How do you recall email in outlook

If your business uses Microsoft Outlook on the collaborative communications server, Microsoft Exchange Server, you have some advantages over standard Outlook account users, such as the ability to search multiple mailboxes, increased security features and the ability to recall or even replace an email message. With the latter, you can "unsend" emails, which is ideal if you forget to include important information, discover an error in a message or realize you hit the dreaded "Reply All" button on a private email. In addition, you can replace the recalled message with a modified version.

Recall an Email

1. 1.

   Start Outlook and select the "Sent Items" folder in the Navigation Pane. Double-click the message you want to recall to open it.

2. 2.

   Select the "Message" tab of the email message window.

3. 3.

   Click the "Actions" drop-down arrow in the Move group and select "Recall This Message." Select "Delete Unread Copies of This Message."

4. 4.

   Select the "Tell Me if Recall Succeeds or Fails for Each Recipient" check box if you want to a notification informing you about the results of your attempt and click "OK."

Replace an Email

1. 1.

   Start Outlook and select the "Sent Items" folder in the Navigation Pane. Double-click the message you want to recall to open it.

2. 2.

   Select the "Message" tab of the email message window. Click the "Actions" drop-down arrow in the Move group and select "Recall This Message."

3. 3.

   Select "Delete Unread Copies and Replace With a New Message." Select the "Tell Me if Recall Succeeds or Fails for Each Recipient" check box if you want to a notification informing you about the results of your attempt.

   This article explains how to recall an email, the requirements for recalling Outlook emails, and potential results and delays that can occur during recalls. Instructions in this article apply to Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007; and Outlook for Microsoft 365.

   How to Recall Email in Outlook (and Replace It, If Desired)

   When you attempt to retract email, Outlook may notify the recipient of the recalled email. To recall an email in Outlook:

   1. Open Outlook and go to the Sent Items folder. 

      
      

   2. Double-click the sent message you want to recall to open it in a separate window.

      The options to recall a message are not available when the message is displayed in the Reading Pane.

      
      

   3. Go to the Message tab, select the Actions dropdown arrow, and choose Recall This Message.

      In Outlook 2007, go to the Message tab, in the Actions group, select Other Actions, and then Recall This Message.

      
      

   4. In the Recall This Message dialog box, select one of the following:

      • Delete Unread Copies of This Message to recall the message.
      • Delete Unread Copies and Replace With a New Message to replace the message with a new one.
      
      

   5. If you want to receive notification of the results, select the Tell Me if Recall Succeeds or Fails for Each Recipient check box. 

   6. Select OK.

   7. If you selected Delete Unread Copies and Replace with a New Message, modify the original message.

   8. Select Send.

   9. You'll receive an Outlook notification message regarding the success or failure of your attempt to retract or replace the email. 

   Requirements for Recalling an Email Message

   Some caveats apply when you want to recall an Outlook email message:

   • Both you and your recipient must have an Exchange server email account and use Outlook as the email client.
   • The recipient's mailbox is open when you attempt to process a recall.
   • The original message is unread and is in the recipient's Inbox.
   • The message was not touched by any process, such as a rule, spam filter, or add-in.

   If any of these requirements are not met, your recall will fail.

   Possible Results When You Recall Outlook Email

   Depending on the settings of the recipient's email client, whether the original email has already been read, and several other factors, the results of your attempt to recall a message can vary. Following are some of the potential results of an Outlook recall. 

   • If the recipient has read the message, the recall will fail. Both the original message and the new message (or notification of your attempt to recall the original message) are available to the recipient. 
   • If the recipient has not opened the original message and opens the recall message first, the original message is deleted. Outlook informs the recipient that you deleted the message from their mailbox.

   These results also occur if the recipient moves both messages to the same folder, either manually or using a rule.

   If the recipient enabled Automatically process requests and responses to meeting requests and polls, under Tracking, and the recipient has not read the original email, Outlook deletes the original message and informs the recipient that you deleted the message.

   In Outlook 2007, this feature is called Process requests and responses on arrival and it under Tracking Options.

   However, if the original message is marked as read when the recall message is processed, the recipient is informed that you want to delete the message. The original message remains in the recipient's inbox.

   If the recipient moves the original message out of the inbox and into another folder (manually or using a rule) and the recall message goes to the inbox, the retraction fails regardless of whether either has been read or not. The recipient is informed that a recall attempt failed. The recipient has access to both the original and the new email message. 

   In addition, if you use Outlook on a mobile device and attempt to recall a message, the process will likely fail. 

   How to Delay Sending Messages

   Sending an incorrect email can be counterproductive and even embarrassing.

   While Outlook’s recall feature might save you in a pinch, you can alleviate some stress by scheduling an email to be sent later or delaying messages to be sent. This gives you time to recognize errors or update information before your email lands in your recipient’s inbox.

   Can you recall an email after it is sent?

   Recall an email with Undo Send Right after you send a message, you can retract it: In the bottom left, you'll see "Message sent" and the option to "Undo" or "View message". Click Undo.

   How do I recall an email in Outlook without recipients knowing?

   Does the recipient know if an email is recalled in Outlook? No, as long as the original message is never opened, the recipient will never know that an email is recalled. They will just see the second email you've sent in place of the original.

   Why can't I recall an email in Outlook?

   If the recipient uses a POP3, IMAP, or Outlook.com account or is on a different Exchange server, even within the same organization, a recall will fail. The recipient must have an active Outlook Exchange connection. If they are working off-line in the Cached Exchange Mode, a recall won't work.

   How do I recall someone else's email?

   Answers.

   Open the message you want to recall..

   Click File, and then click "Recall This Message"..

   Click Delete unread copies /Delete unread copies and replace with a new message..