How to recall an email in Outlook (and when it works)

Applies to: new Outlook for Windows, classic Outlook (Microsoft 365, Outlook 2021 and 2019) and Outlook on the web.

When recall works (and when it can’t)

Recall isn’t an “unsend” for the whole internet. Outlook asks the recipient’s mail server to delete the message, so it only works when that server belongs to your own organization.

• Works: you and the recipient both have work or school accounts on Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online) or the same Exchange server.
• Doesn’t work: recipients outside your organization, any Gmail, Yahoo or iCloud address, personal Outlook.com or Hotmail accounts, and POP or IMAP accounts.
• Read messages: with Microsoft 365’s current cloud-based recall, a message can be recalled even after it was opened, unless your admin has turned that off. Older Exchange setups only recall unread copies.
• Already seen elsewhere: if the recipient got a notification on their phone or forwarded the email before the recall ran, they may already have read it.

Because of these limits, the safest assumption is that the recipient might still see the original. A short follow-up email with the correction is often better than relying on recall alone.

Recall in new Outlook and Outlook on the web

1. Go to Sent Items in the folder pane.
2. Double-click the message you want to recall so it opens in its own window (or open it in the reading pane).
3. Select Recall message on the ribbon. If you don’t see it, look under the … (More options) menu.
4. Click OK to confirm.

New Outlook and Outlook on the web only delete the message; to send a corrected version, write a new email afterwards.

Recall in classic Outlook for Windows

1. Open Sent Items and double-click the message to open it in a separate window.
2. Choose File > Info, then Message Resend and Recall (shown as Resend or Recall in some versions) and Recall This Message. With the classic ribbon, you can also use Message > Actions > Recall This Message.
3. Pick Delete unread copies of this message, or Delete unread copies and replace with a new message to send a corrected version.
4. Keep Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient ticked and click OK. If you chose to replace, edit the copy that opens and click Send.

If the recall option is greyed out or missing, the account is usually POP, IMAP or Outlook.com, where recall isn’t supported. Using several accounts? See how to add a shared mailbox in Outlook to check which account a mailbox actually belongs to.

Check whether the recall succeeded

Outlook sends you a recall report by email, usually within a few minutes, listing each recipient and whether the recall succeeded, failed or is still pending. In classic Outlook you can also open the original in Sent Items and check the Tracking button, if it’s shown. A “failed” result usually means the recipient is outside your organization or the message had already been moved or read on an older server.

No recall option? Use Undo Send or a delay

• New Outlook and Outlook on the web: go to Settings > Mail > Compose and reply, find Undo send and set the delay up to 10 seconds. After clicking Send, click Undo in the bar at the bottom.
• Classic Outlook: create a rule that delays every outgoing message. Go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts > New Rule, choose Apply rule on messages I send, and set defer delivery by a number of minutes (one or two minutes is enough). Messages wait in the Outbox, where you can still open and fix them.
• Delay one message: in classic Outlook, select Options > Delay Delivery before sending and set a delivery time.

For more ways to work faster and avoid mistakes in Outlook, see our Outlook tips and tricks. If your new Outlook lacks a feature you rely on, you can get classic Outlook back.

Related guides

• Outlook tips and tricks: 12 ways to manage email faster
• Classic Outlook download: how to get it back on Windows 11 and 10
• How to add a shared mailbox in Outlook
• How to fix Outlook error 0x800CCC92 (server rejected your login)

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own pages:

• Microsoft Support: Recall an email message that you sent in Outlook
• Microsoft Learn: Work with cloud-based Message Recall

Frequently asked questions

Does the recipient know I recalled a message?

Often, yes. Depending on the setup, they may see a notice that the sender wants to recall the message, or notice that it disappeared. Don’t count on recall going unnoticed.

Can I recall an email sent to Gmail?

No. Outlook can’t delete mail on servers outside your organization. Send a follow-up instead, and turn on Undo send for the future.

How long do I have to recall an email?

There’s no fixed time limit, but the sooner the better. Once the message has been read on an older server, moved to another folder by a rule, or forwarded, recall is less likely to work.