An email recall can stop a recipient from seeing an incomplete, angry, or otherwise bad email you sent. Follow the instructions below if you want to recall an email in Outlook. If you also want to know how to delay your emails in Outlook (to prevent accidentally sending out such emails in the future), scroll past the recall instructions to view a guide on how to do just that.
Note: These instructions won’t work with the web-based version of Outlook — they only apply to the desktop client. Also, they only work if you and the recipient use a Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 account within the same organization. Recalls in Outlook won’t work with recipient email addresses from outside of the sender’s organization.
How to recall an email in Outlook
Step 1: Open your Sent Items folder and look for the email you want to recall — it should be at or near the top of the list. You have to double-click on this email to fully open it before moving to the next step.
Step 2: Click the Message tab on the toolbar to make it active. Next, navigate to the Move section and click the More Move Actions button designated with a letter and an envelope, as shown below.
Step 3: Click the Recall This Message option on the drop-down list.
Step 4: If your interface is the simplified version of the ribbon, do the following: Select the Message tab, choose the three-dots icon, select Actions, and then choose Recall This Message.
Step 5: A pop-up window appears on your screen. Here, you have two options: Delete Unread Copies of This Message or Delete Unread Copies and Replace With a New Message. You’ll also see an option to have Outlook notify you if the process succeeds or fails. Select your option(s) and click the OK button to continue. If you deleted the message, congratulations! If you want to replace it, continue on.
Step 6: If you choose to create a replacement, Outlook opens a second screen so you can revise the message. As you compose your new email, Outlook recalls your old message and displays a notification (if you selected that option). Just click the Send button when you’re done with the revised message.
Note: If you send a recall message, it doesn’t exactly make your old email disappear. In order to have the original message disappear, the recipient may need to open the recall message first. This is why you should type URGENT or something similar in the recall message’s title so that it’s opened before the first offensive email. Continue on for a lengthier explanation. Microsoft also states that, in some cases, the recipient may be notified when recalled messages are deleted from their inbox. So, bear in mind that even when recalling an email, the recipient may still know that a botched or offensive message had been sent to them even if they can’t view it.
Alternatives to recalling an email
Solution 1: Type out an apologetic email. Besides double-checking to ensure your emails are sent to the correct people, this is probably the most straightforward solution to the issue. If you happen to accidentally send an email to the wrong recipient or group of recipients and it wasn’t overly scandalous, then just save some time and effort by owning up to your mistake and saying you’re sorry. An honest apology usually goes over well and may even build trust with the recipients. Then you can all move on.
Solution 2: Delay your emails, so they don’t send immediately. If you’re constantly replying to emails, sending private data back and forth, or are just prone to slipups, you might want to start delaying your emails. You can easily set this up for all your Outlook emails by following these simple instructions:
Step 1: Select File in the upper-left corner of Outlook.
Step 2: Scroll down a bit and click Manage Rules & Alerts.
Step 3: The *Rules and Alerts**window will pop up on your screen. From here, select the *New Rule* option.