SOURCE:    Vacation Tracker
TITLE:     How to Set Out of Office in Microsoft Teams (and Outlook)
URL:       https://vacationtracker.io/blog/how-to-set-an-ooo-message-in-microsoft-teams/
LANG:      en
PUBLISHED: 2022-01-08
UPDATED:   2026-10-16
AUTHOR:    Lav
READING:   10 min
TAGS:      software
SUMMARY:   Set out of office in Microsoft Teams step by step, sync it with Outlook, schedule it in advance and fix a status that won't show. Plus how to automate it.

How to Set Out of Office in Microsoft Teams (and Outlook)

How to set out of office in Microsoft Teams (and Outlook)

Q: Can I schedule out of office in Microsoft Teams in advance?

Yes. On the out of office screen, tick Send replies only during a time period and set future start and end dates and times. Microsoft Teams switches your status and reply on at the start time and off at the end time, so you can set it days or weeks ahead.

Author
Lav
Read time
10 minutes
Published
January 8, 2022

To set out of office in Microsoft Teams, select your profile picture, choose Set status message, then Schedule out of office. Turn on automatic replies, write your message, tick Send replies only during a time period, pick your dates and select Save. Microsoft Teams shares this setting with Outlook, so your status and your email auto reply match.

Once it’s on, anyone who messages you in Microsoft Teams sees that you’re away and gets your reply in the chat. Anyone who emails you gets the same message from Outlook.

If you manage a team, skip to the last section to see how out of office can switch on by itself whenever someone’s leave is approved.

How do you set out of office in Microsoft Teams?

You can schedule out of office (OOO) in Microsoft Teams from your profile picture or from the Settings menu. Both routes open the same screen, where you write your message and pick your dates. These steps are for the desktop and web app; the mobile app and Outlook come later.

Where you set it	Path	Can you schedule dates?
Microsoft Teams, desktop or web	Profile picture > Set status message > Schedule out of office	Yes
Microsoft Teams, desktop or web	Settings and more (...) > Settings > General > Out of office > Schedule	Yes
Microsoft Teams mobile app	Profile picture > your status > Out of office > Set auto reply	Yes
New Outlook or Outlook on the web	Settings > Account > Automatic replies	Yes
Classic Outlook	File > Automatic Replies	Yes

All five paths change the same setting, so use whichever is closest.

Method 1: from your profile picture

Select your profile picture at the top of Microsoft Teams.
Select Set status message.
Select Schedule out of office at the bottom of the options.
Turn on the toggle next to Turn on automatic replies.
Type your out of office message. People see it when they message you in Microsoft Teams or open your profile, and Outlook sends it as your automatic reply. Microsoft says a message is required to set the status and sync it with Outlook, so don’t leave this box empty.
To reply to people outside your company as well, tick Send replies outside my organization and choose between your contacts and all external senders. You can paste the same message or write a different one for them.
Tick Send replies only during a time period and set the start and end dates and times. Your status and reply switch on at the start time and off at the end time.
Select Save.

Method 2: from Settings

Go to the top right corner of Microsoft Teams, next to your profile picture.
Select Settings and more (…), then Settings.
Open General, scroll to the Out of office section near the bottom and select Schedule.
The same out of office screen opens. Follow steps 4 to 8 of Method 1.

How do you set out of office in the Microsoft Teams mobile app?

In the Microsoft Teams mobile app, tap your profile picture in the top left corner, tap your current status and choose Out of office. Turn on Set auto reply and write your message. Then turn on the toggle to select your start and end dates, and pick when you’ll be away. The reply syncs to your other apps, including Outlook.

Microsoft Teams mobile app status menu with Available, Busy, Do not disturb, Be right back, Away, Appear offline, Reset status and Out of office

You can also reach the same screen by tapping Set status message on your profile.

How do you set out of office in Outlook?

In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, open Settings, go to Account > Automatic replies and turn on the Automatic replies toggle. Write your message, tick Send replies only during a time period, set your dates and select Save. Outlook and Microsoft Teams share this setting, so Microsoft Teams shows you as out of office for the same dates.

Select the Settings gear at the top right, then Account > Automatic replies. In new Outlook for Windows, you can also get there from View > View settings.
Turn on the Automatic replies toggle.
Write your message in the box for people inside your organization. To answer external senders too, tick Send replies outside your organization and fill in the second box. Tick Send replies only to contacts if only people in your contacts should get it.
Tick Send replies only during a time period and set the start and end. Under During this time, you can also block your calendar, decline new invitations automatically, or decline and cancel the meetings you already have.
Select Save.

Outlook sends your reply once to each person who emails you while you’re away. In classic Outlook, the setting is under File > Automatic Replies. If you don’t see that button, Microsoft’s Outlook help page explains the workaround for your account type.

To block the days in your calendar as well, see how to set up out of office in Outlook calendar.

Do Microsoft Teams and Outlook out of office sync?

