How to recall a message in outlook

I want to recall a message in Outlook.com

Let’s say you’ve just sent an email message to someone by mistake in Outlook.com. How do you recall it?

Unfortunately, you can’t.

Message recall is not available for users with email addresses ending in @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, or @msn.com. These are web-based email services where once you send an email message, it’s gone from your email server and out of your control.

Message recall is available in Outlook for Windows. See Recall or replace an email message that you sent for instructions.

Set up undo send in Outlook.com

Although you can’t recall a message once it’s been sent, when you turn on the undo send option, Outlook.com delays sending the message so you can cancel it if you change your mind.

You can delay sending your message for 5 or 10 seconds. To turn on the undo send option:

At the top of the page, select Settings > View all Outlook settings.

Select Mail > Compose and reply.

Under Undo send, choose the how long Outlook.com will wait to send your messages.

Undo sending in Outlook.com

Once undo send is set up, you’ll see an Undo send prompt at the bottom of the message list whenever you send a new message. The prompt will be available for the length of time you set in Compose and reply.

Still need help?

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I want to recall a message in Outlook.com

Let’s say you’ve just sent an email message to someone by mistake in Outlook.com. How do you recall it?

Unfortunately, you can’t.

Message recall is not available for users with email addresses ending in @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, or @msn.com. These are web-based email services where once you send an email message, it’s gone from your email server and out of your control.

Message recall is available in Outlook for Windows. See Recall or replace an email message that you sent for instructions.

Set up undo send in Outlook.com

Although you can’t recall a message once it’s been sent, when you turn on the undo send option, Outlook.com delays sending the message so you can cancel it if you change your mind.

You can delay sending your message for 5 or 10 seconds. To turn on the undo send option:

At the top of the page, select Settings > View all Outlook settings.

Select Mail > Compose and reply.

Under Undo send, choose the how long Outlook.com will wait to send your messages.

Undo sending in Outlook.com

Once undo send is set up, you’ll see an Undo send prompt at the bottom of the message list whenever you send a new message. The prompt will be available for the length of time you set in Compose and reply.

Still need help?

To get support in Outlook.com, click here or select on the menu bar and enter your query. If the self-help doesn’t solve your problem, scroll down to Still need help? and select Yes.

To contact us in Outlook.com, you’ll need to sign in. If you can’t sign in, click here.

For other help with your Microsoft account and subscriptions, visit Account & Billing Help.

To get help and troubleshoot other Microsoft products and services, enter your problem here.

Recall or replace an email message that you sent

With message recall, a message that you sent is retrieved from the mailboxes of the recipients who haven’t yet opened it. You can also substitute a replacement message. For example, if you forgot to include an attachment, you can try to retract the message, and then send a replacement message that has the attachment.

Message recall is available after you click Send and is available only if both you and the recipient have a Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Exchange email account in the same organization.

To recall and replace a message

In the folder pane on the left of the Outlook window, choose the Sent Items folder.

Open the message that you want to recall. You must double-click to open the message. Selecting the message so it appears in the reading pane won’t allow you to recall the message.

If you have the Classic Ribbon, from the Message tab, select Actions > Recall This Message.

If you have the Simplified Ribbon, select the Message tab and then select More commands (. ). Point to Actions and select Recall This Message.

If you don’t see the Recall This Message command, you probably don’t have an Exchange account or the feature isn’t available within your organization.

You cannot recall a message that’s protected by Azure Information Protection.

You cannot recall a message in Outlook on the web.

Click Delete unread copies of this message or Delete unread copies and replace with a new message, and then click OK.

If you’re sending a replacement message, compose the message, and then click Send.

To check on the recall

The success or failure of a message recall depends on the recipients’ settings in Outlook. In the following table, five scenarios are presented:

You send a message to someone. You recall the original message and replace it with a new one.

On the recipient’s computer, under Tracking, the Automatically process requests and responses to meeting requests and polls check box is selected.

Note: To view this setting, File > Options > Mail. Scroll to the Tracking section.

Both the original message and the recall message are received in the recipient’s Inbox.

Assuming the original message hasn’t been read, the original message is deleted and the recipient is informed that you, the sender, deleted the message from his or her mailbox.

