How to implement 25/50 meetings in Microsoft Outlook

Most people never touch their calendar defaults. That means every meeting they create starts at 30 minutes and every longer session defaults to an hour. Outlook makes it easy to change this — once you know where to look.

Step 1: Shorten default meeting duration

In the Outlook desktop app, go to File → Options → Calendar. Under the Calendar options section, check the box labeled "Shorten appointments and meetings". You will see two settings:

• End appointments and meetings early: Set this to 5 minutes for events under 1 hour and 10 minutes for events 1 hour or longer.
• This means a meeting scheduled for 30 minutes will show as ending at :25, and a 60-minute meeting will show as ending at :50. The calendar block reflects the real time commitment.

In Outlook for the web (outlook.office.com), go to Settings → Calendar. Look for the same "Shorten duration for all events" toggle. Set the same 5/10 minute values. This syncs across all your devices.

Step 2: Update your existing recurring meetings

Changing the default only affects new meetings. For your existing recurring meetings, you need to manually update them:

• Open each recurring meeting and select "Edit series".
• Change the end time to 5 or 10 minutes earlier than the current setting.
• Add a one-line note at the top of the invite body: "This meeting follows the 25/50 rule — we start on time and end early to give everyone transition time."

Start with meetings you own. This is faster than trying to change other people's meetings, and it models the behavior.

Step 3: Use the scheduling assistant deliberately

Outlook's scheduling assistant shows availability in 30-minute blocks by default. When you see a "free" 30-minute slot, resist the urge to fill it entirely. Schedule 25 minutes and leave 5 minutes for the attendee to breathe.

If you are booking a longer working session, use 50 minutes instead of 60. The scheduling assistant does not enforce meeting length — you do.

Step 4: Set up end-of-meeting reminders

Outlook does not have a built-in "5 minutes remaining" alert, but you can create one. When you schedule a 25-minute meeting, add a second reminder at 20 minutes. For 50-minute meetings, add a reminder at 45 minutes.

Alternatively, use a simple phrase to close every meeting: "We have 5 minutes left — let's capture action items and wrap." Say it every time. It becomes a team habit faster than any software reminder.

Step 5: Roll out across your organization

If you are an IT administrator, you can set the "shorten meetings" default for your entire organization using an Outlook policy. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to Settings → Org settings → Calendar to apply organization-wide defaults.

For teams without admin control, share this guide with your team and ask everyone to make the change individually. It takes less than two minutes and the effect is immediate.

Common questions

Does this affect meetings other people send me?

No. Your setting only affects meetings you create. Other people's invites will still show their original duration. But when your meetings consistently end early, others notice and start asking how.

What about Microsoft Teams meetings?

Teams meetings inherit their duration from the Outlook calendar event. When you shorten the calendar block, the Teams meeting timer adjusts accordingly. The Teams lobby and recording will follow the shorter time window.

Will attendees see the shortened time?

Yes. The invite shows the actual shorter time (e.g., 9:00 – 9:25 AM). This is intentional — it sets the expectation before anyone joins.