Disable or Enable Out of Office Reply in Outlook
Here's how to Disable or Enable Out of Office Reply in Outlook.
i. Out of Office Reply in Outlook is a feature that allows you to automatically send a customized message to anyone who emails you when you are away from work or unavailable. You can use this feature to inform your contacts about your absence, your return date, or any alternative ways to reach you or someone else who can help them. You can also set different messages for internal and external recipients, and schedule the start and end dates for your Out of Office Reply.
To set up an Out of Office Reply in Outlook, you can follow these steps:
- Open Outlook and click on the File tab in the upper left corner.
- Click on the Info tab and select Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
- Check the box that says Send automatic replies and choose the date range for your absence.
- Write your message in the text box for Inside My Organization. This message will be sent to anyone who emails you from your company or domain.
- If you want to send a different message to external contacts, check the box that says Outside My Organization and write your message in the text box below. You can also choose whether to send this message to anyone outside your organization, or only to your contacts.
- Click on OK to save your settings and activate your Out of Office Reply.
You can also set up an Out of Office Reply using Outlook on the web, Outlook for Mac, or Outlook mobile app.
ii. Here are some pros and cons of using Outlook's Out of Office auto-reply feature:
Pros:
- Automatically informs senders you are away and unable to respond immediately. Sets expectations.
- Can include custom message with dates of absence, alternate contacts, etc.
- Prevents build up of unread emails for faster processing when you return.
- Lets you screen/filter emails by only showing urgent ones from VIPs.
- Scheduling allows configuring different out of office messages for multiple periods.
- Integrates across Outlook on all devices like desktop, web, mobile etc.
Cons:
- Out of office can signal prolonged absence from work to managers/colleagues.
- Custom messages may reveal more personal information than intended.
- Could encourage senders to follow up with alternate contacts listed.
- Security risk if unauthorized access to improperly configure out of office.
- Only responds once per sender - so contacts may still email you multiple times.
- Not compatible with all mailing systems, messages may not reach some recipients.
- Could auto-reply to spam, social and promotional emails cluttering inbox.
Overall, Out of Office auto-replies provide effective absence notifications but need to be used judiciously considering organizational culture and managing recipients' expectations.