Note: If the original message is marked as read (viewing in the Reading Pane isn’t reading in this scenario) when the recall message is processed, the recipient is informed that you, the sender, want to delete the message. However, the message remains in the recipient’s Outlook folder.

You send a message to someone. You recall the original message and replace it with a new one.

On the recipient’s computer, under Tracking, the Automatically process requests and responses to meeting requests and polls check box isn’t selected.

Note: To view this setting, File > Options > Mail. Scroll to the Tracking section.

Both the original message and the recall message are received in the recipient’s Inbox.

On the recipient’s computer, one of the following results occurs:

If the recipient opens the recall message first, the original message is deleted, and the recipient is informed that you, the sender, have deleted the message from their mailbox.

If the recipient opens the original message first, the recall fails, and both the original and recall messages are available.

Note: If the original message is marked as read (viewing in the Reading Pane isn’t reading in this scenario) when the recall message is processed, the recipient is informed that you, the sender, want to delete the message. However, the message remains in the recipient’s Outlook folder.

You send a message to someone. You recall the original message and replace it with a new one.

On the recipient’s computer, either by rule or by action of the recipient, the original message is moved out of the Inbox to another folder and the recall message remains in the Inbox (or it is moved to another folder also).

If the recall message and the original message exist in separate folders, the recipient receives a message that states a recall attempt failed. This occurs regardless of the Outlook configurations and the read status of the message.

The original message and the new message are both available to the recipient.

You send a message to someone. You recall the original message and replace it with a new one.

On the recipient’s computer, either by rule or by action of the recipient, both messages are moved to the same folder. This results in behavior similar to what occurs when Outlook isn’t configured to automatically process messages.

On the recipient’s computer, one of the following results occurs:

If the recipient opens the recall message first, the original message is deleted, and the recipient is informed that you, the sender, deleted the message from his or her mailbox.

If the recipient opens the original message first, the recall fails, and both the old and new messages are available.

You send a message to a public folder. You recall the original message and replace it with a new one.

One of the following results occurs:

If the recipient who reads the recall message has read access to all the items in the public folder but didn’t read the original message, the recall succeeds, and only the new message remains. You, the sender, receive a message that states the recall succeeded.

If the recipient has already marked the original message as read, he or she is informed that the recall failed, and only the recall message is deleted.

If a user who has any other public folder rights opens the recall message, the recall fails, and the user receives a message that states the recall failed. Both the old and new messages remain in the public folder.

If the recipient reads the original message and then marks it as unread, it is considered never read and recall is successful.

In the public folder, it is the reader’s rights, not the sender’s, that determine the success or failure of the recall.

Important: Office 2007 is no longer supported. Upgrade to Microsoft 365 to work anywhere from any device and continue to receive support.

To recall and replace a message

In Mail, in the Navigation Pane, click Sent Items.

Open the message that you want to recall and replace.

On the Message tab, in the Actions group, click Other Actions, and then click Recall This Message.

Click Delete unread copies and replace with a new message or Delete unread copies and replace with a new message.

Note: If you are sending the message to a large number of people, you may want to clear the Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient check box.

If you’re sending a replacement message, compose the message, and then click Send.

If you do not see the Recall This Message command, then probably you do not have an Exchange Server account or you are not using Microsoft Office Outlook 2007. Both are required to use the recall feature.

You can check the Account Settings dialog box in Outlook for the types of e-mail accounts in your Outlook profile.

On the Tools menu, click Account Settings.

On the E-mail tab, the Type column lists the type of account for each entry.

To check on the recall

The success or failure of a recall depends on the recipients’ settings in Microsoft Outlook. The following four scenarios explain what happens in various situations, and an additional scenario describes the recall of a message sent to a Microsoft Exchange public folder.

You send an e-mail message to someone. You recall the original message and replace it with a new one.

On the recipient’s computer, under Tracking Options, the Process requests and responses on arrival check box is selected.

(To view this setting, on the Tools menu, click Options, click E-mail Options, and then click Tracking Options.)

Both the original message and the recall message are received in the recipient’s Inbox.

Assuming the original message has not been read, the original message is deleted and the recipient is informed that you, the sender, deleted the message from his or her mailbox.

