How to Set Out of Office in Microsoft Teams [Desktop & Mobile]

When it’s time to take a break from your work, it’s important to set up an out of office in Microsoft Teams. It’s a way for you to let colleagues know you are unavailable or on vacation. Setting an out of office status in Teams not only updates your availability but also syncs with Outlook, ensuring your teammates and external contacts are informed automatically.

This guide explains how to set up out of office in Teams on both desktop and mobile, along with FAQs to address common issues.

How to Set Out of Office in Microsoft Teams (Desktop)

You can schedule an out-of-office message directly from your Teams desktop app. Here’s how:

1. Open Teams and click your profile picture at the top of Teams.
2. Now, at the bottom, select Schedule out of office.
3. Then, toggle Turn on automatic replies.
4. Next, enter your out-of-office reply. This will display in Teams and send an automatic reply in Outlook.
5. Select Send replies outside my organization to notify external contacts.
6. Choose Send replies only during a time period and select start and end times.
7. Finally, click Save to activate.

That’s all you have to do, and your out-of-office reply will now sync across Teams and Outlook.

How to Set Out of Office in Microsoft Teams (Mobile)

The Teams mobile app makes it easy to enable out of office on the go:

1. Tap your profile picture in the upper left corner.
2. Then, tap your current status.
3. Choose “Out of office” from the menu.
4. Toggle Set auto reply and write your message.
5. Finally, toggle Select start and end dates and choose your time range.

Your reply will sync across Teams and Outlook, so teammates are notified everywhere.

Summing up

Setting up an out-of-office message in Microsoft Teams ensures your colleagues know when you’ll be back and how to reach you in the meantime, but there’s much more you can do with Teams. For instance, you can record Microsoft Teams meetings to revisit important discussions, use Shifts in Microsoft Teams to better manage work hours and team schedules, or even refresh yourself on the basics, like how to join a Microsoft Teams meeting. With these tips, you’ll be able to make the most of Teams whether you’re in the office or away.

FAQs about out of office in Microsoft Teams