Setting the Outlook automatic reply/out of office message

Instructions for Outlook 365 Application

1. From the Outlook application click on ‘File’ and then on ‘Automatic Replies (Out of Office).

2. Select Send automatic replies.

3. If you don't want the messages to go out right away, select Only send during this time range.

4. Choose the dates and times you'd like to set your automatic reply for.

5. Type in a message. You can format the text using the tool bar, or cut and paste text you've   formatted, including hyperlinked text.

6. Select OK.

7. To set an automatic reply for contacts outside your company, select Outside My Organization > Auto-reply to people outside my organization, type in a message, and select OK.

Instructions for Outlook Web Access (any browser)

1.  Go to https://outlook.office365.com 

2. In Mail view, click on Settings (visible as a cog wheel icon) within the top-right corner. Select View all Outlook settings.

3. A Settings window will appear. Select Email. Select Automatic replies. Click the turn on automatic replies toggle.

4. Tick the tick-box next to send replies only during this time period. Select the required start and end date/time.

5. Within the box beneath send automatic replies inside my organisation, type the auto-response that you would like sent.

6. If you would like to send an auto-response to external (non-UCL) senders, tick the tick-box send replies outside your organisation. Enter the required text within the box provided.

7. Select Save to apply.

Instructions for iOS and Android

In Outlook for iOS and Android, you can set up Out of Office replies for Microsoft 365, Exchange, Exchange (Hybrid), and Outlook.com accounts.

To set up out of the office replies, tap Settings, tap your account, tap Automatic Replies, and then toggle the switch on.

You can:

• Choose to Reply during a time period by turning that switch to on and setting the start and end time
• Create an event on your calendar that shows you as out of office during the time period by turning Block my calendar to on and specifying a name for your calendar event.
• Clear meetings during the time period by selecting Clear my calendar and choosing the meetings you wish to cancel or decline
• Reply to everyone or reply only to your organization.

• You can also set up different messages for your organization and external senders.

Tap done once to save your automatic reply once you've set it.