Note: If the original message is marked as read (viewing in the Reading Pane is not reading in this scenario) when the recall message is processed, the recipient is informed that you, the sender, want to delete the message, but the message remains in the recipient’s Outlook folder.

You send an e-mail message to someone. You recall the original message and replace it with a new one.

On the recipient’s computer, under Tracking Options, the Process requests and responses on arrival check box is not selected.

(To view this setting, on the Tools menu, click Options, click E-mail Options, and then click Tracking Options.)

Both the original message and the recall message are received in the recipient’s Inbox.

On the recipient’s computer, one of the following occurs:

If the recipient opens the recall message first, the original message is deleted, and the recipient is informed that you, the sender, have deleted the message from their mailbox.

If the recipient opens the original message first, the recall fails, and both the original and recall messages are available.

Note: If the original message is marked as read (viewing in the Reading Pane is not reading in this scenario) when the recall message is processed, the recipient is informed that you, the sender, want to delete the message, but the message remains in the recipient’s Outlook folder.

You send an e-mail message to someone. You recall the original message and replace it with a new one.

On the recipient’s computer, either by rule or by action of the recipient, the original message is moved to another folder and the recall message remains in the Inbox (or it is moved to another folder as well).

As long as the recall message and the original message exist in separate folders, the recipient receives a message indicating that a recall attempt failed. This occurs regardless of the Outlook configurations and the read status of the message.

The original message and the new message are both available to the recipient.

Note: If the recipient read the original message and then marks it as unread, Outlook treats it as if it had never been read and recalls it successfully.

You send an e-mail message to someone. You recall the original message and replace it with a new one.

On the recipient’s computer, either by rule or by action of the recipient, both messages are moved to the same folder. This results in behavior similar to that which occurs when Outlook is not configured to automatically process messages.

On the recipient’s computer, one of the following occurs:

If the recipient opens the recall message first, the original message is deleted, and the recipient is informed that you, the sender, deleted the message from his or her mailbox.

If the recipient opens the original message first, the recall fails, and both the old and new messages are available.

Note: If the recipient read the original message and then marked it as unread, Outlook treats it as if it had never been read and recalls it successfully.

You send an e-mail message to a public folder. You recall the original message and replace it with a new one.

One of the following occurs:

If the recipient who reads the recall message has read access to all the items in the public folder but did not read the original message, the recall succeeds, and only the new message remains. You, the sender, receive a message indicating that the recall succeeded.

If the recipient has already marked the original message as read, he or she is informed that the recall failed, and only the recall message is deleted.

If a user with any other public folder rights opens the recall message, the recall fails, and the user receives a message indicating that the recall failed. Both the old and new messages remain in the public folder.

If the recipient reads the original message and then marks it as unread, Outlook treats it as if it had never been read and recalls it successfully.

In the public folder, it is the reader’s rights, not the sender’s, that determine the success or failure of the recall.

Recall, replace, or resend sent mail

If you and your recipients are all on Microsoft Exchange, you can recall the message (which means to try to delete the message from the recipient’s Inbox) or replace the message (which means you want to delete the original message and replace it with a new one.)

Recall or replace

You send an email message, and then you start to have second thoughts. First, see if you can use recall.

Click FILE to go to the backstage. With Info selected, open the list at the top of the page, and select the account you sent the email from. If it says Microsoft Exchange, and your recipients are on the same email system, you can use recall, which is the feature of the Exchange server. Go to Mail and click Sent Items in your folder list. Then, open the mail you want to recall or replace. Click FILE in the message to go to the backstage. With Info selected, click Resend or Recall, and click Recall This Message.

Now you choose what you want to do: recall the message, which means that you want to try to delete the message from the recipient’s Inbox, or replace the message, which means you want to delete the original message and replace it with a new one.

Want more?

You send an email message, and then you start to have second thoughts.

Maybe, you feel you said too much, or not enough.

Or you suddenly realize that all those facts you cited to make your case are actually wrong.

Now, you wish you could take it all back.

Well, it might not be too late.

In Outlook 2013, you can recall or replace email that you have sent.

Or, you can resend an email to try to repair the damage.

First, see if you can use recall. Click FILE to go to the backstage.

With Info selected, open the list at the top of the page, and select the account you sent the email from.

