We’ve all experienced the anxiety of sending an email too early, without the right attachment, or to the wrong person, only to be forced to hastily construct an anxious email with a creative reason – or simply surrender to embarrassment. Microsoft Outlook is one of the few email platforms that supports email recall. With this function, you won’t have to be afraid of your Monday’s brain and can go on with your week without making any mistakes. A few feature requirements and caveats must be addressed. So, in this post, we’ll discover how to recall an email in Outlook 365 for Mac and the web app, as well as how long it takes to recall an email.
What Does “Recall an Email” in Outlook Mean?
In Outlook, recalling an email refers to the ability to retrieve an email that you accidentally send before the intended recipient receives it. This tool is very beneficial if you sent an incomplete message, neglect to attach a file, or sent an email to the wrong person. Microsoft Outlook offers two methods for performing the recall:
- Remove the message from the Inbox of the recipient. When you select this option, the original email will be deleted from the recipient’s inbox and they will no longer be able to see it.
- Substitute a fresh message for the original. This option allows you to replace the original email with a new one that corrects any typos or omissions.
It’s important to note that successful email recall is only available to Microsoft Exchange and Office 365 customers. Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and 365 all support the feature.
While Outlook provides this useful functionality, other email programs may offer a comparable function under a different name. Gmail, for example, has an Undo Send option that works slightly differently. Rather than recalling the message, Gmail delays the email-sending process for a short period, allowing users to reverse the operation within that time frame. For further information, see Undo email sending in Gmail.
How to Recall an Email in Outlook 365
When you send an email containing sensitive information to the incorrect recipient, you generally want to retrieve the email as soon as possible. When a user recalls an email, it is deleted from the user’s inbox, but only if certain requirements are met. So, how do you recall an email in Outlook 365?
We can not only recall and delete an email but also replace it with a new one. However, in both situations, this works only under specified conditions. I’ll go over the parameters that must be met to recall an email in Outlook 365.
Requirements to Recall an Email in Outlook 365
Before you attempt to recall your email message, you should be aware of the criteria under which it works. Unfortunately, the use scenarios in which it is useful are extremely limited. The following conditions must be followed to effectively recall an email:
- You and the recipient must both be employees of the same company (and use the same mail server).
- You and the recipient must both be using Outlook.
- The recipient must have not read the email – the preview window counts as read.
- The recipient’s Outlook must be open.
- You are unable to recall an email using Outlook Online or the Outlook App on your mobile device.
- You are unable to recall an email that has been protected by Azure Information Protection.
- Recall messages must be enabled in Exchange Online (this is the default setting).
How to Recall an Email in Outlook 365
When the parameters listed above are met, we can attempt to recall an email in Outlook. To retrieve the email, follow the steps below:
- Open the Sent Email item: In Outlook, go to Sent Items and select the email you wish to recall.
- Open Recall This Message: Click Move Actions in the ribbon (menu bar) and then pick Recall This Message.
If you can’t find the button, continue reading for another option. If you have the simple ribbon (small menu bar), the recall option is located under:
More Options
Actions
Recall This Message
- Select whether to recall or replace the message: You can now select whether to merely recall the message or replace it with a fresh message.
Make sure the selection “Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient” is selected. You will be notified if the recall was successful in this manner. - Wait for the recall to complete: After clicking OK, you will see a notification in your sent email indicating that you attempted to recall the message.
Another Way to Recall a Message in Outlook
If you can find the Move Action button from Step 2, you can also recall the email in Outlook 365 by following the instructions below:
- Open the email from your Sent Items in Outlook
- Click on File
- Choose Resend or Recall
- Select Recall This Message
- Follow step 3 above to continue
How to Recall an Email in Outlook Mac
In Outlook for Mac, the ability to recall an email is not available. Unlike the Windows version of Outlook, the Mac version lacks a built-in function for recalling previously sent emails.
If you need to recall or edit an email sent with Outlook for Mac, you must send a follow-up email describing the situation and providing any necessary revisions or updates. It is crucial to note that this method is not guaranteed to work because the receiver may have already read or acted on the original email.
Consider the following suggestions to help prevent errors before sending an email in Outlook for Mac:
- Carefully review your emails before sending them to verify accuracy and completeness.
- Double-check the email address of the recipient to ensure it is correct.
- If available, use the “Delay Delivery” function to delay sending the email. This can provide you with a small window of time to cancel or amend the email before it is delivered.
- If available, enable the “Undo Send” feature, which allows you to cancel the sending of an email within a few seconds of selecting the “Send” button. Please keep in mind, however, that this feature may not be available in all versions of Outlook for Mac.
Check the most recent version of Outlook for Mac, as well as any recent upgrades, to determine if the email recall capability has been added since my knowledge cutoff. For the most up-to-date information about Outlook for Mac features and capabilities, consult the official Microsoft documentation or visit the Microsoft Office support page.
Undo Send’ – An Alternative to Recall Mail on Outlook for Mac
As an alternative to the Recall This message tool, you can use Outlook for Mac’s ‘Undo Send’ option. However, you must first enable this option. Follow the instructions below to enable the ‘Undo Send’ option:
- Navigate to Settings.
