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Did you press the send button too quickly? If you’re using Outlook to send email in your organization, you can change the message by recalling it. The “Recall this message” option is available in the Microsoft Outlook desktop client for Windows and Mac up to 120 minutes after sending. As long as the recipient has not opened the message, Calling back until then will remove the email from their inbox. This wikiHow guides you how to recall an email message in Outlook 365, Outlook 2019, and earlier versions. We’ll also show you how you can delay sent messages to avoid embarrassing mistakes in the future.

How to unsend an email in outlook

To set the preferred send delay, people will first need to adjust their email settings. To do so, first click the sprocket icon at the top right of the screen in Outlook. Next, a settings sidebar will appear on the right side of the screen. Once this appears, click “view all Outlook settings” at the bottom of the settings sidebar. Once this button is clicked a popup settings window will appear.

To access the unsend feature, people have two options: Using the setting search feature in the pop-up window or scrolling down through the “compose and reply” settings within the general mail settings. By typing “undo send” in the search bar and pressing enter, individuals will be directed to the appropriate field within the “compose and reply” settings. For a more manual approach, select “mail” on the left side of the popup window and then click on “compose and reply” settings. Next, scroll down through settings dedicated to the email signature, message format, link preview, and more to access the undo send feature.

Methods to Unsend an Email in Outlook

Let’s break down the different ways you can recall or delay an email.

Method 1 – Recall in Current Outlook Versions

1.Click Sent Items in the left panel of Outlook.

• Selecting this folder displays all of your recent sent messages.
• It’s not possible to recall Outlook messages on the web.
• This method will work on Outlook 365, Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2010. If you’re using Outlook 2007, see this method instead.
• If the recipient has already opened the message, has an email filter that instantly moved your message to another folder, or it’s been longer than 120 minutes since you sent the message, you won’t be able to recall it.

2. Click the message you want to recall.

The message will expand in the reading panel.

3. Click the Message tab.

You’ll see this at the top of Outlook.

4. Click the Actions or ••• menu.

If you’re using the Classic ribbon, you’ll see an Actions button in the toolbar. On the Simplified ribbon, you’ll see three horizontal dots instead.

5. Click Recall This Message.

As long as your organization uses Exchange and the message is not protected by Azure Information Protection, you’ll have the option to recall the message.

6. Choose what to do with the message.

• When you recall a message, you can choose to Delete unread copies of this message or Delete unread copies and replace with a new message.
• If you don’t want to compose a replacement message, choose the first option.
• To write a new message that replaces the previous message, choose the latter option.

See More Also>>> How To Delete Multiple Emails In Outlook

8. Choose whether to receive a confirmation.

If you want to know whether the message was successfully recalled from all recipients’ mailboxes, check the box next to “Tell me if a recall succeeds or fails for each recipient.”

8. Click OK.

• If you’re not sending a replacement message, this last action will recall the message from all mailboxes.
• If you do want to compose a message, compose your replacement message now and click Send.

Method 2 Check the Status of a Recall

1. Click the Sent Items folder in Outlook.

Whether you’re using a current version of Outlook or an older version, you can check to see if a recall was successful in your outbox.

2.Select the recalled message.

• It should be near the top of your Sent Items.
• If you choose the option to notify you if a message was successfully recalled, you’ll see “Recall Success” in the subject line.
• If the message was not recalled successfully, you’ll see “Recall Failure” in the subject line.

3. Click the Tracking button.

It’ll be at the top of the message. You can use this option whether you asked to be notified about recalled messages or not. If the message was successfully recalled, you’ll see “Succeeded” in the recall column for each recipient. If the message couldn’t be recalled, you’ll see “Failed” instead.

Method 3– Delay Sending Emails to Prevent Mistakes

If recalling doesn’t work for you, consider delaying emails before they are sent.

1.Click the File tab at the top of Outlook.

If you find yourself frequently recalling sent messages, you can create a rule that delays sending messages in case you change your mind.

2. Click Manage Rules & Alerts.

You’ll see this option in the middle panel.

3. Click New Rule.

A list of email rules will appear.

4. Select “Apply rule on messages I send” and click Next.

Another set of options will appear.

5. Click Next. 

Now you’ll see several sending rules.

6. Check the box next to “defer delivery by a number of minutes.”

This option is at the bottom of the list.

7. Choose the number of minutes to delay the message. 

• To do this, click the blue text link in “defer delivery by a number of minutes,” enter the number of minutes to delay before sending, and then click OK.
• You can delay messages up to 120 minutes (two hours).

8. Click Next and then Finish.

Now that you’ve created this rule, you’ll have extra time to return to your Sent Items folder and edit your message before it’s ever sent to the recipient(s).

Can You Really Unsend an Email in Outlook?

Yes! But there are limitations. Outlook allows you to recall an email if:

• You and the recipient use Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 in the same organization.
• The email has not been opened by the recipient.
• If these conditions are met, you can unsend an email. If not, alternative options exist.

Conclusion

Unsend an Email in Outlook is possible under certain conditions, but not always guaranteed. If recalling isn’t an option, using delayed sending or the Undo Send feature can help prevent mistakes in the future. By implementing email best practices, you can minimize the risk of sending emails with errors.

See More Also>>> How to Resolve Outlook Not Receiving Emails

FAQs

1. Can I recall an email after it has been opened?

No, Outlook only allows recalling unread emails.

2. Does recall work for all Outlook users?

No, both sender and recipient must be using Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 in the same organization.

3. What’s the maximum delay I can set for sending emails in Outlook?

You can set up to a 120-minute delay when using email rules.

4. Can I recall an email on Outlook for Mac?

No, the recall feature is only available on Windows Outlook.

5. How can I prevent email mistakes in Outlook?

Use delay send, proofread, and enable the Undo Send feature to minimize errors.