How to Recall an Email in Outlook (Step-by-Step)

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    You can recall an email in Outlook by opening it from your Sent Items folder and choosing the recall option, but it only works if you and the recipient both use a Microsoft 365 work or school account in the same organization and the recipient hasn’t opened the message yet. Personal accounts like Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Live can’t recall messages at all. Here’s exactly how to do it, version by version, and what to try if recall doesn’t work for you.

    Quick steps

    1. Go to your Sent Items folder and double-click the email you want to recall to open it in its own window.
    2. On the ribbon, select Recall Message (in classic Outlook, look under More Move Actions or More commands (…) > Actions).
    3. Choose to delete the unread copies or replace the message, then select OK.
    4. Check your inbox for the Message Recall Report to see if it succeeded.

    Before you start

    Recall in Outlook only works under specific conditions, so it’s worth checking these first:

    • Both you and the recipient need a Microsoft 365 work or school email account within the same organization. Recall doesn’t work across different companies or with personal email providers.
    • The recipient must not have opened the message yet. Once it’s been read, recall can’t pull it back.
    • You must double-click to open the message from Sent Items. Selecting it so it just shows in the reading pane won’t give you the recall option.
    • Messages protected by Azure Information Protection can’t be recalled.
    • If you use @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, or @msn.com, message recall isn’t available at all. Use the Undo Send delay instead (covered below).

    Recall an email in new Outlook for Windows

    This applies if you’re using the newer, redesigned Outlook for Windows with a work or school Microsoft 365 account.

    1. Select Sent Items in the left folder pane.
    2. Double-click the message you want to recall to open it in its own window.
    3. On the ribbon, select Recall Message, then select OK in the confirmation dialog box.
    4. Watch your inbox for a Message Recall Report. Open the link in that email to see whether the recall succeeded, is still pending, or failed.

    If you don’t see a Recall Message option, you may not actually be on new Outlook yet. In that case, follow the classic Outlook steps below instead.

    Recall an email in classic Outlook for Windows

    This applies to Outlook 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Outlook for Microsoft 365 running the traditional desktop interface, with a work or school Exchange account.

    1. In the folder pane, select the Sent Items folder.
    2. Double-click to open the message you want to recall. Note that just previewing it in the reading pane won’t work; it must open in its own window.
    3. If you have the Classic Ribbon: on the Message tab, in the Move group, select More Move Actions, then choose Recall This Message.
    4. If you have the Simplified Ribbon: select the Message tab, choose More commands (…), point to Actions, then select Recall This Message.
    5. Choose either Delete unread copies of this message or Delete unread copies and replace with a new message, then select OK.
    6. If you’re sending a replacement message, write it and select Send.

    If you don’t see Recall This Message anywhere, you probably don’t have an Exchange account, or your organization has turned the feature off.

    Checking your recall status

    Usually within about 30 seconds of submitting a recall, you’ll get an email titled “Message Recall Report for message [subject].” Select the View Message Recall Report link (you may need to sign in with your mailbox credentials) to see the outcome. Recall attempts typically process quickly no matter how many recipients are involved, but Outlook will keep retrying for up to 24 hours if a recipient’s mailbox is temporarily unavailable before marking the recall as failed. For very large recipient lists, it can take longer for the full status report to come through.

    Recall an email in Outlook on the web (work or school account)

    If you sign in to Outlook on the web with a Microsoft 365 work or school account, you can recall a message the same way you would in new Outlook.

    1. Select Sent Items in the left folder pane.
    2. Double-click the sent message to open it in its own window.
    3. On the ribbon, select Recall Message, then select OK in the confirmation box.
    4. Check your inbox for the Message Recall Report to confirm whether the recall worked.

    This option is tied to your Microsoft 365 work or school account settings, so availability can vary depending on how your organization has configured Exchange Online.

    Outlook.com and personal accounts: use Undo Send instead

    If your email address ends in @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, or @msn.com, message recall simply isn’t available. Once a message leaves these web-based mailboxes, it’s out of your control. Instead, turn on Undo Send, which delays sending your message for a short window so you can cancel it before it actually goes out.

    1. At the top of Outlook.com, select Settings > Mail > Compose.
    2. Under Undo send, choose how long Outlook.com should wait before sending your messages (up to 30 seconds).
    3. Select Save.

    After this is set up, you’ll see an Undo prompt at the bottom of your message list every time you send an email, available for as long as you configured.

    If it doesn’t work

    You don’t see “Recall This Message” anywhere

    This usually means you’re not on an Exchange or Microsoft 365 work/school account, or your organization has disabled the recall feature. Personal accounts and most non-Microsoft email providers never show this option.

    The recall report says it failed

    The most common reason is that the recipient already opened the email before the recall reached their mailbox. Recall also fails if the recipient is outside your organization, uses a different email system, or the message is protected by Azure Information Protection.

    Recall status is stuck on “pending”

    If a recipient’s mailbox is temporarily unavailable, Outlook keeps retrying automatically for up to 24 hours before marking the recall as failed. Large distribution lists can also take longer to report a final status for every recipient.

    You’re using a shared mailbox

    Recall behavior can be inconsistent with shared or delegated mailboxes, since messages sent from a shared mailbox don’t always get saved the same way as messages from a personal mailbox. If recall isn’t working from a shared mailbox, try sending a follow-up correction instead.

    You need a fix that works every time

    Because recall depends on timing and account type, it’s not guaranteed to work even when it’s technically supported. If you regularly send emails you might need to unsend, consider using a send delay rule or double-checking attachments and recipients before hitting send.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I recall an email sent to someone outside my company?

    No. Recall only works when both you and the recipient have a Microsoft 365 work or school account within the same organization. If the recipient uses a different company’s email system or a personal account, recall isn’t available.

    Does recall work if the recipient already read the email?

    No. Once a recipient opens the message, Outlook can no longer pull it back from their mailbox. Recall only removes unread copies of the message.

    How long does an email recall take in Outlook?

    Most recall actions complete quickly, and you’ll usually get a Message Recall Report within about 30 seconds. If a recipient’s mailbox is temporarily unreachable, Outlook keeps trying for up to 24 hours before reporting the recall as failed.

    Is there an “Undo Send” option like Gmail in Outlook?

    Yes, but it’s for personal Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, and MSN accounts, which can’t use message recall. You can set a short delay of up to 30 seconds in Outlook.com’s Compose settings, giving you a brief window to cancel a message after clicking send.

    Can I recall an email in Outlook on my phone or Outlook for Mac?

    Outlook for Mac has its own version of message recall under the same basic requirements as Windows, but Microsoft documents its steps separately from Windows and web instructions. Mobile Outlook apps generally don’t offer a recall feature, so double-check messages before sending from your phone.

    Sources

    Updated on September 25, 2026
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