Two Different Purple Arrows in Outlook
Outlook reuses a purple arrow for two unrelated things, which is exactly why this question is so common. Before you try to "fix" anything, work out which arrow you're looking at — the answer is entirely down to where it sits.
| Where you see it | What it means |
|---|---|
| Next to a person's name (reading pane, People card, address book, scheduling) | Out of Office — a presence status from Microsoft 365 |
| On an email in your message list, pointing right | Forwarded — you forwarded that message |
| On an email in your message list, pointing left | Replied — you replied to that message |
The rest of this guide takes each one in turn — what triggers it, what other people see, and how to clear it.
Purple Arrow Next to a Name = Out of Office
When the purple arrow appears beside someone's name or avatar, it's a presence indicator: that person is Out of Office. Outlook and Microsoft Teams share a single presence signal across Microsoft 365, so the same purple arrow you'd see on their Teams profile also shows up throughout Outlook — in the reading pane, on contact cards in the People pane, in the To/Cc fields while you compose, and in the Scheduling Assistant.
It's triggered by one of two things:
- An active Automatic Reply (Out of Office) set in Outlook, usually with a date range; or
- An all-day calendar event marked "Show as: Out of Office".
It does not mean the person is uncontactable. You can still email them — they'll get it when they're back, and Outlook will usually show their auto-reply message as a preview before you even hit send, so you know what to expect. The Out of Office arrow is the only presence status that survives reboots and overnight, because it lives in the Microsoft 365 calendar layer rather than in the app.
Purple Arrow on an Email = Forwarded (or Replied)
If the purple arrow is sitting on a message in your inbox rather than next to a name, it has nothing to do with presence. Outlook stamps a small arrow on each email after you act on it, so you can see at a glance which ones you've already handled:
- A purple/blue arrow pointing right = you forwarded the message.
- A purple/blue arrow pointing left = you replied (or replied all) to the message.
These markers are automatic, private to your mailbox, and don't notify anyone or change the email. You can't switch the marker off for an individual message — it's a permanent record of your action — but if you'd rather not see the column at all, you can remove the Icon field from your view settings (View → View Settings → Columns in classic Outlook).
How to Remove the Out-of-Office Purple Arrow
If the purple arrow is stuck next to your own name, your Out of Office reply is still switched on. Clear it in a few steps:
- Open your automatic-reply settings: in new Outlook or Outlook on the web, go to Settings → Accounts → Automatic Replies; in classic Outlook for Windows, go to File → Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
- Toggle off "Send automatic replies" (or choose "Do not send automatic replies") and save.
- Open your calendar and check for an all-day event set to "Show as: Out of Office" — change it to Free or delete it.
- Wait 2–5 minutes. Microsoft 365 refreshes your presence and the purple arrow clears from both Outlook and Teams.
Still showing after that? It's almost always a lingering Out of Office calendar entry — recurring events and shared-calendar invites are the usual culprits. Clear the event and the arrow goes with it.
Outlook Presence Dots & Icons, at a Glance
The purple arrow is one of several presence indicators Outlook surfaces from Microsoft 365. Here's the full set so you can tell them apart:
| Indicator | Status | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 🟣 Purple arrow | Out of Office | Active automatic reply or OOO calendar event |
| 🟢 Green circle | Available | Signed in and active, no meeting or OOO |
| 🟡 Yellow clock | Away | Inactive for ~5 minutes, or screen locked |
| 🔴 Red circle | Busy / In a meeting | A calendar meeting is in progress, or set manually |
| ⚪ Grey circle | Offline | Signed out, or presence unavailable |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the purple arrow mean in Outlook?
It depends where you see it. Next to a person's name it's their Out of Office presence (they have an active Automatic Reply set). On an email in your message list, a purple arrow pointing right means you forwarded that message; a left-pointing arrow means you replied. Neither is an error.
What does the purple arrow next to someone's name in Outlook mean?
Out of Office. Microsoft 365 shares one presence signal across Outlook and Teams, so when a person turns on an Automatic Reply (or has an Out of Office calendar event), Outlook shows a purple arrow next to their name. You can still email them — they'll receive it when they return, and you'll usually see their auto-reply preview first.
What does the purple arrow on an email in Outlook mean?
It means you forwarded that message. In the Outlook message list, a purple/blue arrow pointing right is the "Forwarded" marker and a purple/blue arrow pointing left is the "Replied" marker. They're a record that you already actioned the email — they don't change the message or notify anyone.
What's the difference between the left and right purple arrow in Outlook?
A left-pointing arrow means you replied to the message; a right-pointing arrow means you forwarded it. Outlook adds these icons automatically after you reply or forward, so you can see at a glance which emails you've already handled.
How do I remove the purple arrow in Outlook?
If it's the Out of Office arrow next to your name, turn off Automatic Replies: in new Outlook or Outlook on the web go to Settings → Accounts → Automatic Replies and switch them off; in classic Outlook for Windows go to File → Automatic Replies → "Do not send automatic replies". Then check your calendar for an all-day event set to "Show as: Out of Office" and change it to Free. Presence updates within 2–5 minutes. The forwarded/replied arrow on an email can't be removed — it's a permanent record — but you can hide the Icon column from the view settings.
Why is there a purple arrow next to my own name in Outlook?
Your Out of Office automatic reply is still switched on (or you have an active Out of Office calendar event). Turn off Automatic Replies in Outlook and clear any "Out of Office" calendar entry; the purple arrow disappears from both Outlook and Teams within a few minutes.
Is the Outlook purple arrow the same as the Teams purple arrow?
For presence, yes — both Outlook and Teams read the same Microsoft 365 status, so the purple Out of Office arrow appears in both apps at once. The difference is that Outlook also uses a purple arrow on emails to mean "replied" or "forwarded", which has nothing to do with presence. See what the purple arrow means on Teams for the presence side in full.