“Oh my, I shouldn’t have sent that email,” we’ve all said at some point. The good news is that in Microsoft Outlook, you may unsend or recall an email. We’ll discuss how to unsend an email and how to postpone communications so you can review them to assist you avoid this issue in the future.
Use Undo Send in Outlook for the Web
With a single click, you may stop an email from being sent in Outlook for the web. You’ll have up to 10 seconds to do so. First, confirm that the functionality is correctly configured.
To begin, click the Settings icon (the gear) and then go to the bottom of the resulting sidebar. Then select “View All Outlook Settings.”
Related: 12 Default Microsoft Excel Settings You Should Change
When the Settings box appears, choose “Mail” on the far left, followed by “Compose and Reply” on the right.
Move down to the Undo Send section on the far right. You’ll see a brief description of the function, as well as a slider to modify the amount of seconds from 1 to 10.
Once you adjust the Undo Send timing, be sure to click “Save” at the bottom.
Unsend Your Email
When you send an email on Outlook for the web, you’ll see a little note at the bottom.
Click “Undo” to prevent your email from being sent to your recipient within the timeframe you specified above.
The email will then appear as a draft, exactly as it did when you first created it. You can then change or delete it as you see fit.
Recall an Email in Outlook on Desktop
The distinction is that the email is still sent to the recipient; but, if your recipient hasn’t opened it yet, you can recall it.
There is no time limit for you to remember the message. However, the longer you wait, the more likely your receiver will open the email.
Note: Only if both you and your receiver have a Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Exchange email account in the same organization can you remember an email after you press Send.
If you have more than one email account, go to the Sent folder for each one. Go to the Message tab after selecting the message to open it in its own window.
Click the drop-down arrow for More Move Actions in the Move part of the ribbon. Select “Recall This Message.”
Mark the option to delete unread copies of the email or remove the unread copies and replace them with a fresh message in the Recall This Message pop-up box.
Check the box if you wish to be notified if the recall is successful or unsuccessful. “OK” will be shown.
When you select the option to replace the email, a new compose window appears. You’ll see your original message, which you can modify.
When you’ve finished modifying the email, click “Send.”
Note: If your receiver receives an email, you may choose to recall the message.
Create a Rule to Delay Sending Emails
Create a rule in the Outlook desktop client to prevent unintentionally sending an email or sending one so rapidly that you forget an attachment or recipient.
This rule pauses the sending of emails for the amount of minutes you specify. The emails remain in your Outbox, where you may examine them before sending them.
Navigate to the File tab and choose “Info” on the left. If you have more than one email account, choose it at the top. Then, on the right, select “Manage Rules & Alerts.”
Navigate to the File tab and then to the left, select “Info.” Choose the top email account if you have more than one. Select “Manage Rules & Alerts” on the right.
When the Rules Wizard appears, under the Start From a Blank Rule section, pick “Apply Rule on Messages I Send.” Select “Next.”
Next, you can select specific conditions for your rule if you like.
For example, you may want the rule to only apply to messages labeled as essential or communications with certain terms in the subject line.
If you don’t pick any criteria, simply click “Next.” You’ll then get an alert confirming that you want your rule to apply to every email you send.
Click “Yes” to confirm and proceed.
Check the box at the bottom of the screen for Defer Delivery by a Number of Minutes.
Then, in the Step 2 box at the bottom, click the link to “a number of.”
Enter the amount of minutes you wish to utilize in the ensuing pop-up box and click “OK,” then click “Next.”
Check the boxes next to any exceptions you want to make to your rule. Then, once more, click “Next.”
Give your rule a name on the last screen. Check the box to Turn On This Rule and, if desired, the box to Create This Rule on All Accounts.
Examine the rule description at the bottom. If you need to make a modification, click “Back.” Otherwise, click “Finish” to finish creating your rule.
When you return to the Rules and Alerts pane, your new rule will be listed. To exit the window and return to your inbox, click “Apply” and then “OK.”
Your new rule will be listed when you return to the Rules and Alerts window. Click “Apply” and then “OK” to close the window and return to your inbox.
When you send an email that lacks an attachment or includes information that should not be included, you have the option to unsend or recall the email. However, to prevent this from happening again, try adding a delay delivery rule to any Outlook emails you send.
ManilaShaker is a tech media producing insightful and helpful content for our local and growing international audience. Our goal is to create a premier Philippine digital consumer electronics resource that provides the most objective reviews and comparisons globally.
