How To Unsend An Email In Outlook

Outlookoffice workflowhow-to

Sent an email in Outlook and instantly regretted it? This guide shows you how to use Outlook's "Recall Message" feature to unsend an email you've sent. We'll walk you through the exact steps, explain the important conditions that must be met for it to work, and give you a much more reliable alternative for the future. This process is useful when you've sent a message to a colleague with a typo, the wrong attachment, or simply sent it to the wrong person within your organisation.

Fast Answer

Where to find it: Open the sent email from your 'Sent Items' folder.
Key action: Click Message > Actions > Recall This Message.
Main requirement: You and the recipient must both be on the same Microsoft 365 or Exchange server (usually, within the same company).

2 minutes Time needed

Easy Difficulty

Success isn't guaranteed Watch out for

Before You Start

You need to be using the Outlook desktop application on Windows. This feature is not available in the Outlook web version, the "New Outlook," or on Mac or mobile apps.
Both you and the person you're emailing must have an email account on the same Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 server. In simple terms, this usually means you both work for the same company and use the company's email system.
The recall attempt must happen before the recipient opens your email. Once it's read, it cannot be recalled.

Check first: The recall feature is not a magic wand and often fails. It does not work for emails sent to external addresses like Gmail, Yahoo, or other companies. The recipient may also be notified that you attempted to recall the message, which can sometimes be more awkward than the original mistake. Act fast, but be prepared for it not to work.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Locate the Email in Your Sent Items

First, you need to find the email you want to take back. In the folder pane on the left side of your Outlook window, click on the Sent Items folder. This folder contains a copy of every email you have successfully sent. Scroll through the list to find the specific message you wish to unsend.

Step 2: Open the Email in a New Window

You cannot recall a message from the main reading pane. You must open it fully in its own separate window. To do this, double-click on the email from your Sent Items list. This will launch the message into a new window, showing you all its contents and the top menu ribbon.

Step 3: Find the Recall Command

With the email open in its new window, look at the ribbon of options at the top. Make sure the Message tab is selected. In the section labelled 'Move', you will see a button called Actions. Click this 'Actions' button to reveal a dropdown menu.

Step 4: Choose Your Recall Option

From the 'Actions' dropdown menu, select Recall This Message. A new small window will pop up, giving you two choices for how you want to proceed.

Delete unread copies of this message: This is the simplest option. It will try to remove the email from the recipient's inbox entirely, as long as they haven't read it.
Delete unread copies and replace with a new message: This option will first try to delete the original email, and then it will open a new composer window with your original message's content, allowing you to edit it and send a corrected version.

Choose the option that best fits your situation. If you just want the email gone, pick the first one. If you need to correct a mistake and resend, pick the second.

Step 5: Enable Tracking and Confirm

In that same pop-up window, there is a crucial checkbox at the bottom: "Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient." It's a good idea to tick this box. This way, Outlook will send you an email notification letting you know if the recall worked or failed for each person you sent the original email to. After selecting your option and ticking the box, click the OK button.

If you chose to replace the message, the editing window for your new email will now appear. Make your corrections, and click Send. The recall process is now underway.

Tip: The tracking emails are your only way of knowing for sure what happened. A "Recall Success" message is what you're hoping for. A "Recall Failure" message means the recipient has likely already seen the original email.

Quick Reference

Situation	Use this	Why
Sent an email with a small typo to a colleague.	Delete unread copies and replace with a new message	This corrects the mistake cleanly without needing to send a separate "oops" email. It's the most professional fix for internal errors.
Accidentally sent a sensitive email to the wrong person (inside the company).	Delete unread copies of this message	Your main goal is to remove the email before it's seen. A replacement isn't necessary, and speed is the top priority.
Sent an email to a client or someone with a Gmail/Yahoo address.	Do not attempt recall. Send a follow-up apology email.	Recall will not work and will fail 100% of the time. Attempting it is pointless. The best course is to manually send a polite correction or apology.
You want a safety net for all future emails.	Set up a "Delay Send" Rule in Outlook.	This is a proactive measure. It holds all outgoing mail for a minute or two, giving you a chance to catch mistakes before they ever leave your outbox. It's far more reliable than recall.

Common Problems When You Try to Unsend an Email in Outlook

Even if you follow the steps perfectly, the recall feature can be temperamental. Here are the most common reasons it fails and what they mean.

Problem: The "Recall This Message" option is greyed out or missing.

