How To Recall A Message In Outlook

Outlookoffice workflowhow-to

We’ve all done it: clicked ‘Send’ on an email and immediately wished we could take it back. Whether it’s a typo, a forgotten attachment, or sending a sensitive message to the wrong person, the panic is real. Outlook’s ‘Recall This Message’ feature offers a potential solution, allowing you to delete or replace an email you've already sent. However, it's a tool that comes with strict conditions. This guide explains exactly how to recall a message in Outlook and, just as importantly, tells you when it’s likely to work and when you’ll need a plan B.

Fast Answer

Where to find it: Open the sent email from your 'Sent Items' folder.
Key Action: Go to the Message tab > Actions > Recall This Message.

Under 2 minutes Time needed

Easy Difficulty

Success isn't guaranteed Watch out for

Before You Start

The success of an email recall in Outlook depends entirely on a specific set of technical circumstances. If even one of these conditions isn't met, the recall will fail. It's crucial to check these points first to understand if a recall is even possible for your situation.

You need the Outlook desktop app. The recall feature is not available in Outlook on the web (Outlook.com), the mobile apps for iOS or Android, or the new Outlook for Windows. It only works in the classic Outlook desktop client for Windows and, to a limited extent, for Mac.
You and your recipient must use a Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 account. The feature is designed for internal communication within an organisation. If you sent the email to a personal address like Gmail, Yahoo, or a different company's email, the recall will not work.
The recipient must be in the same organisation. Both your email account and the recipient's account must be on the same email server.
The email must be unread. The recall only works if the message is still sitting unread in the recipient's inbox. If they've already opened it, you cannot retrieve it.
The email must be in their main Inbox folder. If the recipient has a rule that automatically moves your emails to another folder, the recall will likely fail.

Check first: The single biggest reason for failure is sending to an external email address (like @gmail.com). Recall is built for internal business environments. If your recipient is outside your company, it is almost certain to fail and will simply send them a second, confusing email stating that you tried to recall the first one.

Step-by-Step Instructions

If you've checked the conditions above and believe a recall might work, you need to act fast. Follow these steps precisely in your Outlook desktop application.

Navigate to Your 'Sent Items' Folder

First, you need to find the email you want to recall. In the folder pane on the left-hand side of your Outlook window, click on the 'Sent Items' folder. This will show you a list of all the emails you have successfully sent.

Open the Sent Message

Scroll through your 'Sent Items' to find the specific message you wish to recall. It's crucial that you double-click the email to open it in its own, separate window. Simply selecting the email and viewing it in the Reading Pane will not give you the necessary options. The email must be fully opened.

Locate the 'Actions' Menu

With the message open in its own window, look at the Ribbon menu at the top. Ensure you are on the 'Message' tab. In the section labelled 'Move', you will see an icon called 'Actions'. It sometimes appears as a small envelope with a blue arrow. Click on this 'Actions' dropdown menu.

Initiate the Recall

From the 'Actions' dropdown menu, select the option that says 'Recall This Message...'. This will open a new small dialogue box with the recall options.

Tip: If the 'Recall This Message' option is greyed out, it's a sign that you do not have a Microsoft Exchange account or that your organisation's administrator has disabled the feature.

Choose Your Recall Option

You will be presented with two choices. It's important to select the one that best fits your situation:

Delete unread copies of this message: This option is best for simple mistakes, like sending to the wrong person or forgetting a minor detail. It will attempt to remove the email from the recipient's inbox entirely, as if it were never sent.
Delete unread copies and replace with a new message: Choose this if you need to correct a significant error, like a wrong attachment, incorrect figures, or major typos. This option will first delete the original email and then open a new compose window with the original message's content, allowing you to edit and resend it correctly.

Confirm and Track the Recall

Below the two main options, there is a crucial checkbox: 'Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient'. It is highly recommended that you tick this box. This ensures Outlook will send you a status report email for each person you sent the original message to, confirming whether the recall was successful or not. Click 'OK' to start the recall process.

(If Replacing) Compose and Send the New Message

If you chose to 'Delete unread copies and replace with a new message', a new window will open containing your original email. You can now make all the necessary corrections, add the correct attachment, or rewrite the text. Once you are satisfied with the new version, click the 'Send' button just as you would with any normal email.

Check for the Recall Status Report

If you ticked the tracking option in step 6, keep an eye on your inbox. You will start receiving automated messages from the system. A successful recall message will typically have a subject line like "Message Recall Success", while a failure will be titled "Message Recall Failure". These reports are your only way of knowing for sure if the process worked.

