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It's happened again: you've accidentally sent a work email with the wrong appointment date. And that's not all. Instead of the link to the video presentation of your latest product, there's a URL for a compilation called "Baby animals in all their glory." It's cute, but not sure it will go down well with your client...
Don't despair! It's still possible to fix these mistakes by canceling or recalling the email, two features available in Outlook that allow you to unsend, retract, or pull back a sent message.
We'll show you how to recall an email in Outlook in a few steps on different devices and versions of the email software.
If you've searched for information on how to delete a sent email, you may have noticed that the terms "Undo Send" and "Recall Email" are very similar, even confusing. This is normal: the two terms generally refer to the same thing on most email services, including when you want to unsend an email from Gmail.
However, in Outlook, each term refers to a specific feature, as you will see. Therefore, in this article, we will temporarily distinguish between canceling sending and recalling emails.
To recover an email sent by mistake, Outlook, like other services such as Gmail, includes a feature to undo sending the email within a certain time limit (5 to 30 seconds). In this case, the email has not yet been delivered to the recipient and is still on the server.
This feature is only available on certain versions of Outlook: it can be found on Outlook for Microsoft 365, and is also available on Outlook Web (or Outlook.com, the online version of the email service).
However, it is not possible to cancel sending in Outlook for Mac or older versions of Outlook (Outlook 2019, 2016, and 2013).
Another email recovery feature offered by Outlook is email recall, which allows you to delete an email that has already been delivered to the recipient's inbox or replace it with another message. Yes, you read that right! This is a useful feature that is not available with all email providers and truly answers the question: "Can you recall an email?"
However, this recall feature is only available on recent versions of Outlook for Microsoft 365 and those using an Exchange Server environment (corporate email server).
First, here's how to use the email cancellation feature in Outlook on different versions of the software. You'll see, it's a piece of cake!
Please note: the names of the commands and tabs may differ depending on the version (more or less recent) and the device you are using. If you cannot find the exact commands mentioned, look for a similar command.
On the online version of Outlook, Outlook.com (or Outlook Web), you can set a time limit to cancel an email immediately after sending it. This Outlook webmail recall email feature is particularly useful for quick corrections.
Here's how to do it:
Once the delay is enabled and configured, you will be able to cancel the sending during the selected time period. After sending the message, an Undo button will automatically appear at the bottom of the window. You will need to click within the allotted time to stop your email from being sent. After this time, it will be too late to cancel the sending!
The desktop version of Outlook 365 also includes a cancel sending feature. To activate it:
As with the online version, Outlook 365 desktop will offer you the option to cancel the sending of your email within the predefined time limit.
It is not yet possible to set a cancellation delay directly via the Outlook mobile app.
The solution? If you are writing an email that you consider "risky," i.e., one that may need to be canceled, go to your Outlook account online from your mobile browser. The cancellation feature will be available there!
The email recall feature in Outlook allows you to delete or modify an email even after it has been delivered to the recipient. This is a very useful feature for quickly correcting mistakes and omissions in your emails when you need to withdraw an email in Outlook, but it is only available under certain conditions.
Imagine you are playing fetch with your golden retriever (yes, the one mentioned in the intro). Once the ball leaves your hand, you can no longer control it or bring it back to you. However, if you attach a very long string to the ball, you have complete control over what happens next: you can quickly bring it back to you before your companion finds it, to spice up the game, for example.
Similarly, in order for you to edit or recall an email, it must be linked to you in some way. In email terms, this means not leaving your server! You and your correspondent must therefore use the same server.
Hence the various conditions required to be able to use the recall function in Outlook:
Don't have email yet, or is your version not up to date to use the Exchange server? Here's how to create an Outlook mailbox.
Yes! It is possible to unsend or recall an email in Outlook, provided you meet the conditions mentioned above. The key is acting quickly and ensuring both parties use the Exchange server.
Here's how to quickly recall an email in Outlook in 3 simple steps.
When you send an email reminder, there are several ways to check whether it worked.
First, if you checked the box "Notify me if the reminder succeeds or fails for each recipient," you will automatically receive one of the following emails:
If you didn't check the notification box beforehand, don't panic! You can still check the status of the message by going to the Sent Items folder and double-clicking on the message.
Despite these effective methods for canceling an email in Outlook, sometimes you don't react quickly enough and the incorrect email is opened by the recipient. In this case, the best thing to do is to send a follow-up email to make the necessary changes! Here are 5 tips for writing a good follow-up email!
Want to know all the best practices for professional writing? Here's how to write a professional email.
The first step to an effective follow-up email is not to wait to send it! The faster you react, the better your chances of avoiding confusion due to conflicting information. A quick response also demonstrates your professionalism, which is always appreciated.
Politeness is a must! If you forgot to include information or sent incorrect data in your first email, it's always a good idea to apologize briefly and acknowledge your mistake.
There's no need to go into lengthy explanations: a simple phrase such as "Please excuse the error" will do the trick. This reflex will increase your correspondent's confidence in you.
If you have any doubts about the wording or tone to use, take a look at our professional email examples for inspiration.
In your follow-up email, quickly dispel any doubts by providing the missing information right away or modifying the message immediately. Keep it concise so you don't "lose" your correspondent.
Even after making changes, your recipient may still be confused about the content of your message. To prevent this situation, let them know at the end of the message that you are available to answer any questions they may have.
Here's a riddle for you: what's small, pretty, and always leaves a good taste in your mouth? No, it's not a sour candy! It's an email signature, of course.
At the end of your correction message, don't forget to include a professional email signature that includes your personal information, clickable links, your company's graphic charter, etc. In short, everything you need to add a professional finishing touch to your message.
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With the ability to cancel sending and recall emails in Outlook, your professional correspondence will always run smoothly! On that note, don't forget to create a professional email address for truly effective professional communication.
To unsend an email in Outlook, you have two options depending on timing. For immediate unsending (within 5-30 seconds), enable the "Undo Send" feature in your Outlook settings. After sending an email, click the "Undo" button that appears. For emails already delivered, use the recall feature: open the sent email, go to File > Info > Recall this message, then choose to delete or replace the message.
To retrieve or recover a sent email in Outlook, go to your Sent Items folder and double-click the message to open it in a new window. Then click File > Info > Recall this message. You can either delete the unread message or replace it with a corrected version. Note that this only works if the recipient hasn't opened the email and both parties use Exchange server.
Recalling an email in Outlook allows you to either delete an unread message from the recipient's inbox or replace it with a corrected version. This feature helps you fix mistakes, update information, or rescind an email sent in error. However, recall only works when both parties use Exchange server and the recipient hasn't opened the message yet.
To recall or unsend a message in Outlook without the recipient knowing, you must act before they open the email. Use the recall feature: open the sent message, go to File > Info > Recall this message, and select "Delete unread copies." Don't check the notification box if you want to avoid drawing attention. If successful and the email was unread, the recipient won't be notified. However, if they've already opened it or you're not on the same Exchange server, the recall will fail.
Yes, you can delete an email you sent in Outlook using the recall feature, but only under specific conditions. The recipient must not have opened the email, and both you and the recipient must use the Exchange server. Simply open the sent message, select File > Info > Recall this message, then choose to delete unread copies.
No, if you delete an email from your Sent Items folder in Outlook, it does not unsend the message or remove it from the recipient's inbox. Deleting only removes it from your own folder. To truly unsend or retract an email, you must use the "Undo Send" feature immediately after sending or the "Recall" feature if the email is already delivered but unread.