This happens for a few key reasons. Most commonly, you aren't using the right version of Outlook. The recall feature is exclusive to the classic Outlook desktop app for Windows on a corporate Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 account. If you're using Outlook on the web (outlook.com), the newer "New Outlook" toggle, Outlook for Mac, or a mobile app, you won't see the option. It also won't appear if your email account is set up as POP or IMAP (like a personal Gmail account configured in Outlook).

Problem: You received a "Recall Failure" notification.

This is the most frequent outcome. A failure means Outlook could not delete the message from the recipient's inbox. The top reason is that the recipient has already opened and read the email. Once an email is marked as 'read', it cannot be recalled. Other reasons for failure include:

The recipient is not using Outlook, or their Outlook was offline.
The email was automatically moved from their inbox to another folder by an email rule.
They are viewing their email on a mobile device, which often bypasses the recall function.
The recipient's company has disabled the feature for security reasons.

Problem: The recipient still saw the original email, plus a recall notice.

This is the worst-case scenario. Sometimes, if the recall fails, the recipient will keep the original email and also receive a new email that says, "[Your Name] would like to recall the message, '[Original Email Subject]'." This draws even more attention to the email you wanted to hide. It's a key risk to be aware of before you decide to attempt a recall.

Advanced Tips for Unsending Emails in Outlook

Since the built-in recall feature is so unreliable, a much better strategy is to prevent the mistake from happening in the first place. The best way to do this is by giving yourself a brief window to change your mind after hitting "Send".

The Proactive Solution: Set Up a "Delay Send" Rule

The single most effective way to "unsend" an email is to stop it from ever leaving your outbox. You can create a simple rule in the Outlook desktop app that holds all outgoing messages for a set period, like one or two minutes. This gives you a grace period to notice a mistake, go to your Outbox folder, and delete or edit the message before it's actually sent.

Here’s how to set it up:

In Outlook, go to File in the top-left corner.
Click on Manage Rules & Alerts.
In the pop-up window, 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 again. A warning will appear asking if you want to apply this to every message you send; click Yes.
On the 'Actions' screen, tick the box that says defer delivery by a number of minutes.
In the bottom pane, click the blue underlined phrase "a number of". A small pop-up will appear. Enter a number like 2 and click OK.
Click Next, add any exceptions if you need them (you probably don't), and then give your rule a name like "2 Minute Send Delay." Make sure "Turn on this rule" is checked, and click Finish.

Now, every email you send will wait in your Outbox for two minutes before being delivered, giving you a vital safety net.

For Web Users: Use the "Undo Send" Feature

If you primarily use Outlook on the Web (outlook.com), you don't have the "Recall" feature, but you do have a simpler "Undo Send" option. This works just like the delay rule. It holds your email for up to 10 seconds after you click send, displaying an "Undo" button. To enable it:

Click the Settings (gear icon) in the top-right corner.
Go to Mail > Compose and reply.
Scroll down to the Undo send section.
Use the slider to choose how long you want to be able to undo sending (0, 5, or 10 seconds).
Click Save.

How To Unsend An Email In Outlook FAQ

Can I unsend an email in Outlook after 2 hours?

You can attempt to, but the chances of success are extremely low. The recall only works if the recipient hasn't opened the email. After two hours, it's highly likely they have already seen it, which would cause the recall to fail.

Does recalling an email delete it for the recipient?

If the recall is successful, yes. It will remove the email from their inbox as if it were never there. If it fails, the original email remains in their inbox, and they may also get a notification that you tried to recall it.

Can you unsend an email that has been replied to?

No. If an email has been replied to or forwarded, it has definitely been opened and read. A recall attempt at this point is impossible and will fail.

What's the difference between "Recall Message" and "Resend Message"?

"Recall Message" is an attempt to delete an email from the recipient's inbox. "Resend Message" is simply a shortcut to send the same email again. Resending does not affect the original email you sent; it just creates a new copy for you to edit and send.

Final Checklist for Unsending an Email in Outlook

Act Immediately: Your chances of success decrease with every second that passes.
Confirm Account Types: Are both you and the recipient using internal company accounts on Microsoft 365 or Exchange? If not, do not proceed.
Use the Desktop App: Open the classic Outlook for Windows application, as the feature doesn't exist elsewhere.
Navigate to Sent Items: Find the email in your 'Sent Items' folder.
Open in New Window: Double-click the message to open it fully.
Execute Recall Command: Go to Message > Actions > Recall This Message.
Select Tracking: Always tick the box to be notified of success or failure.
Set Up a Delay Rule for the Future: For a more reliable solution, create a rule to defer the delivery of all your emails by 1-2 minutes.

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