How to recall outlook email

Have you ever hit “send” on an email in Outlook, only to realize moments later that you forgot to include an important attachment or made a significant error in the message? It’s a common scenario that can leave you feeling anxious about a potential misunderstanding or miscommunication with the recipient. Fortunately, Outlook offers a feature that allows you to recall an email, giving you a chance to correct your mistake before the recipient opens it. In this post, we’ll delve into how to effectively recall an Outlook email.

To recall an Outlook email, open your “Sent Items,” double-click on the email you wish to recall, and select “Actions” followed by “Recall This Message.” You will then have the option to delete unread copies of the message or replace it with a new one, after which you can choose to receive notifications about the recall status.

Recalling an Outlook email is a straightforward process, but it’s important to note that the success of the recall can depend on a number of factors, such as the recipient’s email settings and whether they’ve already read the message. Here’s how to do it step by step:

1. Open Outlook: Launch your Outlook application and navigate to the “Sent Items” folder in your mailbox. This folder contains all the emails you’ve sent.

2. Locate the Email: Find the email you want to recall. You can sort the emails by date or use the search bar to quickly locate the specific message.

3. Open the Email: Double-click on the email to open it fully. This opens the message in a new window for further actions.

4. Access Actions: In the open email window, look for the “File” tab in the top left corner, then navigate to “Message” and select “Actions.” Alternatively, you might find the “Actions” drop-down on the ribbon if your version of Outlook supports it.

5. Recall This Message: Click on “Recall This Message.” A window will pop up offering you two options: “Delete unread copies of this message” and “Replace with a new message.” Choose the option that best suits your needs.

6. Send a New Email (if needed): If you selected to replace the message, you can edit and send a new email. Make your changes, and hit “Send” again.

7. Get Notifications: You may also choose to receive notifications about the recall status, which can inform you whether the recall was successful for specific recipients.

It’s essential to remember that for the recall to work successfully, both you and the recipient must be using Microsoft Exchange and the email must be unread. If the recipient has already opened the email or uses a different email server, the recall won’t be effective. This feature is handy in preventing miscommunications, but it’s always advisable to double-check your emails before hitting “send” to minimize the need for recalls in the first place.