Short answer: Gmail calls its out of office reply the vacation responder. On a computer, click Settings, then See all settings, scroll down the General tab to Vacation responder, select Vacation responder on, fill in the dates, subject and message, and click Save Changes. In the Gmail app it's under Menu, Settings, then Vacation responder. You keep receiving email as normal while it's on.
Below: the steps for the web, Android and iPhone, how the reply behaves once it's running, the Google Calendar option for work accounts, and five messages you can copy. For other Gmail settings, see our complete guide to Gmail.
How to set out of office in Gmail on a computer
- Open Gmail. At the top right, click Settings, then See all settings.
- On the General tab, scroll down to the Vacation responder section.
- Select Vacation responder on.
- Fill in the date range (first and last day), the subject and the message.
- Optional: tick the box under the message to send the reply only to people in your contacts.
- At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.
While it's on, a banner runs across the top of your inbox. Click End now there to switch it off early.
How to turn on out of office in the Gmail app
On an Android phone or tablet:
- Open the Gmail app, tap Menu at the top left, then Settings.
- Choose your account and tap Vacation responder.
- Turn the Vacation responder switch on, fill in the dates, subject and message, and tap Done.
On an iPhone or iPad:
- Open the Gmail app, tap Menu, then Settings.
- Under Compose and Reply, tap Vacation responder and turn it on.
- Enter the dates, subject and message. Tap Send only to my Contacts if you want, then tap Save.
To turn it off in the app, go back to the same screen and switch Vacation responder off.
How Gmail's automatic reply works
- It starts at 12:00 AM on the start date and stops at 11:59 PM on the end date, unless you end it sooner.
- Most people get it only once. The same person gets it again if they write after four days and it's still on, or if you've edited the message since.
- Emails that go to Spam, and mail sent to mailing lists you subscribe to, don't get a reply.
- Your signature appears below the message, so check it's up to date. Here's how to add a signature in Gmail.
- Nothing pauses your inbox. Mail keeps arriving, and you can still read and send while the reply is on.
Out of office in Google Calendar (work and school accounts)
If you use Gmail through work or school, Google Calendar has a separate Out of office event. Create one for the days you're away and Calendar can decline meetings with a message you write. Gmail also shows your status to people who email you, as long as they can see your calendar. It complements the vacation responder rather than replacing it, so turn on both. Personal Gmail accounts use the vacation responder only.
Out of office message examples
Say when you're back and who to contact meanwhile. That's all most people need.
| Situation | Subject | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Out of office until [date] | Thanks for your email. I'm out of the office until [date] with limited access to email. For anything urgent, please contact [name] at [email]. |
| Vacation | Away until [date] | Hi, I'm on vacation and back on [date]. I'll reply when I return. If it can't wait, [name] at [email] can help. |
| Conference | At [event] until [date] | I'm at [event] until [date] and checking email only now and then. I'll get back to you by [date]. |
| Short | Out of office | I'm away and back on [date]. I'll reply as soon as I can. |
| Long leave | On leave until [date] | I'm on leave until [date] and won't be checking email. Please contact [team or email] in the meantime. |
Want to send a different automatic reply only to certain emails, such as messages to a support address? Turn on templates (Settings, See all settings, Advanced, Templates, Enable), save your reply as a template, then create a filter with the Send template action. Our guide to creating rules in Gmail explains filters.
Coming back to a full inbox
Disclosure: we make Canary Mail. The vacation responder handles the time away; the pile you return to is the hard part. Canary Mail is an email app for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Android that works with Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Exchange and other IMAP accounts. The free plan covers unlimited accounts on 2 devices with AI inbox sorting, and tracker blocking is on by default. The Growth plan ($36 a year) adds AI writing and summaries, read receipts and send later. More than 2 million people use it, and Apple has featured it on the App Store and the Mac App Store.
For more on getting through a backlog, see how to organize your email inbox and our list of Gmail alternatives with AI and privacy.
Frequently asked questions
Is vacation responder the same as out of office in Gmail?
Yes. Gmail's automatic out of office reply is called the vacation responder. Work and school accounts can also add an Out of office event in Google Calendar, which declines meetings.
Do you still receive emails when automatic reply is on?
Yes. Mail arrives as normal and you can read and reply. The vacation responder only sends an automatic answer to people who write to you. If mail has stopped arriving altogether, see Gmail not receiving emails.
How do I turn off out of office in Gmail?
On a computer, click End now on the banner at the top of your inbox, or select Vacation responder off in settings and save. In the app, go to Menu, Settings, Vacation responder and switch it off. It also stops by itself after the last day.
Why isn't my Gmail out of office reply working?
Check that the dates include today and that you saved the changes. People only get it once every four days, mail in Spam gets no reply, and if you ticked the contacts-only box, other senders won't get it.
Can I schedule an out of office reply in Gmail in advance?
Yes. Set a future first day and save. The reply starts at 12:00 AM that day and stops at 11:59 PM on the last day.