Set out of office status in Microsoft Teams when you want coworkers to see your absence before they message you. Teams can show an out-of-office banner, display a custom reply when people contact you, and sync the same automatic reply back to Outlook when your account supports it.
The important detail is that Teams status and Outlook automatic replies are connected, but they are not always edited from the same screen. If you only set a normal Teams status message, people may see a note in chat, but Outlook may not send automatic replies. Use Schedule out of office when you need the full vacation or leave behavior.
Open the Teams status controls
Start from your profile picture
In Teams, select your profile picture or initials in the upper-right corner. Choose Set status message. In the status panel, look for Schedule out of office near the bottom. Microsoft’s Teams support guidance notes that scheduling out of office from Teams also turns on automatic replies in Outlook, so this is the route to use when you want both apps to agree.
If you only need a short note such as “In training until 2 PM,” a regular status message is fine. For vacation, sick leave, travel days, or any absence where email senders should receive a reply, continue into Schedule out of office instead.
Choose a short message people can act on
Keep the out-of-office message practical. Mention when you return, whether you will check messages, and who can help while you are away. Avoid a long paragraph inside Teams; coworkers usually see this message while they are trying to decide whether to wait, send email, or contact someone else.
A useful internal message might be: “I’m out through Friday and will respond Monday. For urgent Teams access issues, contact the Service Desk.” If your organization allows external replies, write a more neutral version for people outside the company.
Schedule the out-of-office period on Teams
Turn on automatic replies
In the out-of-office window, turn on Automatic replies. Add your message, then set a start and end time. The date range matters because it prevents a common mistake: returning to work while Teams or Outlook still says you are away.
If you already set automatic replies in Outlook, Teams may show that out-of-office state automatically. If the two apps disagree, edit the setting from the Schedule out of office panel or from Outlook automatic replies, then give Microsoft 365 a few minutes to sync.
Sync the same absence to Outlook
When you save the Teams out-of-office schedule, Outlook automatic replies should use the same message and time period for the mailbox. That means email senders get the automatic reply while Teams users see your out-of-office presence and message.
This is different from manually choosing Appear away or Do not disturb. Those presence states affect Teams availability, but they do not create an Outlook automatic reply by themselves. For status basics and shorter messages, this guide on custom Teams status messages is still useful. For working-time boundaries, pair it with Microsoft Teams working hours.
Fix common sync problems between Outlook and Teams
Teams does not show out of office
First, confirm the schedule actually has a start and end time. Then quit and reopen Teams. If your account uses Outlook on the web, check whether automatic replies are enabled there. Teams often reflects mailbox automatic replies, so a mailbox-side issue can look like a Teams status issue.
Also check whether your Teams status is being overridden by an active meeting, a call, screen sharing, or manual presence choice. Teams can temporarily show another presence state, but your out-of-office banner and reply should still appear when people open a chat with you.
Outlook replies are missing
Open Outlook automatic replies and confirm the same time window and message are saved. If Outlook is not sending replies outside the organization, check whether external replies are disabled or restricted by your admin. Many organizations allow internal replies but limit external automatic replies for privacy or security reasons.
If Teams is correct but Outlook is not, update the setting in Outlook and then reopen Teams. If Outlook is correct but Teams is stale, update the setting in Teams and wait a few minutes. Microsoft 365 presence and mailbox settings are cloud-based, but they do not always refresh instantly on every open client.
Turn off out of office cleanly
End it early when plans change
If you return early, open Teams, go back to Set status message > Schedule out of office, and turn off automatic replies. Then check Outlook automatic replies as well. The safest habit is to verify both places when the absence changed after you created the schedule.
If you used a manual Teams status such as Do not disturb, reset that status separately. Out-of-office scheduling and manual presence are related, but one does not always clear every temporary status choice.
Keep recurring leave simple
For recurring part-time schedules or weekly unavailable blocks, do not use a long out-of-office message as a substitute for calendar and working-hour settings. Use Outlook calendar events, working hours, and Teams presence together. Out of office is best for full absences where replies should be automatic.
Verify absence behavior across Teams and Outlook
A reliable change starts with a controlled comparison, not a long sequence of resets. Check the start and end time in the same time zone as the mailbox. Write down the account, client or device, and exact symptom so that later tests use the same conditions. Change one variable at a time; several simultaneous fixes can hide the real cause and make the problem return.
Run a focused comparison
End automatic replies in the service where they were originally scheduled. Repeat the test with a simple sample that contains no confidential or business-critical data. If the sample works, compare permissions, file location, policy, and content with the failing case instead of reinstalling the whole product.
Allow presence synchronization time before treating a stale badge as failure. Keep the original configuration or data until the new result has been checked. When a setting is unavailable, grayed out, or labeled as organization-managed, capture that message and ask the responsible administrator to review the policy.
Verify the result in normal use
undefined. Confirm the result after closing and reopening the relevant app, then repeat it from the normal user workflow rather than only from an administrator or owner account. A successful one-time test is not enough when synchronization, scheduled refresh, or another device is involved.
If behavior differs across clients, record the app version, account type, time of the test, and where the expected result appears. Use that evidence to decide whether the remaining fault is local, account-specific, data-specific, or service-side. This keeps troubleshooting narrow and protects working settings while support investigates the correct layer.
Finally, explain the intended outcome to another user and have that person repeat the shortest safe test. Their result can reveal hidden owner privileges, cached state, or assumptions about where data is stored. Preserve screenshots of error messages only after removing names, addresses, document content, and other private information.
Teams out of office questions
Does Teams out of office turn on Outlook automatic replies?
Yes, when you use Schedule out of office in Teams, the automatic reply setting is tied to Outlook for the same Microsoft 365 mailbox. A plain Teams status message is not the same thing.
Can I set out of office only in Teams?
You can set a normal Teams status message without Outlook replies, but a scheduled out-of-office absence is designed to sync with Outlook automatic replies. Use the regular status message option for short Teams-only notes.
Why does my Teams status still show available?
Presence can lag, or it can be temporarily affected by calls, meetings, app activity, and manual status choices. Check the out-of-office message and automatic reply settings first, then restart Teams if the presence indicator has not refreshed.
Use Schedule out of office when absence needs to be visible in both chat and email. Use a normal Teams status message when you only need a short availability note.