Outlook Automatic Replies, also called Out of Office, should stop when you return. If replies continue, turn off the automatic-reply setting first, then check whether a separate mail rule is sending responses.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Outlook for Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com on Windows, Mac, and the web. Steps vary by account type, especially between Microsoft 365 or Exchange accounts and personal Outlook.com accounts.
Turn off Automatic Replies in Outlook desktop for Windows
Use this with a Microsoft 365 or Exchange account in the full Outlook app.
- Open Outlook.
- Go to File.
- Click Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
- Select Do not send automatic replies.
- Click OK.
Automatic replies stop immediately for new incoming messages. If the button is missing, the account may not support this feature directly.
Turn off Automatic Replies on the web
Use this for Outlook on the web or Outlook.com.
- Sign in to Outlook in a browser.
- Click Settings.
- Choose View all Outlook settings.
- Open Mail > Automatic replies.
- Turn Automatic replies off.
- Click Save.
For the same Microsoft 365 or Exchange mailbox, web and desktop settings usually sync within a short time.
More control
Turn it off on Mac or mobile
On Mac, open Outlook Preferences and find Automatic Replies, then disable automatic replies. On mobile, open Settings, choose the account, tap Automatic Replies, and switch it off.
Set an end date next time
When enabling automatic replies, choose a start and end time. Outlook can turn the message off automatically at the scheduled return time.
Check rules if replies continue
A separate rule may be replying with a template. Check Rules in desktop Outlook or Outlook on the web and disable any auto-reply rule that is independent of Automatic Replies.
Fix replies that never started
Confirm the setting says Send automatic replies and that the current date is inside the scheduled window. An expired or future window prevents replies from sending.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Send automatic out of office replies from Outlook (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Automatic replies in Outlook on the web (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Fix problems with automatic replies in Outlook (2024)