How to Set Up a Vacation Responder (Out of Office) in Gmail

Q: Can I set it up from my phone?

Yes. In the Gmail app, tap the menu, then Settings, choose your account, and tap Vacation responder (iPhone: under Compose and reply).

Q: Does it reply to spam and newsletters?

It can, which is why the Only send a response to people in my Contacts box exists — tick it to avoid auto-replying to mailing lists.

Published ✓ Verified ⏱️ 2 min read March 28, 2026 · by Ryan Bennett

Gmail’s vacation responder sends an automatic reply to people who email you while you’re away, between dates you choose.

Why: Rather than leaving senders wondering, the responder fires a one-time auto-reply so they know you’re out and when you’ll be back. Gmail handles the start and end times for you, so you can set it before you leave and forget it.

Step 1: Turn on the vacation responder

Open Gmail on a computer.
Click the Settings gear (top right) → See all settings.
Stay on the General tab and scroll down to Vacation responder.
Select Vacation responder on.
Fill in the First day and (optionally) Last day.
Type a Subject and Message — for example, your return date and an alternate contact.
Scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes.

While it’s active, Gmail shows a banner across the top of your inbox with an End now link so you can switch it off early.

Step 2: Limit who gets the reply (optional)

Under the message box are two checkboxes:

Only send a response to people in my Contacts — keeps the auto-reply away from strangers and mailing lists, cutting down on replies to spam.
A second option, if you use Google Workspace, limits replies to people inside your organization.

Tick either to narrow who receives the reply, then Save Changes.

How the timing works

Your reply starts at 12:00 AM on the first day and ends at 11:59 PM on the last day, unless you end it sooner. Each person normally gets the reply only the first time they email you. If the same person emails again more than four days later while the responder is still on, they get it a second time.

FAQ

Will every sender get a reply each time they email me? No. In most cases a person gets the auto-reply only the first time they contact you, so you don’t spam someone who emails repeatedly.

Can I set it up from my phone? Yes. In the Gmail app, tap the menu, then Settings, choose your account, and tap Vacation responder (iPhone: under Compose and reply).

Does it reply to spam and newsletters? It can, which is why the Only send a response to people in my Contacts box exists — tick it to avoid auto-replying to mailing lists.

Sources: Gmail Help — Send an automatic reply when you’re out of office