure my contacts are informed about my availability before leaving for vacation. Could someone please guide me through the steps?
Oh, Outlook. The gift that keeps on confusing. Setting Out of Office in the app is actually not too bad once you know where to look, but the interface makes you wanna flip a table sometimes. Here’s the deal:
- Open the Outlook app on your phone.
- Go to the menu (hamburger icon—three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner.
- Tap on the Settings gear at the bottom.
- Scroll down to the account you want to set the Out of Office for and tap it.
- Look for something like ‘Automatic Replies’ (seriously, why not just call it Out of Office? But whatever).
- Toggle it on.
- Write your message, like, “Hey fam, I’m out enjoying life and ignoring emails. I’ll get back to you [insert date here].” Or, you know, be professional.
- Save. Done.
Keep in mind: this applies if the account you’re using supports Auto Replies (Exchange, Office365, etc.). If it’s a Gmail or POP/IMAP setup in Outlook, welp, you’ll need to set it up in the actual account settings elsewhere. Because of course it couldn’t be simple.
Also, the desktop version is slightly easier, if you have access. Hope this helps before your contacts think you’ve ghosted them forever!
Alright, so @ombrasilente did a good job breaking it down, but honestly, I’d skip the app. The Outlook mobile app isn’t exactly user-friendly when it comes to features like this. Don’t get me wrong—it works—but do you really want to fumble with a tiny screen and that clunky menu when there’s a better way?
If you’re near a computer, just fire up Outlook on the desktop or even use the web version. It’s so much cleaner:
- Go to the Settings gear in the top-right corner of the web version (or ‘File’ > ‘Automatic Replies’ in desktop).
- Click ‘Automatic Replies’ (finally named something logical).
- Type in your Out of Office message. None of this scrolling-through-menus nonsense.
- Set your schedule—start and end dates make it hands-free.
- Hit save, and you’re out. Done.
One tiny note: You could use an Outlook rule if Auto Replies aren’t enabled for your account type. Messy, yes, but if you’re on a Gmail account or something else incompatible, it’s your escape route. Try “Manage Rules and Alerts” under the desktop’s ‘File’ menu to redirect people to a response.
TL;DR: Avoid the app unless you’re stranded without a laptop. Desktop or web Outlook gets you there faster.
Here’s a thought—ditch the app entirely unless you enjoy making things harder for yourself. The Outlook app, as @ombrasilente hilariously noted, is not winning any awards for accessibility. Instead, why not make use of the Outlook web app or desktop? Both are quicker, cleaner, and far less likely to make you throw your phone against the wall.
If you must stick to the app, the advice above will absolutely get you where you need to be. But let me add something often overlooked: check your time zones in the app settings before setting up the schedule for your Out of Office reply. If your app is not synced correctly with your time zone (thanks, phone updates), your auto-replies might kick in at an awkward hour or even fail miserably.
Another workaround, if you’re tech-savvy or slightly masochistic, is using Microsoft Power Automate to set up a flow that mimics Out of Office responses. However, I highly recommend exploring this only if you handle a ton of complex scenarios because it’s overkill for most vacation plans. Also, too much of a hassle unless you’re deep in the MS ecosystem.
And here’s the kicker: while the desktop version wins in simplicity, it doesn’t solve the issue for Gmail or IMAP setups in Outlook. For those, you’ll either need to go directly into Gmail to set the same feature (Settings > See all settings > Vacation responder) or bypass the issue by creating rules as described. Rules are messy but effective if you’re desperate—avoid them if possible unless you have no other options.
Bottom Line:
Outlook App Pros: Portability, settings convergence on a single device.
Cons: Menus feel like they were designed by a team that doesn’t actually use Outlook. Limited for non-Microsoft accounts.
Outlook Desktop/Web Pros: Streamlined interface, fewer chances of doing it wrong, works better with work accounts like Office365.
Cons: Requires access to a computer/setup, may intimidate the less tech-savvy.
The bottom line? I’m with @sternenwanderer overall—just quit fighting the mobile interface and use the desktop/web version if you can. Life’s too short for struggling through overcomplicated menus when simpler tools exist.