Sending an email in error is easy, but recalling it can be tricky.
If you've ever accidentally sent an email with a typo or the wrong information, you know how frustrating it can be.
Fortunately, you can recall an email in Outlook (in most cases), as long as the recipient hasn't opened it.
Follow the steps below to 'unsend' an email in your version of Outlook.
If you are using the desktop classic version of Outlook (pictured below) for Windows and you need to recall a sent email, follow these steps:
Open Outlook and go to your Sent Items folder.
Double-click to open the email you want to recall.
Navigate to the Actions dropdown in the ribbon bar and click 'Recall This Message'.
(Or, right-click your email, select 'Actions', and then choose 'Recall'.)
In the 'Recall This Message' pane, select a recall type:
You should select the checkbox that says 'Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient' if you want to track the status of the recall.
Click 'OK' to confirm you want to recall the email.
If you are using the latest version of Outlook on the web or Windows desktop and need to recall a sent email, follow these steps:
In the left folder pane of Outlook, select the 'Sent Items' folder.
Double-click on the email you wish to recall.
This will open the email in a separate window.
In the ribbon at the top of the email window, click the 'Recall Message' button.
Once you click 'Recall Message', a confirmation dialog box will appear.
Select 'OK' to proceed with the recall.
After initiating the recall, you will receive a 'Message Recall Report' in your inbox (it may take a few seconds).
You can open this report and click the link provided to view the status of your recall—whether it has succeeded, is pending, or has failed.
Recalling an email in Outlook isn't always possible.
If you can't recall your email, it might be because of one of these reasons:
Recall is only available through the Outlook desktop application for Windows or the new version of Outlook for web, not on Outlook for Mac or mobile devices.
If your recipient has already opened your email, a recall will not work.
You can ask your recipient to disregard the email.
However, it will remain in their inbox, and they will continue to have access to it unless it is deleted.
If your email activated a filter in your recipient's email client redirecting it to another folder, or they manually moved it, you won't be able to recall it.
Email recall works only if the message remains in your recipient's inbox.
Your recipient's email account must be an Outlook or Exchange server (Microsoft) account.
If your recipient uses Gmail, Yahoo, or Apple Mail, the email recall will fail.
There is no way to predict your recipient's email account compatibility ahead of a recall attempt.
| Note: If your company has an Enterprise E3 M365 licence or higher, contact your administrator as they may be able to recall your email if you do not have access to this functionality. |
There are a few situations where you should recall an Outlook email.
"You should recall emails as soon as possible.
The sooner you recall an email, the more likely it is to be unopened."
— Paul Holland, Founder, Beyond Encryption
You may have noticed the option to ‘Delete unread copies and replace with a new message’.
If you select this option, you can compose an updated message to replace the original sent message in your recipient’s inbox.
If the recipient opens the updated message first, the original message will be deleted, and the recipient will be notified.
As with a standard email recall, the replacement will only be successful if the recipient has not already opened the original email.
If they open the original email and then you try to replace it, they may receive the replacement message as a separate, new email.
| Tip: Include the word ‘URGENT’ or another similar phrase in the title of the recall message so that the recipient is more likely to open it before they open the first email. |
Outlook also allows you to delay emails so they don't send straight away.
This gives you the opportunity to review the contents of your email before it is sent out and double-check for errors.
After clicking Send, the message will remain in the Outbox folder until the scheduled delivery time.
If you need to set up a rule to delay all outbound messages, follow the steps on the Outlook support page.
| Note: This solution is not suitable for those needing to urgently send messages, and it will not prevent you from accidentally sending an email to the wrong recipient. Businesses managing large amounts of emails containing sensitive information should invest in a more robust solution. |
Despite carefulness, mistakes happen—even as a cybersecurity researcher, I've mistakenly sent emails more times than I'd like to admit.
When handling sensitive information, errors can lead to fines and reputational damage.
To reliably revoke sensitive messages and prevent errors, consider a secure email solution.
Secure email goes beyond Outlook's recall limitations by allowing you to fully revoke access even after an email has been opened.
Several third-party add-ins for Outlook offer these capabilities, including Mailock for Outlook.
If you need help choosing the right secure email solution for your business, check out our guide on the best secure email services.
You can also watch our video interview with Beyond Encryption Founder Paul Holland on the importance of email revocation solutions.
In Outlook for Windows, open Sent Items, double-click the email, go to Actions, and select 'Recall This Message' to delete or replace unread copies.
Yes, the recipient may be notified of your recall attempt, especially if it fails.
Recalls fail if the email is opened, moved by filters, or if the recipient doesn’t use Outlook or an Exchange server.
Outlook sends a 'Message Recall Report' to inform you if the recall succeeded, failed, or is pending.
No, email recall is only available on the Windows desktop version and the new Outlook for the web.
No, you can't delete a sent email from a recipient's inbox, but you can delay sending emails to review them.
Recall an Email Message That You Sent in Outlook, Microsoft Office Support, 2024
Interview: The State of Email Recall, Beyond Encryption, 2024
How to Recall an Email in Outlook, Microsoft (YouTube Channel), 2023
Delay or Schedule Sending Email Messages in Outlook, Microsoft Office Support, 2024
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