How to Recall an Email in Outlook (Desktop App)

Recalling an email in Outlook is easy. The desktop app includes a useful option for recalling, and even replacing, a message you did not mean to send or want a second chance to rewrite. It is easy but not necessarily intuitive, so we are here to guide you on how to recall an email (or a message, as the app calls it) in Outlook. How do you recall an email in Outlook? Let's take a closer look!

How Do You Recall an Email in Outlook? 2023

Keep in mind that recalling a message does not work in Outlook's web-based version; it is only available in the desktop client. They also only work if you and the recipient use a Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 account within the same organization. Recalling messages in Outlook does not work with recipient email addresses from outside the sender's organization.

Considering it is one of the best email clients you can download, you will need the desktop Outlook client to recall email messages. With the latest version, open the client and select Home to get started.

• Using the menu on the left, select Sent Items to see your sent emails.
• Find the Outlook message you want to recall and double-click it. This will open the email in a new window.
• In the email window, make sure the Message tab is selected. Select the Three dots on the right side of the toolbar, hover over Actions, and then select Recall This Message.
• If you do not see the three dots, select Move from the toolbar instead, then Actions and Recall This Message.
• A pop-up window appears on your screen. Here you have two options: Delete Unread Copies of This Message or Delete Unread Copies and Replace with a New Message. You will also see an option for Outlook to notify you whether the recall succeeds or fails. Choose your options and click the OK button to continue. If you deleted the message, congratulations! If you want to replace it, continue.
• If you choose to create a replacement, Outlook opens a second screen so you can review the message. While you write your new email, Outlook remembers your old message and displays a notification (if you selected that option). When you have finished the corrected message, simply click the Send button.

Note: Sending a recall message does not make your old email disappear. The recipient may need to open the recall message first for the original message to disappear. For this reason, you should write URGENT or something similar in the recall message's subject so that it gets opened before the first bothersome email. Read on for a longer explanation. Microsoft also states that in some cases the recipient may be notified when recalled messages are deleted from the inbox. So keep in mind that even when you recall an email, the recipient may know that an erroneous or bothersome message was sent to them, even if they cannot see it