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Accidentally Sent an Important Email? Here’s How to Bring It Back in Outlook

What to Know

• Open theSent Items folder > double-click the message > go toRecall Message >OK .
• It’s similar in older versions of Outlook, but go toMessage >Actions >Recall This Message .
• This only works if you both use a Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 account in the same organization.

This article explains how to recall an email, the requirements for recalling Outlook emails, and potential results and delays that can occur during the process. Instructions in this article apply to all versions of Outlook, including Outlook 2021 through 2007, Outlook 365, New Outlook for Windows, and Outlook on the Web.

How to Recall Email in Outlook (and Replace It)

Directions vary slightly between the different versions of Outlook. Below are instructions for recalling an email in the desktop and web versions.

1. Open Outlook and go to theSent Items folder.
   
2. 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.

3. If you’re using the latest version of Outlook for Windows or you’re on the web version, selectRecall Message in the toolbar and then chooseOK . Skip down to Step 7.

For older versions of Outlook, go to theMessage tab, select theActions dropdown arrow, and chooseRecall This Message .
If you don’t see those options, select thethree-dot menu and go toActions >Recall This Message .

4. In the dialog box, select one of the following:

• Delete unread copies of this message to recall the message.
• Delete unread copies and replace with a new message to replace the message with a new one.
  
  Do you want to receive a notification of the results? Tick the box next to Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient .

5. SelectOK .
6. If you selectedDelete unread copies and replace with a new message , modify the original message and selectSend .
7. You’ll receive an Outlook notification message regarding the success or failure of your attempt to retract or replace the email.

Requirements for Recalling an Email Message

Recalling emails in Outlook comes with some caveats:

• Both you and your recipient must be using a Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Exchange email account in the Outlook app and you must be in the same organization.
• The recipient’s mailbox is open when you attempt to process a recall.
• The original message is unread and is in the recipient’s Inbox.
• The message was not touched by any process, such as a rule, spam filter, or add-in.

If any of these requirements are not met, your recall will fail.

Possible Results When You Recall an 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.

• If the recipient has read the message, the recall will fail. Both the original message and the new message (or notification of your attempt to recall the original message) are available to the recipient.
• If the recipient has not opened the original message and opens the recall message first, the original message is deleted. Outlook informs the recipient that you deleted the message from their mailbox.

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 , underTracking , 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 calledProcess requests and responses on arrival and it underTracking 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.

How to 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 byscheduling or delaying emails . This gives you time to recognize errors or update information before your email lands in your recipient’s inbox.

FAQ

• How do I resend an email in Outlook?
  Toresend an email in Outlook for Windows, go toFile >Info >Message Resend and Recall . In macOS, right-click the message in theSent folder and selectResend . In Outlook.com, right-click the message and selectForward , then deleteFw from the Subject line.
• How do I encrypt an email in Outlook?
  Toencrypt an email in Outlook , go toFile >Properties >Security Settings and check theEncrypt message contents and attachments box. To encrypt all outgoing messages, go toFile >Options >Trust Center >Trust Center Settings >Email Security .

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