The phone buzzes in a meeting, at dinner, at two in the morning. Somebody wants your price list, your opening hours, or just a sign that the message arrived. You can’t answer every chat the moment it comes in, and a few hours of silence is a long time for a customer who is ready to buy.

This guide explains how to set auto reply in WhatsApp on Android: what the regular app can do, what the WhatsApp Business app adds, and how to reply automatically by keyword with SKEDit. It’s written by the SKEDit team, so it also covers the cases in which an automatic reply is not sent.

Quick answer: The regular WhatsApp app has no auto reply setting. The WhatsApp Business app has a greeting message for first contact and an away message that can run always, on a schedule or outside business hours. To auto reply in the regular app, or to send different replies for different keywords, use an app such as SKEDit: open Auto Responder, create a rule, choose who it applies to, write the reply and switch it on.

Does WhatsApp have a built-in auto reply?

It depends on which app you use. Here is the picture as of October 2026.

WhatsApp (the regular app). There is no auto reply setting. WhatsApp describes automatic replies only for its Business app.

WhatsApp Business app. Two tools reply for you, and each sends one fixed text. A greeting message goes to customers who message you for the first time, or after 14 days without activity in the chat. An away message answers people while you are away. Neither has a setting for keywords.

Meta Business Agent. WhatsApp is also adding an AI agent to the Business app that answers customers for you. WhatsApp says it is available to eligible businesses in select markets, with more markets to come.

So the built-in tools are enough if you use WhatsApp Business and one “we’re closed” message does the job. You need something else if you use the regular app, if you want a fixed answer for each common question, or if different contacts should get different replies.

How to set an away message in WhatsApp Business

These are WhatsApp’s own steps for the Business app on Android.

  1. Open the Tools tab and tap Away message.
  2. Turn on Send away message.
  3. Edit the text. Tap the message, write your reply and tap OK.
  4. Tap Schedule. Choose Always send, Custom schedule, or Outside of business hours. The last option appears only if you have set business hours in your business profile.
  5. Tap Recipients. Choose everyone, everyone not in your address book, everyone except the contacts you pick, or only the contacts you pick.
  6. Tap Save.

WhatsApp notes that your phone needs an active internet connection to send away messages. A greeting message is set up the same way, under Greeting message in the Tools tab.

How to set auto reply in WhatsApp with SKEDit

SKEDit is an Android app that schedules WhatsApp messages and replies to incoming ones. Its Auto Responder works with rules: each rule says who it applies to, which words trigger it and what to answer. The replies are sent from your own WhatsApp, on your phone.

  1. Install SKEDit and sign in. Download it from Google Play and create an account. It runs on Android 8.0 or later.
  2. Open Auto Responder. Open the category menu at the top of the home screen and select Auto Responder.
  3. Create a rule. Tap the + button at the bottom right and choose the channel the rule is for, such as WhatsApp.
  4. Complete the checklist. Scroll to the bottom of the rule screen and finish the two required items: enable Notification Access, and turn off battery optimisation for SKEDit. If your phone has an auto-start setting, turn that on too.
  5. Name the rule and turn it on. Enter a rule title, then switch on the Auto Responder toggle.
  6. Choose who gets the reply. Pick All contacts, Selected contacts, or Exclude selected contacts.
  7. Write the reply. Type it in the Message field. Replies can contain text and links.
  8. Pick the WhatsApp app. If your phone runs two WhatsApp apps, choose whether the rule applies to both, to the primary app or to the second one.
  9. Check both switches. Back on the Auto Responder list, make sure the main toggle at the top and the toggle on your rule are both on.

The help centre shows every screen in How to use SKEDit Auto-responder.

Reply only to certain words

A rule can react to what the incoming message contains. Choose By Keyword to trigger it when a certain word arrives, or By Phrase for a specific phrase. SKEDit recommends By Keyword, because it matches more messages.

That lets you build a small set of answers: one rule for “price” that replies with your price list, one for “hours”, one for “address”. Each is a separate rule with its own reply. The Pro plan allows up to 10 rules.