- From the options menu, select the ‘Compose’ option.
- Select the grace period from the ‘Undo Sent’ menu. The longest grace period that can be configured is 20 seconds.
When you finish the setting, you’ll see an “Undo” button at the bottom of the window every time you send an email. This button will be available for the duration of the grace period you specified before. The message will be recalled and you will be returned to the draft version if you click the undo button. You can then make any necessary adjustments and resend it.
How to Recall an Email in Outlook Web App
If you want to recall an email in Microsoft Outlook Web App, the bad news is that it isn’t as simple as you might think. However, if you are quick, there is a method you can use to recall an email you have just sent.
You can recall an email in Outlook Web App (OWA) by following these steps:
- Open a web browser and sign in to your Outlook account to access the Outlook Web App.
- Open the “Sent Items” folder and find the email you wish to recall.
- To examine the email’s contents, double-click on it.
- A toolbar with several choices should appear at the top of the email window. Select More Actions by clicking the ellipsis (three dots) button.
- Click the drop-down box and choose “Recall This Message.”
- A pop-up window with two options will appear. Based on your choices, select the suitable option.
- After selecting the appropriate recall option, click “OK” to begin the recall process.
- Outlook will then try to recall the email. The recall is more likely to be effective if the recipient has not yet viewed the email or if both you and the receiver are using the same Exchange server. Please keep in mind, however, that the recall’s success is not assured, as it is dependent on a variety of factors, including the recipient’s email client and server settings.
It’s crucial to note that the Outlook Web App recall capability may not be available in all businesses or email settings. Furthermore, if the recipient has already viewed the email, the recall effort will fail.
Remember to double-check your emails before sending them to avoid the need for a recall.
How Long Does It Take To Recall an Email in Outlook
It is possible to recall an email in Outlook, but it is crucial to understand that it has restrictions and may not always be successful. The time it takes to recall an email in Outlook depends on several factors.
To begin, it is determined by how quickly you notice you need to recall the email. The sooner you recognize the error and begin the recall procedure, the better your chances of success. The recall attempt may fail if the recipient has already opened or read the email.
Second, the time it takes to recall an email is also affected by network and server settings. The recall process can be quite short if both the sender and the recipient are connected to the same Exchange server. However, if the email has already been delivered to the recipient’s inbox, or if the sender and recipient use different email systems, the recall procedure may take longer or may not work at all.
In general, it is advised to attempt an email recall as quickly as possible after discovering the error. The longer you wait, the more probable the recipient will have already seen the email. To begin the recall procedure in Outlook, open the sent email, navigate to the “Message” tab, click “Actions,” and then click “Recall This Message.” You can then select whether to delete the unread email copies or replace them with a new message.
However, even if you commence the recall procedure, there is no guarantee that the email will be successfully recalled. The recipient’s email client settings, server setups, and other factors can all have an impact on the result. To avoid any potential problems, always double-check your emails before sending them.
Does Outlook Notify When You Recall an Email?
When you recall an email in Outlook, whether you’re using the desktop client, the Outlook Web App, or another version, the receiver may receive a notification. It is crucial to note, however, that notice is not always assured and is dependent on several factors.
Can You Recall an Email Without Recipient Knowing?
In most circumstances, it is impossible to recall an email without the recipient’s awareness. When you initiate an email recall in Outlook or any other email client, the recipient is normally contacted. The notification notifies them that the sender is attempting to recall the email and may include other information.
Does Deleting an Email Unsend It?
No. Deleting an email does not remove it from the recipient’s inbox. When you delete an email from your inbox, you are simply removing it from your perspective; it does not affect the copies of the email that have already been transmitted to the recipient’s mailbox.
Where Is the Actions Tab in Outlook?
There is no “Actions” tab on the ribbon of Microsoft Outlook. Depending on the version of Outlook and the context of the email, the actions available for an email can change. However, there are several activities you may take on an email in Outlook, and they are usually accessible via different options in the ribbon or menu.
The location of the tracking button in Microsoft Outlook may differ significantly based on the version of Outlook you are using. However, in most versions, including Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019, the tracking button can be found as follows:
- Launch Outlook and create a new email or open an old email to track.
- Once you’ve opened the email, you should see a ribbon at the top of the window with tabs such as Home, Send/Receive, Folder, and View.
- In the ribbon, look for the “Options” tab.
- On the “Options” tab, look for a group called “Tracking.”
- In the “Options” tab, click the “Tracking” button.
Can You Delete an Email Sent on Outlook?
In Microsoft Outlook, you can remove an email from your inbox, but you cannot delete an email once it has been sent and delivered to the recipient’s mailbox. Deleted emails from your inbox are just removed from your view and do not affect the recipient’s copy.
Conclusion
It is a quick and uncomplicated method to recall emails in Outlook 365 for Mac and the web app, which can help you prevent embarrassing blunders and costly delays. You may quickly and simply recall emails sent from Outlook 365 on Mac and the web app by following the simple steps indicated in this article. This Outlook feature can save you time and hassle whether you’re a business professional, student, or casual user. Try it out today and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your emails are always delivered correctly.
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