How to Set Up Out-of-Office Replies in Apple Mail and iCloud Mail

[MacRumors]

Apple's native Mail application in macOS lacks a specific option for enabling out-of-office replies, but there is another way you can set them up on a Mac, and that's with Rules. It's worth bearing in mind at the outset that your Mac needs to be powered on for this out-of-office method to work. That's because Apple Mail rules are only applied locally to incoming emails, and aren't active on the server side.

If you're looking for a longer term out-of-office solution, you'll want to check out Vacation mode in iCloud Mail, which we cover in the second part of this tutorial.


Click here to read more...

Article Link: How to Set Up Out-of-Office Replies in Apple Mail and iCloud Mail

 

[Stella]

Any rules you set up in mail.app should absolutely be sent to the iCloud server and applied server side. Shows a huge and obvious gap in functionality.

 

[Dthare]

The first sentence if this article is wrong.

You say that the 10.13 apple mail client has no specific way to put on out of office but it does.

The option is in the mailbox porperties

Right click the mailbox on the left hand panel > Select Properties > Select the out of office tab.

This means you don’t have to set a rule that is relient on the machine and apple mail client being open.

The method i described sets a server side rule so it works all the time and is the correct way to do this

 

[Mefisto]

Who needs to do this in 2018?

Almost anywhere you go, you’ll have internet access and be able to read email.

And? If there's no reply, people expect (at least in my case) that I've read, and will reply to their email. An automated response tells them not to wait, and that I will get back to them at my convenience, or at a specific date. And I'll be damned if I'm reading, let alone replying to work emails while on vacation, for example. This feature get's around all that quite nicely.

I struggle to see what the current year has to do with it, but then again I'm getting a feeling I'm completely misunderstanding your post anyway so...

Any rules you set up in mail.app should absolutely be sent to the iCloud server and applied server side. Shows a huge and obvious gap in functionality.

100% agreed.

 

[-BigMac-]

The first sentence if this article is wrong.

You say that the 10.13 apple mail client has no specific way to put on out of office but it does.

The option is in the mailbox porperties

Right click the mailbox on the left hand panel > Select Properties > Select the out of office tab.

This means you don’t have to set a rule that is relient on the machine and apple mail client being open.

The method i described sets a server side rule so it works all the time and is the correct way to do this

Thats what i thought!

 

[timmyh]

The first sentence if this article is wrong.

You say that the 10.13 apple mail client has no specific way to put on out of office but it does.

The option is in the mailbox porperties

Right click the mailbox on the left hand panel > Select Properties > Select the out of office tab.

This means you don’t have to set a rule that is relient on the machine and apple mail client being open.

The method i described sets a server side rule so it works all the time and is the correct way to do this

I believe this is only for Exchange-based corporate servers. Surprisingly, Apple Mail still doesn’t provide a native option for out of office.

 

[cdodsworth]

I believe this is only for Exchange-based corporate servers. Surprisingly, Apple Mail still doesn’t provide a native option for out of office.

That is correct. It is actually under Account Info and ONLY applies to Exchange/Office 365 accounts. iCloud, gmail etc accounts in Apple mail do not have that function

 

[pika2000]

Not sure why the lack of that option is an issue.
Normal people would use cloud email like iCloud, Gmail, etc, and each services provide the option on their site.
Work email/exchange has the feature built in.
I guess I’m not seeing the point of this convoluted tip.

 

[Stella]

Oh crap - being early morning, I read it as being away on vacation - not out of office - ie, being used as work email.

And? If there's no reply, people expect (at least in my case) that I've read, and will reply to their email. An automated response tells them not to wait, and that I will get back to them at my convenience, or at a specific date. And I'll be damned if I'm reading, let alone replying to work emails while on vacation, for example. This feature get's around all that quite nicely.

I struggle to see what the current year has to do with it, but then again I'm getting a feeling I'm completely misunderstanding your post anyway so...



100% agreed.

 

[DEXTERITY]

Mac mail is horrible - I still want to know why I cant delete all emails via ipad or iphone, without doing some stupid trick. Talk about annoying and inefficient.

 

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

I want to know when Apple is going to fix the Zombie Email problem.
Deleted emails still keep coming back from the dead regardless of whether you mark them as spam or delete them.
This has turned into a years long running joke.

 

[TheralSadurns]

Mac mail is horrible - I still want to know why I cant delete all emails via ipad or iphone, without doing some stupid trick. Talk about annoying and inefficient.

Sorry... but... lol.

Apple Mail on macOS and iOS are different applications, first of all. So saying the Mac app Sucks, because on your phone you cannot delete things... makes no sense. So whixh App are you talking about?! My fridge can also not mow my lawn.

