Do you find yourself unsure about how to recall an email in Outlook? Don’t worry; this blog post has you covered. Outlook offers a range of useful options for replacing or recalling messages that you’d rather not send.
We’ve all been there – accidentally sending an email with an error can be quite frustrating. Luckily, Outlook provides a straightforward method for recalling an email, provided the recipient hasn’t already opened it.
The ability to recall an email is a valuable tool for maintaining effective communication in a workplace setting. With this feature, you can retract an email and send a corrected version before the recipient has a chance to view it.
However, it’s important to note that the email recall functionality is not available in the web-based version of Outlook; it can only be performed in the desktop client.
How to Recall an Email in Outlook
To recall an email in Outlook, you will need the desktop version. Once you have gotten it, follow the guidelines below to recall an email in Outlook:
- Open Outlook and choose Home to get started.
- Choose Sent Items to see the emails you sent.
- Search for the Outlook message that you want to recall, and then double-click it.
- This will then open the email in a brand new window.
- Make sure that you have the Message tab selected in the email window.
- Choose the three dots on the right side of the toolbar, scroll to Actions, and then choose Recall This Message.
- If you can’t see the three dots, you can choose to Move from the toolbar and then select Actions and Recall this message.
- Then a pop-up window will appear on the screen. You will have two options: delete unread copies of this message or delete unread copies and replace them with a new message. There is also an option for Outlook to notify you if the process is successful. Choose our option and tap the OK button to proceed.
- If you want to create a replacement, Outlook will open a second screen so that you can recheck the message. As you write your new email, Outlook will recall your previous message and show a notification. Just tap the Send button when you are finished with the message.
By adhering to the steps above, you will be able to recall your message in Outlook. However, note that recalling your message doesn’t mean that the old message will disappear.
If you want to make the original message disappear, the recipient will have to open the recalled message.
Tips to Follow If You Can’t Recall an Email in Outlook
Outlook enables you to delay your emails so that they won’t be sent immediately. If you constantly reply to emails, you might want to start scheduling or delaying your emails in Outlook.
However, if you can’t recall an email in Outlook because the recipient has opened it, there are a few ways you can set up Outlook to offer you more time to reconsider the message before sending it out. Follow the simple steps below to set up this feature:
- Choose File in the top left corner of Outlook.
- Scroll down and tap Manage rules and alerts.
- Then the Rules and Alerts window will pop up on your screen. Then you choose the new rule.
- Then another pop-up window will appear. Tap the Apply rule on the message I send.
- You will then notice that this is listed under the Start from a Blank rule.
- Tap the next button to proceed.
- Tap Next to continue. Then a confirmation screen will appear. Choose yes to confirm.
- Choose to defer delivery by several minutes. Select the A number for the link. Then you will see a pop-up screen appear, and you will be prompted to select your desired duration.
- Enter the number you want and tap OK.
- After going through this, tap
- Choose the exceptions option if you have any exceptions.
- Tap the next button to proceed.
- Name your rule and check the Turn on this rule checkbox if it is available.
- Then, tap Finish.
With the simple steps listed above, you will be able to set a delay feature so that your emails won’t be sent immediately.
How Do You Know If the Recall Worked?
After recalling the message, you will receive a new email with the title Message Recall Report. This will inform you that the recall was successful.
It normally takes about 30 seconds or less to get this message. However, it can take a little longer if you have recalled a message to a large number of recipients.