Before you start
- A Gmail or Google Workspace account
Method 1 On a computer
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Step 1: Open settings
In Gmail, click the gear icon > See all settings and stay on General.
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Step 2: Turn on the responder
Scroll to Vacation responder and choose Vacation responder on.
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Step 3: Set dates and message
Set the First day and optionally Last day, a subject and your message.
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Step 4: Limit recipients
Tick Only send a response to people in my Contacts to avoid replying to newsletters and spam. Workspace users can limit replies to their organisation.
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Step 5: Save
Click Save changes. A banner at the top of Gmail shows it’s active.
Method 2 On your phone
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Step 1: Android
Open the Gmail app, tap ☰ > Settings, choose your account and tap Out of Office AutoReply.
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Step 2: iPhone
Tap your profile picture or ☰ > Settings, choose your account and tap Vacation responder.
Hello,
Thank you for your email. I’m out of the office from 12 to 19 October with limited access to email.
I’ll reply when I’m back on 20 October. For urgent matters, please contact Sam at [email protected].
Best regards,
JaneTroubleshooting
People don’t get my reply
Check the dates, that it’s turned on, and whether you limited replies to Contacts. Replies don’t go to messages sent to mailing lists.
Frequently asked questions
Does it turn off automatically?
Yes, if you set a last day. Otherwise turn it off manually.
Can I format the message?
Yes, on the web you can use bold, links and other formatting.
Summary
Turn on Vacation responder in Settings > General, set dates and a clear message with an alternative contact, and limit replies to your Contacts if you want to avoid replying to everyone.
