Unfortunately, many of us have experienced the feeling of sending an email that we wish we could take back. Whether there's an error or you sent an email to the wrong person, sometimes you just need a friendly little button to erase your mistake.
Although sending an email with an error is easy, recalling an email in Outlook isn't as simple – but it is possible! Here's what you need to know.
Transition from Email Recall to "Undo Send" in New Outlook Versions
First, it is important to note that Windows Outlook no longer offers email recall – this function is only available in the classic version of the platform. In the new version of Outlook, "recalling" a message is now referred to as the "Undo Send" function.
This function allows you to temporarily delay delivering your message, giving you a few extra seconds to cancel delivery before it's pushed to your recipient. Here is how you can set this up on your Outlook account.
Step 1:
From the
View
tab, select
View Settings
.
Step 2:
Once in the settings tab, select
Mail.
From the
menu, choose
Compose and Reply
.
Step 3:
You'll find the setting options for the Undo Send function in the
Compose and Reply
menu. Select
Undo Send
and use the horizontal timeline to select your desired delay length– five or ten seconds.
Keep in Mind
When the Undo Send function is active, you'll know from the notification at the bottom of your Outlook Window. This notification appears after sending an email and remains on the screen for the time chosen at set-up.
How to Recall an Email in Classic Outlook
If you have the desktop version of Microsoft Outlook and need to recall a previously sent message, this is how to do it.
Step 1:
On the left side menu, select
Sent
Items. This folder allows you to review messages you send to other recipients.
Step 2:
Find the email that you want to recall. Double-click the email to open it in a new window.
Step 3:
With the message open in the new window, select the three dots button. You can find this on the right side of the toolbar. When opened, go to the middle of the menu and hover over the
Actions
option. Then, select
Recall This Message
.
Step 4:
If you don't have the three dots button on your toolbar, select
File
instead. From there, you can also select
Recall This Message
.
Step 5:
A pop-up window will appear on your screen. There are two choices:
- Delete unread copies of this message.
- Delete unread copies and replace them with a new message.
Select the option that best suits how you need to proceed and select whether you want Outlook to notify you if the process was a success. After selecting your options, click the OK button.
Step 6:
If you choose to delete the message, then you are finished! If you want to delete the original message and replace it with a revised email, Outlook opens a second window. Once you're finished constructing that message, hit send.
Why Isn't Outlook Email Recall Working?
In most cases, you can recall an email, but a few circumstances will make it impossible to take back your errored email – most notably if the recipient opens the message. If you're still using the classic version of Outlook and have trouble recalling your emails, take a look at the tips below to ensure there isn't something else keeping you from retracting your message.
Outlook Web or Mobile Platform
Email recall is only available through the Windows Outlook desktop application. Therefore, you can't recall your messages using Outlook for Mac or the web or mobile version.
Redirected Message
Emails can only be recalled if they are unopened and in the recipient's
inbox
. If the recipient automatically or manually redirected the message to a different mailbox, you won't be able to recall it.
Recall Only Works in Outlook
If the recipient of your message uses another platform, such as Gmail or Yahoo, your recall request will fail. Both you and the recipients need to use Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Exchange.
A No-Go for External Contacts
This feature is unavailable when emailing external contacts due to the sender's lack of control over the recipient's email environment. It only works if both parties belong to the same organization.
Conclusion
Sending the wrong email by accident is an unfortunate communication hazard – mistakes happen. Luckily, we can sometimes erase those mistaken emails before the wrong person reads them. For more help with your Microsoft 365 applications, reach out to our certified Microsoft specialists.
References: Microsoft,
