How to set auto reply on WhatsApp: step by step for WhatsApp Business, personal accounts, Android, iPhone and WhatsApp Web

This guide shows you exactly where the auto-reply settings are, for every version of WhatsApp people ask about, with the steps checked against WhatsApp's own help centre. You also get eight auto-reply messages you can paste in today, and a straight answer on when an auto-reply stops being enough.

By Ritchie, ReplyKit · Published 15 October 2026 · 9 min read

Which WhatsApp can send an auto reply?

Only the WhatsApp Business app has built-in auto replies. It has two: the away message, sent while you are unavailable, and the greeting message, sent to new chats. Regular WhatsApp (the personal app) does not have either. The Business app is free; WhatsApp's help centre describes it as free to download and free to use.

How to set an away message in WhatsApp Business (Android and iPhone)

The away message is WhatsApp's auto reply. It takes about five minutes and the steps are nearly identical on Android and iPhone.

1. Open the Tools tab. In the WhatsApp Business app, open the Tools tab and tap Away message.
2. Turn it on. Turn on Send away message.
3. Write the message. Tap the message to edit it, then tap OK on Android or Save on iPhone.
4. Choose a schedule. Tap Schedule and choose Always send, Custom schedule, or Outside of business hours. The last option only appears if you have set business hours in your business profile.
5. Choose recipients. Tap Recipients and choose Everyone, Everyone not in address book, Everyone except, or Only send to.
6. Save and test. Tap Save, keep the phone connected to the internet, and send a test message from a second phone number that is not saved in your contacts.

Two settings are easy to get wrong. First, "Outside of business hours" uses the hours in your business profile, so add your hours to your business profile first. Second, "Everyone not in address book" will never fire for someone saved in your contacts, including you testing from your own second phone if it is saved. WhatsApp's help centre also notes that your device must have an active internet connection to send away messages. If yours is not sending, our auto reply troubleshooting guide walks through every cause.

How to set a greeting message in WhatsApp Business

The greeting message is the second auto reply. WhatsApp sends it when a customer messages you for the first time, or when they message again after 14 days with no messages in that chat.

1. From the Tools tab, tap Greeting message.
2. Turn on Send greeting message.
3. Tap the message to edit it, then tap OK (Android) or Save (iPhone).
4. Tap Recipients and choose Everyone, Everyone not in address book (shown as Exclude my contacts on iPhone), Everyone except, or Only send to.
5. Tap Save.

Use the greeting to say who you are and what to send; use the away message to say when you will reply. Our greeting message guide has twelve examples by business type. One catch for 2026: WhatsApp's help centre says greeting messages are automatically disabled when Meta Business Agent, Meta's AI, is connected.

How to set up quick replies (semi-automatic)

Quick replies are not automatic, but they are the fastest way to answer common questions yourself. You type a shortcut and the saved answer appears.

1. From the Tools tab, tap Quick replies, then tap the plus button.
2. Type the message. You can include images or videos on your phone.
3. Set a shortcut, such as /price. Shortcuts start with "/", have no spaces and can be up to 25 characters.
4. Tap Save. In any chat, type "/" to see all your quick replies.

You can store up to 50. Keep a copy outside the app, because WhatsApp says deleted quick replies cannot be recovered. More setups are in our quick replies and labels guide.

How to set auto reply on a personal WhatsApp account

Personal WhatsApp has no auto-reply setting on Android or iPhone. You have two real options: move your number to the free WhatsApp Business app, or, on Android only, use a third-party notification app and accept its risks.

Option 1: move to WhatsApp Business (recommended). WhatsApp's help centre describes moving your existing number: back up your chats first, install the WhatsApp Business app, accept the terms, choose the number it detects, allow access to your chat history and media, verify with the six-digit code, and set up your business profile. One number can only be on one of the two apps at a time. WhatsApp also notes that contacts saved only inside WhatsApp, not in your phone's address book, are not carried over, so save them to your phone first. Our guide to running Business and personal on one phone helps if you want to keep both.

Option 2 (Android only): a notification auto-reply app. Apps in the Play Store can read incoming WhatsApp notifications, using Android's notification access, and reply through the notification. They work without changing WhatsApp, but the app can see every notification on your phone, including bank codes, and WhatsApp's Terms of Service prohibit auto-messaging that WhatsApp has not authorised. We do not recommend any specific one as safe. If you try one, read its permissions and privacy policy first, keep it to replies, and never use it to message people who did not write to you.

On iPhone, there is no equivalent: iOS does not let ordinary apps read and answer WhatsApp notifications, and Apple's Shortcuts has no trigger for incoming WhatsApp messages. The Business app is the way.

How to set auto reply on WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp Web and the desktop apps are linked devices, so the auto reply is set on your phone, in the WhatsApp Business app, and applies to your account. WhatsApp's help pages for away and greeting messages give steps for Android and iPhone only.

Browser extensions that promise auto replies inside WhatsApp Web are third-party tools working on an unofficial basis. WhatsApp's help centre warns that linking your account to unofficial apps or websites may result in a temporary or permanent ban. Our WhatsApp Web and linked devices explainer covers what linked devices can and cannot do.

Eight auto-reply messages for business, ready to paste

A good auto reply says three things: you got the message, when a person will reply, and what to send now so that reply is useful. Replace the brackets.

1. Standard away: "Thanks for messaging [Business]. We are away right now and reply from [9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday]. Send your question and your preferred day, and we will answer first thing."
2. Busy, not closed: "Hi, thanks for your message. We are with customers at the moment and will reply within [2 hours]. If it is urgent, call [number]."
3. Booking-first: "Thanks for contacting [Business]. To book, send your name, the service you want and two times that suit you. We confirm bookings from [8am] each day."
4. Prices and menu: "Hi! Our prices and services are here: [catalog or website link]. Reply with any question and we will get back to you by [time]."
5. Weekend: "Thanks for your message. We are closed for the weekend and back on Monday at [9am]. Leave your question and we will reply in order."
6. Holiday closure: "We are closed for [holiday] from [date] to [date] and reopen on [date]. Your message is saved and we will reply when we are back."
7. Order enquiry: "Thanks for getting in touch. If this is about an order, please send your order number and we will check it as soon as we are back at [time]."
8. New customer welcome: "Welcome to [Business]! Tell us what you are looking for and where you are based, and we will reply with options and prices by [time]."

Ten more after-hours versions are in our after-hours auto-reply templates.

When an AI agent that answers is better than an auto reply

An auto reply is better than silence, but it still leaves the customer waiting for the actual answer. An AI agent reads the question and answers it from your information. Switch when your auto reply goes out dozens of times a day, when most questions are the same ten, or when people book elsewhere before you reply.

We make ReplyKit, so weigh our view accordingly. ReplyKit is an AI agent for WhatsApp and website chat. Instead of "we will reply at 9am", it answers the price question from your price list, offers real open appointment slots and books one, and hands the chat to you in one click when a person is needed. If the answer is not in your content, it says so and escalates instead of guessing. It connects through Quick Connect, a QR scan that pairs your number as a linked device. That is unofficial, not the WhatsApp Business API, and a number can be restricted; read will WhatsApp ban my number for automation? first and use a dedicated number. Note that an AI agent and the Business app's own away message should not both answer the same chats, so turn the away message off on that number.

You can try it with a 7-day free trial, no credit card, 300 AI replies; after that, plans are $29 to $99 a month. It is not the right fit if you only get a few messages a day, or if you need broadcasts or the green tick; the free Business app or an official-API platform suits those better.

Frequently asked questions

ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. App steps follow WhatsApp's help centre as of October 2026; menu names can differ by version and region.