Have you accidentally sent the wrong email to a person in Outlook and regret it? It can be quite embarrassing to realize the mistake, especially if it’s an official email. You may question how to unsend an email in Outlook.
The good news is that if you and your recipients are a part of Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Exchange and are in one organization, unsending an email is possible. You can recall or replace the incorrect message you gave to your recipient. This process takes place via the Recall This Message feature in Outlook.
This post will explain how to use this feature. You can unsend an email easily.
How to Unsend an Email in Outlook on a Desktop
This method is for the email sender whose recipient is on Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Exchange in the same organization. However, if you have a POP or MAPI account, you cannot recall a message in Outlook.
- Access the ‘Sent Items’ folder.
- Choose the email so that it launches in a different window.
- Choose ‘File’ followed by ‘Info.’
- After that, tap ‘Message Resend and Recall’ followed by ‘Recall This Message…’
- You will see two options as mentioned below:
- To recall the email you have sent, choose ‘Delete unread copies of this message.’
- If you have to replace or swap the email that you have given with the correct one, choose the ‘Delete unread copies and replace with a new message’ option.
POINT TO NOTE – If you choose this option, the original email will launch and you can edit it. On picking ‘Send,’ your initial email will get removed from the mailbox of the recipient. In its place, the edited one will appear.
- Place a check on the box ‘Tell me if a recall succeeds or fails for each recipient.’
- Choose ‘OK.’
How to Unsend an Email in Outlook
This option is for Outlook 2013, Outlook 2016, and Outlook 2019 users. It is also applicable to Outlook 2021, and Outlook for Microsoft 365 users. Similar to the above process, you can only recall the message if you and your recipients have an email account with Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Exchange in the same company. It means that if your recipient has a Gmail or Hotmail account, you cannot recall the message after sending it.
- Locate and pick the ‘Sent Items’ folder in the Folder pane. It’s on the left part of the MS Outlook box.
- Access the email to recall.
- Double-tap the email to launch it.
- Choose ‘Actions.’ It is on the ‘Message’ tab.
- Afterward, select ‘Recall this message.’ This is for those who can see the Classic Ribbon.
- Choose the ‘Message’ tab if your Outlook has the Simplified Ribbon.
- Now choose ‘More commands…’
- Choose ‘Actions’ followed by ‘Recall this message.’
- Now choose either ‘Delete unread copies and replace with a new message’ or ‘Delete unread copies of this message.’
- Now hit ‘OK.’
- In case you are dispatching a replacement email, create it first.
- Thereafter, choose ‘Send.’
Check if your attempt to recall the message is successful.
After using the ‘Recall this Message’ feature, you might want to know if your email has actually been recalled. This is simple to check.
After you give a recall request, you will get an email alert from Outlook half a minute later. It will have the subject, ‘Message recall report for the message.’ Simply choose the ‘View message recall report’ link to access the report. Your web browser will open, and you can view the report by logging in with your mailbox credentials.
NOTE: Sometimes the recall request doesn’t take place immediately if your recipient’s mailbox is temporarily unavailable. In this case, Outlook keeps retrying for up to a day and only after that marks the recall as failed.
How to Unsend an Email in Outlook Web Client
In order to recall messages in the Outlook web client, you should use the ‘Undo Sent’ feature first. Use these steps to unsend emails in your Outlook web client.
- Log into your Outlook email account by opening the program in the web browser.
- Now choose the three-dot icon beside your profile picture.
- Next, select ‘Settings.’
- Now select ‘View all Outlook settings’ which is at the end of the Settings dropdown.
- Tap ‘Email’ on the sidebar.
- Click on ‘Compose and Reply.’
- Scroll down till you find the ‘Undo send’ section.
- Now, move your slider to choose how many seconds you want.
- Select ‘Save.’
- Now, exit ‘Settings.’
- Compose and send a test email to determine if the feature to unsend is functioning.
- After pressing the ‘Send’ button, you will see a ‘Sending’ notification in the bottom-left part.
- Choose ‘Undo’ and your email will not go to the recipient.
POINT TO NOTE: In the Outlook web client, you have just 10 seconds to unsend the message. So choose the ‘Undo’ button as soon as possible before its popup below vanishes.
How to Unsend an Email in Outlook on Mac
You can also use the Undo Send feature in Outlook for Mac. Bear in mind that you will only get 20 seconds to reverse the email-sending process.
- In Outlook for Mac, choose the ‘Outlook’ tab on the menu.
- Now, from the dropdown, select ‘Preferences.’
- In the ‘Email’ section, choose ‘Composing.’
- To configure the Undo Send period according to your requirements, choose the ‘+’ icon.
- Choose ‘Undo’ on the ‘Sending…’ pop-up to unsend your message. Do this within 20 seconds.
- If you cannot unsend the email within this period, use the Outlook Desktop app. Through it, you can recall the message from the inbox of the recipient.
Recall a Message in Outlook.com
You cannot recall a message in Outlook.com. The functionality to recall an email isn’t there for email addresses with @outlook.com, @live.com, @hotmail.com, and @msn.com.
This is because all these are web-based email services, and after you’ve sent an email, it goes away from the server. You cannot take any action to recall or change it because it isn’t under your control.
However, users can enable the ‘Undo Send’ option. Navigate to ‘View all Outlook settings’, pick ‘Mail’ and after that, ‘Compose and reply.’ Select ‘How long Outlook.com will wait to dispatch your email’ under ‘Undo Send.’ Select ‘Save’ and you’ve set up the Undo Send option.
Wrapping up
It is common to find users asking how to unsend an email in Outlook because mistakes can happen especially if you are busy. But the Recall this messaging functionality in Outlook will come to your aid during such moments. Still, use caution while sending any message so you don’t have to make the effort to recall it later.
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