Sending or receiving an email increases work productivity; therefore, we use personal information managers and convenient email versions like Outlook. But sometimes, we notice a grammatical error or typo in an email, or we forget to send a link in the email we sent. Microsoft Outlook offers us the feature of recalling emails. It implies that you can place the email before the receiver receives it. If you are also unaware of the process regarding how to recall an email in Outlook, we have compiled important information for you all.
Important Steps to Recall an Email in Outlook
Recalling an email in Outlook is impossible in the web-based version of Outlook. You must have a web-based version of Outlook to place a message; it is only available in the desktop client. Recalling an email in Outlook will only be successful if you have a Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 account within the same organization. Let’s follow these steps to successfully recall an email in Outlook.
1) Go to Sent Items Folder
Enter your credentials and open your Microsoft Outlook account. After that, you will see a menu on the left side, and you can access the sent items folder to view the sent emails.
2) Open the Email and Recall
Now, open the email that you want to recall. To open the email, double-click on it. Find the option of action dropdown, and click on the recall this message or email option.
3) Select and Delete the Required Options
You will see the option to recall this message. Select the option you want to choose. You will see a pop-up window on the screen. You will see two options. The first is to delete unread copies of the message. The second one is to delete the unread copies of the message and then replace them with a new one.
Selecting the first option will delete the message from the recipient’s inbox if they have not opened it. The other option will delete the message from the recipient’s inbox and replace it with a new one.
4) Confirm Recall
Proceeding further, in the same pop-up window, click on Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient. Clicking on this option will immediately confirm whether your recall has worked effectively or not. By following all these steps, you can learn how to recall an email in Outlook.
Key Requirements for Recalling an Email in Outlook
If you use Microsoft Outlook and want to explore how to recall an email in Outlook, you must know these essential requirements to make recalling an email in Outlook successful. Here are the key requirements you must follow:
1) The recipient has not opened the message
The very first requirement to send a recall message is that the recipient should not have opened the message until now. Only then will you use the recall message feature; otherwise, it will not work.
2) The Recipient Should be from the same organisation
Another important requirement for a recall feature to work effectively is that the recipient and sender both belong to the same organization. If they hail from different organizations, the recall feature will not work.
3) Recipient and Sender Use Outlook
As the ability to recall a message successfully is available in Microsoft Outlook, both the sender and the recipient should use the software. On the fulfilment of this condition, you will be able to use the feature of recalling a message. If the sender is using a Microsoft account but sends an email to Gmail instead of Outlook, recalling the message facility will not work.
4) Using Outlook on Windows
The next requirement for successfully recalling a message is that you should use Microsoft Outlook on the Windows operating system. The facility of recalling a message is not available on Mac.
5) The recipient does not redirect message
The recipient may follow a specific rule for sending some emails to a different folder. If original email lies in a specific folder and your recall message stays in the recipient’s email inbox, the recall message will not be successful.
Alternative Options When Recalling an Email in Outlook Does not Work
If the receiver of the email has already opened your email, the recalling facility on Outlook will not work. The key question is: What should we do in such a scenario? What are the alternative steps that we can take? Well, the best way is to avoid the circumstances that require you to recall the email. Therefore, you must double-check the messages to analyze any typos or mistakes in the respective email. Also, check the message at least twice to ensure that you are sending it to the right person.
Microsoft Outlook also provides you with a setting to delay emails so that you don’t send them right away. Delaying an email gives you an appropriate time to look for any probable mistakes or cancel or edit the email without sending any notifications to the recipient. Here are the steps to delay an email in Microsoft Outlook.
1) Go to the file option in the left corner of Microsoft Outlook.
2) Scroll down to manage rules and alerts.
3) Go to the option of Rules and Alerts on your screen, and then select the new rule option from it.
4) Now, click on apply rules to messages I send, and press the next button to continue.
5) Select the option of next again, and then choose yes on the confirmation screen.
6) Now, click on defer the delivery by a number of minutes. Select a specific number, then click OK and hit the next option.
7) Give the delay a particular name, click on the option to turn on this rule, and then click on the finish option.
The Closing Thoughts
With the help of all the above steps, you can learn how to recall an email in Outlook. This facility will help you correct any typos or mistakes in your email before reaching the recipient. Recalling an email is a wonderful facility that gives you another chance to rectify your mistakes. Now, little mistakes and typos will not cause any embarrassment to you if you use the Microsoft Outlook recall option. So, try it to enhance your work effectiveness, as using this option in Outlook is an opportunity to save yourself from typos.
Hi, This is Bharat Divya, a post-graduate in English. Found a natural flair for writing from the very beginning. Divya loved giving voice to the natural inclination towards writing. Joined the content writing industry and explored her passion in diverse ways. Her passion for weaving thoughts into words is innate and gives wings to her imagination. She loves to pen down writing in different niches like fashion, beauty, food, celebrity lifestyles, and many more.