Yes. Microsoft Teams and Outlook use one out of office setting. When you schedule out of office in Microsoft Teams, Outlook turns on automatic replies with the same dates and message. When you change it in Outlook, Microsoft Teams picks up the change. You only need to set it in one place.

Microsoft Teams also shows the Out of office status while your Outlook calendar has an event set to show as out of office, even with automatic replies turned off. And if you use Microsoft Teams while your automatic replies are on, colleagues see your normal status (Available or Busy, for example) next to the out of office indicator. Source: Microsoft’s Microsoft Teams presence documentation.

Why is my out of office status not showing in Microsoft Teams?

Usually one of four things: the message box is empty, the time period hasn’t started, your mailbox is on your company’s own servers, or you’re active in Microsoft Teams so your normal status shows next to the indicator. Check them in this order:

Your message box is empty. Microsoft says an out of office message is required for the status to appear and sync with Outlook.
Your time period hasn’t started. With Send replies only during a time period ticked, the status only appears between your start and end times, so check the time as well as the date.
Your mailbox is on-premises. If your company hosts email on its own Exchange servers, Microsoft says status updates can take up to an hour.
You’re online. While you use Microsoft Teams, your normal status shows next to the out of office indicator, which can look as if it isn’t set.

If none of these explain it, ask your IT admin to check your mailbox settings.

How do you turn off out of office in Microsoft Teams?

Go back to the out of office screen (profile picture > Set status message > Schedule out of office), turn off Turn on automatic replies and select Save. Outlook turns automatic replies off too, because the setting is shared. If you set an end date, you don’t need to do anything: the status and reply stop at that time.

How do you set out of office automatically when leave is approved?

Use a leave management app that connects to Microsoft 365. In Vacation Tracker for Microsoft Teams, an admin chooses which leave types should trigger out of office. When an employee’s approved leave starts, Vacation Tracker turns on their automatic reply in Outlook and the Out of office status in Microsoft Teams. Both switch off when the leave ends.

Nobody has to remember it the evening before a holiday, and the dates always match the approved leave. Employees request leave in Microsoft Teams, managers approve it there, and out of office follows on its own.

Admins pick which leave types trigger out of office, for example vacation but not a doctor’s appointment.
Employees can still turn it off for a specific request when they book the leave.
Each person keeps control of who gets the reply (contacts only or everyone) in their own Microsoft Teams settings.
Out of office automation is included in every Vacation Tracker plan.

The Microsoft Teams out of office setup guide has the details. If you’re deciding how to run leave in Microsoft Teams more broadly, see leave management in Microsoft Teams.

Out of office in Microsoft Teams: FAQ

How do I show out of office in Microsoft Teams without an auto reply?

Create an event in your Outlook calendar for the days you’re away and set it to show as Out of office. Microsoft Teams shows the Out of office status during that event, and nobody gets an automatic reply. Turn on automatic replies only if you also want people to receive a message.

Can I schedule out of office in Microsoft Teams in advance?

Yes. On the out of office screen, tick Send replies only during a time period and set future start and end dates and times. Microsoft Teams switches your status and reply on at the start time and off at the end time, so you can set it days or weeks ahead.

How do I set a vacation status in Microsoft Teams?

Schedule out of office for the days you’re on vacation and say so in the message, for example “On vacation until June 8”. If you only want a short note on your profile and no automatic reply, use Set status message instead.

What should a Microsoft Teams out of office message say?

Say when you’re back, whether you’ll reply before then, and who to contact meanwhile. Two examples:

Inside your organization: “I’m out of office until June 8, with no access to Microsoft Teams. For anything urgent, message [name].”
Outside your organization: “Thanks for your email. I’m away until June 8 and will reply when I’m back. For urgent requests, contact [name] at [email].”

For more ideas, see these out of office message examples or use our out of office message generator.

Can I send different out of office replies inside and outside my organization?

Yes. Microsoft Teams and Outlook both have a second message box for people outside your organization. Tick Send replies outside my organization and write a separate message. Microsoft recommends sending external replies only to your contacts, because otherwise newsletters, ads and junk mail get a reply too.

Why can’t I schedule out of office in Microsoft Teams?

Out of office in Microsoft Teams uses your Outlook automatic replies, and Microsoft says automatic replies don’t work with Gmail, Yahoo or other POP or IMAP accounts. On a Microsoft 365 work account, check that you’ve typed a message, because the status won’t set without one. If the option is still missing, ask your IT admin.

Should you set out of office manually or automatically?

Set it manually if it’s just you: it takes a minute in Microsoft Teams or Outlook, and both apps show it. If you run a team, automate it, so out of office follows every approved leave and nobody has to remember. Vacation Tracker does that from the leave your managers approve in Microsoft Teams. Try it free for 14 days, no credit card needed, or book a demo.

Lav Crnobrnja

The COO and co-founder of Vacation Tracker. He loves sharing his knowledge and passion for startups, business, and AI. When he’s not working, he can often be found experimenting with AI agents and exploring what the latest technology can do.