Jump to a step (4)
Everyone has sent an email with a typo, the wrong attachment or the wrong recipient. In Outlook you can pull the message back or swap it for a corrected one, but only while the recipient has not opened it.
Outlook's recall feature has two options: Delete unread copies of this message, which removes it from the recipient's inbox, and Delete unread copies and replace with a new message, which lets you edit and resend it. In the video I show both side by side with a second Outlook inbox, so you can see what the recipient sees.
What you need
- The classic Outlook desktop app
- A work account on Microsoft 365 or Exchange
- A recipient who has not read the email yet
Step by step
0 of 4 done-
01
Open the sent email
Go to Sent Items and double-click the email you want to recall so it opens in its own window.
-
02
Choose Recall This Message
In the message window, click Actions and select Recall This Message. You get two options:
- Delete unread copies of this message: removes the email from the recipient's inbox
- Delete unread copies and replace with a new message: lets you edit and resend it
-
03
Delete the unread copy
Select Delete unread copies of this message. Keep Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient ticked so Outlook emails you the result, and click OK. If the recipient had not opened it, the email disappears from their inbox and you get a "message was recalled successfully" report.
-
04
Or replace it with a corrected version
To fix a mistake instead, open the sent email again, choose Actions > Recall This Message, select Delete unread copies and replace with a new message and click OK. A copy of the email opens for editing. Change the subject or body and click Send. The recipient only sees the new version.
Tips and common problems
- Recall only works if the recipient has not read the email yet. Once it is opened, the original stays in their inbox.
- There is no time limit on recall in the video's test. What matters is whether the message is still unread.
- Keep the option to be told whether recall succeeds or fails, so you know for sure what happened for each recipient.
- Use the replace option when you only need to fix a typo or add a missing attachment. The recipient will see only the updated message.
Questions
Can I unsend an email in Outlook?
Yes. Open the email from Sent Items, click Actions, then Recall This Message, and choose Delete unread copies of this message. It works if the recipient has not read it yet.
What happens if the recipient already read the email?
The recall does not remove it. Outlook can only recall unread copies, and the recall report tells you it failed for that recipient.
Does Outlook recall work for Gmail or other outside addresses?
No. Recall is an Exchange feature for recipients in your Microsoft 365 or Exchange organization. It cannot remove a message from an external inbox such as Gmail.