Second... I guess you mean you have one email address... and receive your mails on iPhone, iPad, and your Mac. If you have an IMAP account or set it up as such on all devices then deleting an email on ONE will delete it on ALL devices. Always.
If you set it up as POP (and some let you use either IMAP or POP) then the different devices dont know of one another and actions like deletions are NOT synced.

BUT, and this is A BIG BUT:
This has ZERO absolutely ZERO to do with Apple Mail. ALL Email applications will work exactly the same way. Windows software included.


I am not saying that Mail is perfect (altho stuff like Mail Drop, and Automatik shrinking of images is awesome!!!). But what you complain about has nothing to do with Apple Mail!

 

[MacDawg]

I want to know when Apple is going to fix the Zombie Email problem.
Deleted emails still keep coming back from the dead regardless of whether you mark them as spam or delete them.
This has turned into a years long running joke.

Have literally never had this happen to me, and honestly it is the first time I've heard of it
Could be a widespread problem, but not something I have ever encountered

Mac mail is horrible - I still want to know why I cant delete all emails via ipad or iphone, without doing some stupid trick. Talk about annoying and inefficient.

As mentioned above, this is iOS you are talking about and not Mac Mail
But maybe you could explain a little more... are you trying to do a mass delete, or are emails not deleting from other devices?
What exactly is the problem?

 

[69650]

Apple Mail on iOS is rubbish. You can’t schedule a reminder like you can on Outlook and you can’t re-order emails by sender rather than by date. These are basic features still missing.

 

[Wawajey]

So My mail app keeps making a sound that goes on a loop is anyone getting the same problem

 

[EdT]

Can’t say I’m a big fan of Mac OS Mail. I keep losing the ability to send email from my Apple and Gmail accounts. I receive emails from all 3 accounts that I have, Apple, Gmail, and my local ISP but only with my ISP account can I reliably send or reply to emails. I call Apple and re-set my Apple account and it works for a while, and usually after a OS update it and Gmail is unable to send emails again.

 

[ignatius345]

Mac mail is horrible - I still want to know why I cant delete all emails via ipad or iphone, without doing some stupid trick. Talk about annoying and inefficient.

You can definitely set up your swipes on iOS Mail to delete instead of archive, if that's what you're after. Try looking that up and you'll find out how.

And MacOS Mail is still the most powerful and flexible MacOS mail client I've come across. Tried and all those crappy "Gmail lite" apps like Spark, Airmail, and honestly none of them do much the Gmail web interface doesn't do. If you have trouble with Mail, or don't understand how it works, maybe the Gmail interface is better for you? Enjoy!
[doublepost=1520455723][/doublepost]

Can’t say I’m a big fan of Mac OS Mail. I keep losing the ability to send email from my Apple and Gmail accounts. I receive emails from all 3 accounts that I have, Apple, Gmail, and my local ISP but only with my ISP account can I reliably send or reply to emails. I call Apple and re-set my Apple account and it works for a while, and usually after a OS update it and Gmail is unable to send emails again.

Weird. I've had mine set up for years using iCloud and Gmail, and my old work Exchange-based system. It is very likely something with the way you have it set up, because I can tell you IMAP and Exchange accounts on Mac Mail send quite reliably for me.

 

[MargieDangar]

Apple's native Mail application in macOS lacks a specific option for enabling out-of-office replies, but there is another way you can set them up on a Mac, and that's with Rules. It's worth bearing in mind at the outset that your Mac needs to be powered on for this out-of-office method to work. That's because Apple Mail rules are only applied locally to incoming emails, and aren't active on the server side.

If you're looking for a longer term out-of-office solution, you'll want to check out Vacation mode in iCloud Mail, which we cover in the second part of this tutorial. Click this link to jump there now.


Click here to read more...

Article Link: How to Set Up Out-of-Office Replies in Apple Mail and iCloud Mail

[doublepost=1548370022][/doublepost]Hi thanks for this advice, I found it quite easy to set up and it works just fine.

But I have a query about how to edit the text of my reply message. The nature of my work means I need to switch my notification on and off regularly and amend the text weekly with specific notes about which date I will be back in the office.

I'd like to do this without going through set up each time. Is there a way? I couldn't see a tool for previewing or editing your message text once the rule has been set up. Thanks in advance.

 

[mjoecups]

Any rules you set up in mail.app should absolutely be sent to the iCloud server and applied server side. Shows a huge and obvious gap in functionality.

You overlook the obvious fact that Apple's mail is a generic Mail client. It doesn't ONLY work with iCloud.

SO other mail servers, that work very well with Apple's Mail wouldn't have this same feature.

Although I know iCloud does if you go through the web interface, so I suppose your point is still reasonable.