How to Recall an Email in Outlook

Can You Recall an Email?

Outlook has a recall feature, but it only works under certain conditions:

• Both you and the recipient use Microsoft 365 or Exchange
• The recipient has not read the email yet
• The email is still in the recipient's Inbox

Important: Recall does not work for external email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.).

How to Recall an Email

Step 1: Open Sent Items

• Open Outlook
• Click Sent Items in the left sidebar
• Find and double-click the email you want to recall

Step 2: Start the Recall

• With the email open, click File
• Click Info
• Click Resend or Recall
• Click Recall This Message

Step 3: Choose Recall Options

Select one of these options:

• Delete unread copies of this message - Removes the email
• Delete unread copies and replace with a new message - Lets you send a corrected version

Step 4: Confirm

• Check Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient
• Click OK

What Happens Next?

• If the recipient has not read the email, it will be deleted
• If they have already read it, the recall will fail
• You will receive a notification about the result

Alternative: Send a Follow-Up

If recall is not possible or fails:

• Send a new email to the recipient
• Apologise for the error
• Provide the correct information

Example:

"Please disregard my previous email. Here is the correct information..."

Tips to Avoid Mistakes

Before sending:

• Double-check the recipient's email address
• Review attachments
• Read through your message
• Use the delay send feature

Setting Up Delayed Send

To give yourself time to catch mistakes:

• Go to File > Options > Mail
• Under Send messages, check Delay delivery by X minutes

This gives you a window to cancel emails before they actually send.

Need Help?

For email assistance, contact helpdesk@netlumait.com.au or call 1300 521 162.