How to recall an email on Outlook

If you send a wrong email and are unable to recall it, the consequences can vary from minor embarrassment to significant professional or personal issues. The recipient may receive incomplete information, confidential data, misunderstand your intentions, or react negatively to the content, potentially damaging relationships or trust. Fortunately, Outlook offers a message recall feature that, under certain circumstances, allows you to retrieve an accidentally sent email. 

Before learning how to use Outlook to recall an email, keep in mind that it only functions if the following conditions are satisfied: 

1. Recipient’s email client:

The recall feature will work when the recipient is also using Outlook. If they are using a different email client, such as Gmail or Yahoo Mail, chances are that the recall might not be successful. 

2. Email status:

The recall function will succeed if the recipient has not opened the email yet.

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Therefore, if the recipient opens the email, the recall may not succeed. 

3. Exchange server:

For the recall feature to work properly, both you and the recipient must be using Microsoft Exchange Server. 

How to recall an email in Outlook

Here are the steps to recall an email in Outlook: 

1. Launch the Outlook app and navigate to “Sent items.” 

2. Open the email that you want to recall by double clicking it. 

3. In the top ribbon, click on the “Move’ group and click on the “Actions” button. Then, select “Recall This Message.” 

4. You’ll now see two options, such as: 

Delete unread copies of this message:

This option will try to delete an email from the recipient’s inbox if it has not been opened yet. 

Delete unread copies and replace them with a new message:

This option deletes the original email and sends a replacement one. 

5. After making your choice, you can put a tick mark in the checkbox that reads, “Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient.” 

6. Click on “OK” to initiate the email recall process. 

If the recipient does not open the original email, the recall will succeed. However, if the recipient opens the email, the recall fails, leaving both the original and the recall notification visible. If you choose to replace the original email, the recipient will receive the new email instead. 

Tips for successfully using Outlook’s email recall feature

While email recall is a handy feature available on Outlook, it is not always guaranteed to work. Here are some tips to increase your chances of success: 

1. Act swiftly:

The sooner you try to recall an email, the better your chances of success. 

2. Notify the recipient:

If you realise that you have sent an email by mistake, it will be a good practice to send a follow-up email acknowledging the error and apologising. 

3. Proofreading before sending:

To avoid using Outlook’s recall feature, always double-check your emails for errors, missing attachments, and correct recipients before hitting the “Send” button. 

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Use the email delay feature: Outlook offers a “Delay Delivery” option that allows you to schedule emails to be sent at a later time. 

Recalling an email in Outlook can be a lifesaver in certain situations, but it is important to understand its limitations and be aware of the fact that it will not always work. By acting quickly, using the feature correctly, and informing the recipient, you can increase your chances of successfully retracting or replacing a mistakenly sent email. Remember, prevention is always better than cure, so double-checking your emails before sending is the best way to avoid embarrassing mistakes.