Having the ability to send automatic text responses can be incredibly useful in a variety of situations. Whether you want to let someone know you’re busy before a meeting, set up an away message when you’re on vacation, or send a quick confirmation message, auto text responses eliminate the need to repeatedly type out the same phrases. Fortunately, setting up automatic text responses is quick and easy on both iPhones and Android devices.
What are auto text responses?
Auto text responses, also known as quick responses or auto replies, allow you to create predefined messages that can be sent out automatically when someone texts you. They act as automated away messages, letting the sender know you’re unavailable without you having to manually type a response each time.
Auto text responses come in handy in many scenarios, such as:
- When you’re busy and can’t respond to texts right away
- When you want to let someone know you’re driving or in a meeting
- When you’re on vacation and want to set up an away message
- To send quick confirmations or responses to common questions
Rather than making people wait until you’re free to respond to their texts, you can set up auto replies to let them know when you’ll be available. Auto responses can be customized with your own messages so you can communicate your availability status without having to repeatedly type the same thing.
How to turn on auto text responses on an iPhone
Setting up auto text responses is simple on iOS devices running iOS 10 or later. Here are the steps to get it set up:
- Open the Settings app and tap on Messages.
- Scroll down and tap on Auto-Reply.
- Tap the Auto-Reply toggle switch to turn it on.
- Tap the Auto-Reply To toggle switch to choose who you want auto replies to be sent to. You can limit it to your Favorites contacts or have it apply to all contacts.
- Type your custom auto reply message in the Auto-Reply Message field.
- Tap Done when finished.
Once enabled, your auto reply text will be sent out automatically whenever someone messages you. Here are some things to keep in mind about auto replies on iPhones:
- Auto-replies are only sent to iMessage and SMS text conversations, not other messaging apps.
- Group conversations are not supported.
- To disable auto replies temporarily, toggle the Auto-Reply switch off.
- The auto reply will be sent a maximum of 10 times per contact while it’s enabled.
With just those few simple steps, you can have auto text responses configured in less than a minute. It’s a very handy feature for those times when you need to communicate your availability without having to manually send the same text repeatedly.
Setting up auto text responses on Android
The process is very similar for setting up auto reply texts on Android devices:
- Open the Messages or Messaging app.
- Tap the three dot menu icon in the top-right corner.
- Tap on Settings.
- Tap on Auto-reply.
- Toggle the Auto-reply switch on.
- Choose whether you want it to apply to All contacts or Custom contacts only.
- Type your custom auto reply message in the Auto-reply text field.
- Tap OK when finished.
Once enabled, that auto reply text will be sent anytime you receive a new text message. Here are some additional tips for Android users:
- The implementation may vary slightly depending on your Android device model and OS version.
- Some devices may not limit the number of times the auto reply is sent.
- To temporarily disable auto replies, toggle the Auto-reply switch off.
- Auto replies can only be set up in the main Messages app, not third-party apps.
While the specific steps can vary across Android devices, the general process remains the same. It just takes a few taps to start automatically sending text message responses.
Customizing your auto text response
The key benefit of auto responses is the ability to create custom messages tailored to your needs. Here are some examples of useful auto reply texts to give you ideas of what you can send automatically:
| Auto Reply Scenario | Example Texts |
|---|---|
| Meeting or busy | “Hi, I’m in a meeting right now but I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!” |
| Driving | “I’m driving right now, I’ll get back to you when I get to my destination.” |
| Vacation away message | “Away on vacation! I’ll respond when I’m back next week.” |
| Doctor appointment | “In a doctor’s appointment, I’ll text you afterwards.” |
| Generic unavailable | “I’m unavailable at the moment, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.” |
| Quick confirmation | “Got it, thanks!” or “Sounds good, see you then!” |
Tailor your auto responses to match the specific situation where you want to communicate your availability. You can set up different auto replies and enable them as needed. Just make sure to keep the texts relatively short and informative.
Pro tips for auto text responses
To get the most out of auto reply messages, keep these tips in mind:
- Let contacts know you have auto replies enabled so they understand the automated texts.
- Change your auto responses regularly to match your current availability status.
- Disable auto replies as soon as you become available again to hold normal conversations.
- Set up different auto replies for different common situations.
- Avoid overly generic auto responses like “I’m unavailable right now.” Add useful details.
- Don’t rely solely on auto responses for important conversations that require back-and-forth.
Auto replies work best for temporarily letting people know you’re busy when you can’t respond immediately. But for ongoing dialogues, you’ll still want to catch up on the texts and personally respond once you’re available.
Troubleshooting auto text responses
If you’re having trouble getting your auto text responses to work properly, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure the Auto-Reply toggle switch is turned on in your settings.
- Double check that you’ve entered a custom auto reply message rather than just leaving it blank.
- Confirm the Auto-Reply To option is set to either Everyone or your desired custom contacts.
- Try force closing and reopening the Messages/Messaging app if auto replies aren’t being sent out.
- Toggle the Auto-Reply switch off and back on again if it stops working at some point.
- Ensure your device software is fully up to date.
If you continue having issues setting up auto replies, check your device model’s user forums or contact customer support for further help diagnosing the problem.
Conclusion
Being able to auto respond to incoming texts can be a huge time saver in the right situations. Whether you want to let people know you’ll get back to them later or send a quick confirmation, having auto text response set up ahead of time eliminates repetitive typing. Both iPhones and Android devices make it very simple to get automated text messages configured.
With just a few taps in your settings, you can create custom auto reply messages tailored to your specific needs. Enable them whenever you want your phone to communicate your availability so you don’t have to personally respond to every single text immediately. Auto responses are the perfect shortcut for those times when you’re busy and can’t get back to people right away. Take advantage of this useful messaging feature!