Are you planning on taking a long vacation from your work and worried you might leave your colleagues and clients hanging? Or maybe you’ll only be gone for a short while, but fear that your office mates think you ditch them? Well, if you’re using Microsoft Teams as your primary communication channel, you don’t have to worry about this anymore.

With Microsoft Teams, you can set an “Out of Office” status that lets others know that you're unavailable to talk and informs them of your absence. Here are different ways to set this status on your Microsoft Teams.

Set Out of Office Status on Microsoft Teams

If you are not working on a particular day or going on a vacation, you can set up an “Out of Office” status on your Microsoft Teams account. So, when one of your teammates sends you a message, they will receive an automated reply, so they know you’re not available.

There are two ways you can set this status on your Microsoft Teams: through your profile photo and the settings. Here’s how you can do this:

Note: This works for both Windows and macOS, since the Microsoft Teams app has the same user interface for both.

Related: Microsoft Teams vs. Slack: The Best Free Workplace Messenger Apps

Through Your Microsoft Teams Profile

1. On your computer, open Microsoft Teams.
2. If you are a member of various teams, choose which organization or team you want to edit your status. Otherwise, skip this step.
3. Next, click your profile photo found on the top right part of your screen.
4. Click Set status message.
5. On the bottom of the pop-up window, click the Schedule out of office button. This will open a new window.
6. From the Out of Office window, enable the Turn on automatic replies option.
7. Then, type in your out-of-office message in the text box below the switch. Whatever message you put here will be sent to people trying to contact you in Teams or check your profile. This will also be sent as an automatic reply in your Outlook, so be sure to be specific until when you’ll be out of the office. You could also type here when you are back at work instead.
8. After adding the out-of-office message, you have the option to enable sending automatic replies to people who are outside your organization. If you deal with clients or people outside your company, you should turn on this option.
9. All you have to do is click the box beside Send replies outside my organization. If you only want to send your out-of-office notice to people on your contact, check the box for Only to your contacts. If you prefer to send it to everyone, choose All external senders.
10. Next, set the message you want for your external colleagues. Type in the reply on the dialogue box provided, or you can copy and paste the message you put in your Teams' status.
11. You also need to schedule when your Teams' account will send automatic replies. Click the box beside Send replies only during a time period option to enable it.
12. Lastly, click Save.

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Related: How to Join a Microsoft Teams Meeting on a Smartphone or Desktop

Through Microsoft Teams Settings

1. Open the Microsoft Teams app on your computer.
2. Then, click the three-dot menu beside your profile photo.
3. From the options, select Settings.
4. On the right-side navigation, click General. Next, scroll down to the bottom of the General page and click Schedule. This will open the Out of Office window.
5. Follow steps 6 to 12 of the previous instruction to set your Out of Office status.

How to Set Out of Office Status on Microsoft Teams Mobile App

Unfortunately, there’s no way for you to set an out-of-office automatic reply on the Microsoft Teams mobile app. But, you can still change your status on the app and clear it after a specific period. This is perfect if you’ll only be away from your account for a few hours, or you’re busy with meetings.

Here’s how you can change your status:

Note: The app has the same UI regardless of the mobile OS, so the instructions below will apply to both.

1. Open the Microsoft Teams app on your Android or iOS phone.
2. Tap your profile photo found at the top of the left of the screen. Next, press Set status message.
3. Add your status message on the text box provided. If you want to show your status message when people message or mention you, turn on the Show when people message me option. Then, set a timer on how long you’ll have this status message. After the chosen period, your status message will be cleared automatically.
4. Finally, press Done. Now, your contacts will see your status message whenever they message you on Teams.

Related: How to Host a Microsoft Teams Meeting on Desktop or Mobile

How to Edit Out of Office Status on Microsoft Outlook

Setting up your out-of-office status in Microsoft Teams automatically turns on the same setting in your Outlook email account. This means that you can use Outlook to edit your automatic reply, and the changes will also reflect on your Team's account. Here’s how you can edit your status through your Outlook account:

1. Open your Microsoft Outlook app on your computer.
2. Next, click File found on the top menu.
3. Then, press the Automatic Replies button.
4. From this window, you’ll see the exact message you set in your Teams account.
5. Lastly, edit your out-of-office message and click OK to save your changes. The changes you make here will also show on your Team's account.

How to Clear Out of Office Status on Microsoft Teams

If you want to switch back to your normal status and turn off your automatic replies, follow the steps below:

1. Go to your Out of Office settings by pressing your profile photo, then Set status message > Schedule out of office or through the Settings by clicking Settings > General > Out of Office.
2. Then, turn off the toggle beside the Turn on automatic replies option and press Save.

Related: The Best Ways to Manage Your Team in Microsoft Teams

Worry-Free Vacation With Microsoft Teams

With the Microsoft Teams Out of Office setting, you can have a peaceful vacation from work. Thanks to the automatic reply option, you also don’t have to worry about teammates or clients wondering why you’re not replying to their messages. This means that you can truly take your mind off your work and enjoy your well-deserved vacation.

How to Write a Professional Out-of-Office Email Reply

Want to write a professional out-of-office email reply that sounds professional and makes your point clear? Here's how to do it.

Read NextShareTweetEmail Related TopicsAbout The AuthorKim Fernandez(59 Articles Published)

Kim is a technical writer who is passionate about animal welfare and the environment. A writer by day and a reader at night, she takes pleasure in acquiring new knowledge. She is an experienced researcher and advertising executive. In an alternate universe, she is a professional model.

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