Quick Reference

Situation	Use this Option	Why
Minor typo or sent to the wrong internal colleague.	Delete unread copies of this message.	Quickly removes the original message without creating more notifications. It's clean and simple.
Wrong attachment, incorrect report data, or major error.	Delete unread copies and replace with a new message.	This corrects the mistake and removes the faulty original in one process, preventing confusion.
Sent to an external address (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo).	Do not use Recall. Send a follow-up email.	Recall will fail and send a confusing notification to the recipient. A simple, polite follow-up email is more professional.
You're unsure if the recipient has read it.	Delete unread copies of this message.	This is the least intrusive option. If it fails, it fails. If you try to replace it, they might get both the original and the replacement.

Common Problems When You Recall a Message in Outlook

Even when you follow the steps perfectly, the recall feature can be temperamental. Here are some of the most common issues you might encounter and why they happen.

The Recall Option is Greyed Out or Missing: This is the most frequent problem. It almost always means you don't meet the basic requirements. You are likely using Outlook on the web, a mobile app, or your email account is a POP or IMAP type (common for personal email providers) instead of Microsoft Exchange.
The Recall Fails for Some (or All) Recipients: You will receive a "Message Recall Failure" report. This can happen for many reasons:
- The recipient already opened your email.
- The recipient's Outlook was not open and connected to the server when the recall was processed.
- The recipient uses an email client other than Outlook (like Apple Mail or Thunderbird).
- The original message was moved from the Inbox to another folder by an automated rule on the recipient's side.
The Recipient Gets Both the Original and the Recall Message: This is a common failure scenario. If the recipient has "Automatically process meeting requests and responses to meeting requests and polls" enabled in their Outlook settings, the recall message can be processed automatically, but the original message might remain, leading to confusion.
The Recall Draws More Attention to the Mistake: When a recall fails, the recipient receives a new message saying, "[Your Name] would like to recall the message, '[Original Subject Line]'." This essentially puts a spotlight on the email you wanted to hide. In many cases, a quick and honest follow-up apology is less awkward than a failed recall attempt.

Advanced Tips for Recalling a Message in Outlook

Since the recall feature is unreliable, the best strategy is prevention. Here are some advanced tips and best practices to avoid needing to recall a message in the first place.

Use a 'Delay Send' Rule: Your Best Defence

The single most effective way to prevent email mistakes is to give yourself a brief cooling-off period before your message is actually sent. You can create a rule in the Outlook desktop app to hold all outgoing messages in your Outbox for a set number of minutes.

Go to File > Manage Rules & Alerts.
Click New Rule....
Under 'Start from a blank rule', select 'Apply rule on messages I send' and click Next.
Don't select any conditions on the next screen. Just click Next. A warning will appear; click Yes to confirm you want the rule to apply to all messages you send.
On the 'Actions' screen, tick the box for 'defer delivery by a number of minutes'.
In the bottom box, click the underlined phrase 'a number of'. Enter a number like 2 or 5 minutes and click OK, then Next.
You can add exceptions if you wish (e.g., don't delay messages marked as High Importance). Otherwise, just click Next.
Give your rule a name, like "Delay Send by 2 Minutes", ensure 'Turn on this rule' is checked, and click Finish.

Now, every email you send will sit in your Outbox for the time you specified, giving you a chance to open it, make changes, or delete it before it's gone for good.

How To Recall A Message In Outlook FAQ

Can I recall a message in Outlook on the web or the mobile app?

No. The recall feature is exclusive to the classic Outlook desktop application for Windows and Mac. It is not available on Outlook.com or any mobile versions of Outlook.

Does recalling a message work if I send it to a Gmail or Yahoo address?

No, it will not work. The feature requires both the sender and receiver to be on the same internal Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 server. Any attempt to recall a message sent to an external email system will fail. The recipient will receive a notification that you attempted a recall, which can cause confusion.

How will I know if the recall was successful?

The only way to know for sure is to tick the box that says 'Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient' during the recall process. Outlook will then send you a system message for each recipient confirming the outcome.

What happens if the recipient has already read the email?

The recall will fail. The feature can only act on unread messages. Once an email is opened, it cannot be retracted from the recipient's mailbox.

Can I recall a message that I sent hours or days ago?

Yes, you can attempt it. The time that has passed does not technically matter. The only thing that matters is whether the recipient has read the email. However, the longer you wait, the more likely it is that the message has been opened, making a successful recall highly improbable.

Final Checklist for Recalling a Message in Outlook

Before you hit the recall button, run through this final mental checklist. It will help you set realistic expectations and decide on the best course of action.

Am I using the classic Outlook desktop application for Windows?
Did I send this email to a colleague within my own company (on the same email system)?
Am I acting very quickly, within minutes of sending the email?
Have I opened the message from my 'Sent Items' folder into its own window?
Have I selected the option to be notified of the success or failure of the recall?
Am I prepared for the recall to fail and to send a polite follow-up apology if needed?

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