Suggested replies are normally enabled by default in Microsoft Teams. To check or turn them on, open Settings and more (…) > Settings > Chats and channels on desktop, then enable Suggested replies. On a phone, open Settings > Chats and channels and switch on the same option. If the setting is absent, your Teams administrator may have disabled it through the organization’s messaging policy.
What Suggested Replies Does in Teams
Suggested replies are short, automatically generated response options shown above the compose box in some Teams chats. They are intended for routine answers such as confirmations, acknowledgements, or quick responses when writing a full message would be unnecessary.
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Teams does not display a suggestion for every message. Microsoft says suggestions may appear after someone sends a few messages in a row. In one-to-one and group chats, they can include emoji. In group conversations, suggestions may help you respond to an @mention or to a message that contains a quote.
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Selecting a suggested reply sends it immediately. It is not inserted into the compose box for editing first, so read the wording before clicking or tapping an option.
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Enable Suggested Replies on the Teams Desktop App
- Open the Microsoft Teams desktop app.
- Select Settings and more (…) in the upper-right area of Teams.
- Choose Settings.
- Open Chats and channels in the settings navigation.
- Scroll to Suggested replies.
- Turn the toggle on.
The feature is on by default according to Microsoft Support, so the toggle may already be enabled when you reach this page. If it is on, no further desktop configuration is required.
Return to a chat and wait for an incoming message that qualifies. When Teams generates options, they appear above the reply box. Select one to send that exact response.
Enable Suggested Replies in Teams for iPhone or Android
- Open the Teams mobile app.
- Open your profile menu or the app’s Settings.
- Choose Chats and channels.
- Find Suggested replies and turn on its toggle.
Go back to a chat after changing the setting. Suggestions appear only when Teams determines that a message is suitable, so enabling the option does not force a reply chip to appear on every conversation.
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Desktop and Mobile Settings Compared
| Teams client | Path to the setting | What happens after you enable it |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Settings and more (…) > Settings > Chats and channels > Suggested replies | Eligible suggestions can appear above the compose box in chats. |
| Mobile | Profile or app Settings > Chats and channels > Suggested replies | Eligible suggestions can appear in the mobile chat reply area. |
The personal toggle controls your own experience. It does not override an organization-wide restriction set by a Teams administrator.
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How to Use a Suggested Reply Safely
- Read the incoming message and the suggested text together.
- Check whether the suggestion addresses the right person, question, and context.
- Remember that clicking or tapping the chip sends it immediately.
- If the wording is too vague, too formal, or otherwise unsuitable, ignore it and write your own response in the compose box.
Suggestions are most useful for low-risk, routine communication. They should not replace a carefully written answer when a message involves a commitment, a sensitive subject, a detailed instruction, or information that needs verification.
Why Suggested Replies May Not Appear
The feature is disabled in your personal settings
Reopen Chats and channels in Teams settings and check the Suggested replies toggle. On desktop, use Settings and more (…) > Settings; on mobile, start from your profile or the app’s settings menu.
The current message is not eligible
Suggested replies are contextual rather than permanent controls. Microsoft says they may appear after a person sends a few messages in a row, and only for some incoming messages. A single short message, a complex request, or a conversation that does not match the feature’s criteria may produce no suggestions even when the setting is on.
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Teams administrators can control suggested replies through the organization’s messaging policy. Microsoft Learn lists Suggested replies as a policy setting for chat messages. If the option is missing, unavailable, or cannot be changed, contact your Teams administrator rather than repeatedly reinstalling the app.
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Your organization uses a policy that overrides the user experience
A personal toggle cannot restore a feature that the tenant policy prohibits. An administrator must review the applicable messaging policy and its assignment to your account before the control can become available.
What Teams Administrators Need to Check
Administrators manage the capability at the tenant level through Teams messaging policy. The policy determines whether users can receive suggested replies in chat messages. The exact policy assignment matters: a setting can be enabled globally but disabled for a particular group or user through a more specific policy.
Microsoft’s PowerShell documentation identifies the relevant switch as AllowSmartReply:
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After changing a policy, allow normal administration and client-propagation time before judging the result. Users should then close and reopen Teams, confirm their personal toggle, and test an eligible chat. If only some users remain affected, compare their effective messaging-policy assignments instead of changing every user’s local setting.
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Personal Setting Versus Tenant Policy
| Control level | Who changes it | Effect | What to do when it is unavailable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Teams setting | Individual user | Turns suggestions on or off for that user when the organization allows the feature. | Open Chats and channels and check the toggle. |
| Teams messaging policy | Teams administrator | Allows or prohibits suggested replies for chat messages across the policy’s assigned users. | Ask the administrator to review the policy and your assignment. |
| PowerShell setting | Teams administrator | AllowSmartReply set to TRUE enables the capability; FALSE blocks it. |
Have the administrator verify the effective value and policy scope. |
Turn Suggested Replies Off
You can disable the feature from the same location used to enable it:
- Open Teams Settings.
- Select Chats and channels.
- Switch Suggested replies off.
On desktop, reach Settings through Settings and more (…). On mobile, open your profile or app settings first. Turning the option off stops Teams from presenting these quick-reply choices to you; it does not change the organization’s policy for other users.
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Microsoft Support states: “Teams uses a machine learning model to continually improve the suggested replies you see.” Microsoft also says the model runs on the same systems that provide Microsoft 365 services to the organization and that no message content is transmitted or stored outside the organization.
This statement describes Microsoft’s handling of message content for the feature. It does not mean every message is analyzed in a way that produces a visible chip, nor does it guarantee that a suggested response is appropriate for a particular conversation. Use the personal toggle or ask an administrator to disable the capability if your organization’s communication rules do not permit it.
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Troubleshooting Checklist
- Confirm the client: Make sure you are changing the setting in the Teams app where you expect to use the feature.
- Check the exact path: Use Chats and channels, not a general notification or privacy page.
- Read the toggle state: An enabled toggle means the user has opted in; it does not prove that the tenant permits the capability.
- Test an eligible conversation: Suggestions are generated only for some incoming messages and may follow several messages in a row.
- Restart the client: Close and reopen Teams after changing settings or after an administrator changes policy.
- Check policy scope: If colleagues see suggestions but you do not, ask the administrator to compare your effective messaging-policy assignment.
- Escalate a missing control: If Suggested replies is not listed at all, provide your administrator with the client type, account, and policy-assignment details.
Common Questions Before You Enable It
Are Suggested Replies enabled automatically?
Yes. Microsoft Support says the capability is turned on by default, although an organization’s messaging policy can restrict it and a user can turn it off.
Does enabling the setting make suggestions appear in every chat?
No. Teams generates suggestions only for some messages. Microsoft describes examples such as messages received after a few messages in a row, @mentions, quoted messages in group chats, and some situations where emoji may be offered.
Can I edit a suggestion before sending it?
Not through the suggestion chip itself. Selecting it sends the suggested wording immediately. To change the wording, ignore the chip and type a reply manually.
Why can a coworker use Suggested Replies while I cannot?
Your personal setting or your effective Teams messaging policy may differ from your coworker’s. An administrator needs to verify whether AllowSmartReply is enabled for your policy assignment.
Does turning it off for me disable it for everyone?
No. The user setting affects your own Teams experience. Organization-wide behavior is controlled separately by the Teams messaging policy.
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