If it says ‘Microsoft Exchange’, and your recipients are on the same email system, you can use Recall, which is the feature of the Exchange server.

If it says something like ‘MAPI’ or ‘POP’, recall won’t work, but you can resend the message, if you want.

For more information about that, see the next video.

Of course, it is always best to check your email before you send it, but if you make a mistake, you need to act quickly.

You can’t recall a message after it has been opened.

Go to Mail and click Sent Items in your folder list.

Then, open the mail you want to recall or replace.

Click FILE in the message to go to the backstage.

With Info selected, click Resend or Recall, and click Recall this message.

Now, you choose what you want to do: Recall the message, which means that you want to try to delete the message from the recipient’s Inbox, or Replace the message, which means you want to delete the original message and replace it with a new one.

Let’s try Recall first.

Also, make sure this check box is selected, so that you receive a message that tells you whether the recall was successful or not.

Click OK, and a recall request is sent.

If everything works, Outlook deletes the original message, and you receive an automatic message confirming the recall.

The second option works about the same, except that when you click OK, the original message opens, so you can make your changes.

When you are ready, click Send.

The first message is deleted from the recipient’s Inbox, and the new one is added.

And you receive a confirmation mail.

There is a good chance that Recall will work if you and your recipients are in an organization that uses Microsoft Exchange, and you know Recall and Replace are enabled.

How to Recall an Email in Outlook

With some luck, you might catch it

In This Article

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Outlook provides a built-in feature that recalls an email or replaces a message, although there are a few key requirements. In this article, you’ll learn:

Instructions in this article apply to Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007; and Outlook for Microsoft 365.

How to Recall an Email in Outlook (and Replace It, If Desired)

When you attempt to retract email, Outlook may notify the recipient of the recalled email. To recall an email in Outlook:

Open Outlook and go to the Sent Items folder.

Double-click the sent message you want to recall to open it in a separate window.

The options to recall a message are not available when the message is displayed in the Reading Pane.

Go to the Message tab, select the Actions dropdown arrow, and choose Recall This Message.

In Outlook 2007, go to the Message tab, in the Actions group, select Other Actions, and then Recall This Message.

In the Recall This Message dialog box, select one of the following:

If you want to receive notification of the results, select the Tell Me if Recall Succeeds or Fails for Each Recipient check box.

Select OK.

If you selected Delete Unread Copies and Replace with a New Message, modify the original message.

Select Send.

You’ll receive an Outlook notification message regarding the success or failure of your attempt to retract or replace the email.

Requirements to Recall an Email

To recall Outlook email:

Possible Results When You Recall Outlook Email

Depending on the settings of the recipient’s email client, whether the original email has already been read, and several other factors, the results of your attempt to recall a message can vary. Following are some of the potential results of an Outlook recall.

These results also occur if the recipient moves both messages to the same folder, either manually or using a rule.

If the recipient enabled Automatically process requests and responses to meeting requests and polls, under Tracking, and the recipient has not read the original email, Outlook deletes the original message and informs the recipient that you deleted the message.

In Outlook 2007, this feature is called Process requests and responses on arrival and it under Tracking Options.

However, if the original message is marked as read when the recall message is processed, the recipient is informed that you want to delete the message. The original message remains in the recipient’s inbox.

If the recipient moves the original message out of the inbox and into another folder (manually or using a rule) and the recall message goes to the inbox, the retraction fails regardless of whether either has been read or not. The recipient is informed that a recall attempt failed. The recipient has access to both the original and the new email message.

In addition, if you use Outlook on a mobile device and attempt to recall a message, the process will likely fail.

Delay Sending Messages

Sending an incorrect email can be counterproductive and even embarrassing. While Outlook’s recall feature might save you in a pinch, you can alleviate some stress by scheduling an email to be sent later or delaying messages to be sent. This gives you time to recognize errors or update information before your email lands in your recipient’s inbox.

To resend an email in Outlook for Windows, go to File > Info > Message Resend and Recall. In macOS, right-click the message in the Sent folder and select Resend. In Outlook.com, right-click the message and select Forward, then delete “ Fw” in the subject line.

To encrypt an email in Outlook, go to File > Properties > Security Settings and check the Encrypt message contents and attachments box. To encrypt all outgoing messages, go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > Email Security.