How to Recall an Email in Outlook (And When It Won’t Work)
Step-by-step instructions to recall or replace a sent email in the new Outlook, Outlook on the web and classic Outlook, plus why recalls fail and how to use Undo Send instead.
3 min read
Quick answer
Open the sent message from your Sent Items folder and choose Recall message (new Outlook and Outlook on the web) or Actions → Recall This Message (classic Outlook). Recall only works if you and the recipient use the same Microsoft 365 or Exchange organization and the email hasn’t been read yet. It doesn’t work for Gmail, Yahoo or other external addresses.
Sent an email too soon, to the wrong person, or without the attachment? Outlook’s Recall feature can sometimes pull it back, but only in specific situations.
When recall works (and when it doesn’t)
Recall works only if all of these are true:
- You use a work or school account (Microsoft 365 or Exchange)
- The recipient is in the same organization
- The recipient hasn’t opened the email yet
Recall won’t work if:
- The recipient uses Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud or another provider
- You use a personal Outlook.com account
- The email has already been read
How to recall an email in the new Outlook and Outlook on the web
- Go to your Sent Items folder.
- Double-click the email to open it in its own window.
- Select Recall message from the toolbar (it may be under the … menu).
- Click OK to confirm.
- You’ll receive a recall report email showing whether it succeeded for each recipient.
How to recall an email in classic Outlook for Windows
- Go to Sent Items and double-click the email to open it.
- On the Message tab, click Actions (or the … menu) → Recall This Message.
- Choose one option:
- Delete unread copies of this message
- Delete unread copies and replace with a new message
- Click OK.
If you chose to replace it, a copy of your original email opens so you can fix it and send the corrected version.
Turn on Undo Send (the better safety net)
Since recall is unreliable, turn on Undo send. It delays sending for a few seconds so you can cancel.
New Outlook and Outlook on the web
- Go to Settings → Mail → Compose and reply.
- Under Undo send, drag the slider to up to 10 seconds.
- Click Save.
After you click Send, an Undo button appears for the number of seconds you chose.
If the recall fails
- Send a short correction. Calm and brief works best.
- Ask the recipient to delete it if it went to the wrong person.
- Tell IT if the email contained sensitive data, as they may have other options.
Using Gmail instead? Here’s how to unsend an email in Gmail.
Frequently asked questions
Can you recall an email in Outlook after it has been read?
No. Recall only removes unread copies. If the recipient has already opened it, the email stays in their inbox.
Can I recall an email sent to a Gmail address?
No. Recall only works within the same Microsoft 365 or Exchange organization. Emails sent to external providers like Gmail can’t be recalled.
Does the recipient know I recalled an email?
Sometimes. Depending on the setup, they may see a notification that the sender wants to recall the message, which can draw more attention to it.
Can I recall an email in Outlook.com?
No. Personal Outlook.com accounts don’t support recall, but you can turn on Undo send to delay sending by a few seconds.