Stop repeat replies to the same person

Nobody wants the same automatic answer five times in one conversation. Tap the three-dot menu at the top right of the Auto Responder screen, choose Settings, and set the delay between auto-reply messages per contact, in minutes. After one reply, further messages from that contact don’t trigger another until the delay has passed.

When an auto reply is not sent

SKEDit does not send an auto reply in three cases:

  • You are looking at that chat. If the conversation is open on your screen in WhatsApp, no reply goes out.
  • The chat is muted.
  • Notifications for WhatsApp are switched off.

All three come down to the same thing. SKEDit has to see WhatsApp’s notification of the new message, which is why it asks for Notification Access. Keep these in mind as well:

  • Your phone has to be on and online. Replies are sent from your phone, not from a server.
  • Battery savers can stop the app. If replies stop after a while, turn battery optimisation off for SKEDit again. The setup guide by brand shows where the setting is.
  • Test it from another phone. Ask a friend to send the keyword while WhatsApp is closed on your phone. If you watch the chat yourself, the reply will not go out.

Auto reply examples you can copy

Replace the details in square brackets. Keep each reply short, and say when a person will answer.

Away (all contacts)

Hi, thanks for your message. This is an automatic reply: I’m away until [date] and will answer when I’m back.

Closed (all contacts, outside opening hours)

Thanks for contacting [business]. We’re closed right now and open again at [time]. We’ll reply as soon as we’re back.

Price list (keyword: price)

Thanks for asking! Our current price list is here: [link]. Tell us what you need and we’ll confirm availability.

Location (keyword: address)

You’ll find us at [address]. Map: [link]. We’re open [days and hours].

Use auto replies responsibly

An auto reply answers someone who wrote to you first, and that is the right use for it. WhatsApp’s Messaging Guidelines prohibit auto-messaging and automation that harm users, and repeated unwanted contact.

  • Keep replies short and useful. Answer the question or say when a person will.
  • Say that it is automatic. A reply sent by SKEDit arrives as a normal message from you, so tell people when a person will follow up.
  • Don’t turn rules into promotions. A reply to “price” should be the price list, not a campaign.
  • Set the delay per contact. One reply per conversation is enough.

Set up your first auto reply

Choose the route that fits how you use WhatsApp. On the WhatsApp Business app, the away message covers a single “we’re closed” reply and it is built in. If you use the regular app, or you want a different answer for each common question, set up rules in SKEDit and test them from a second phone.

Set up your first auto reply. Download SKEDit on Google Play. The Auto Responder is part of every plan: 3 rules on Free, up to 10 on Pro and up to 100 on Max (compare plans).

Frequently asked questions

Can I set an auto reply in WhatsApp without WhatsApp Business?

Not with WhatsApp alone, because the regular app has no auto reply setting. On Android, an app such as SKEDit can reply for you. Its Auto Responder sends replies from your own WhatsApp, based on rules you create.

How do I set an auto reply in WhatsApp Business?

Open the Tools tab, tap Away message and turn on Send away message. Edit the text, choose a schedule and the recipients, then tap Save. For people who message you for the first time, set up a Greeting message in the same tab.

Can WhatsApp auto reply to specific keywords?

The greeting and away messages in WhatsApp Business each send one fixed text. For replies that depend on a word or phrase in the incoming message, create rules in SKEDit’s Auto Responder and choose By Keyword or By Phrase.

Does auto reply work when my phone is off?

No. Away messages in WhatsApp Business need an active internet connection on your phone, and SKEDit’s replies are sent from your phone too. Keep it on and online.

Why was my auto reply not sent?

With SKEDit, a reply is not sent if you are viewing that chat, if the chat is muted, or if WhatsApp notifications are off. Check too that Notification Access is enabled and that the main toggle and the rule’s toggle are both on.

How many auto reply rules can I create?

SKEDit’s Free plan allows 3 auto reply rules, Pro up to 10 and Max up to 100. Each rule has its own contacts, trigger and reply text. Plans and prices are listed on the SKEDit facts page.

WhatsApp is a trademark of WhatsApp LLC, named here only to describe what SKEDit works with.