We’ve all been there. Oops! After hitting send on an email, you suddenly notice a glaring typo, a missing attachment, or even worse, you accidentally sent it to the wrong person! But don’t worry. Outlook has a handy “recall” feature that can save the day. It provides an opportunity to fix any errors before it’s too late.
But now comes the question: How to Recall an Email in Outlook? Take it easy. Keep reading to grasp the process of recalling an email in Outlook and the limitations to avoid that post-send panic!
Can You Recall An Email In Outlook?
The answer is: Yes
You can call back an email easily by using the “Recall” option in Outlook. This feature allows you to retrieve an email you’ve already sent. Remember “Recall” only works if the recipient hasn’t opened the email yet. Once they’ve read it, you can’t take it back.
There are several reasons why you might need to retract an email in Outlook, and it’s important to understand the situations to use the recall feature effectively. Here are some common scenarios:
- Maybe there’s a glaring typo in the subject line, a grammatical error in the body, or you accidentally included incorrect information.
- You forgot to attach an important document or file that’s crucial to the email’s message.
- Perhaps you sent the email to the wrong person.
- Probably you accidentally shared some sensitive information that you shouldn’t have.
How To Recall An Email In Outlook (Desktop Version)
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get into the details of recalling an email in Outlook. The recalling process slightly varies depending on whether you’re using the Classic Ribbon or the Simplified Ribbon layout in Outlook. Here’s a breakdown for both:
Follow These Steps To recall An email In Outlook If You Have A Classic Ribbon:
- Log in to your Outlook account.
- Navigate to the “Sent Items” folder.
- Double-click the email you want to recall.
- Choose the “Message” tab from the pop-up window.
- Go to “Move” from the ribbon.
- Pick “Recall This Message” from the menu.
- Choose appropriate action.
Click on “Delete unread copies of this message” to remove the email and “Delete unread copies and replace with a new message” to send a corrected version.
- Hit “OK” to confirm.
Follow These Steps To Recall An Email In Outlook If You Have A Simplified Ribbon:
- Navigate to the “Sent Items” folder.
- Double-click the email you want to recall.
- Go to the “Message tab” from the pop-up window.
- Click the three dots (…) and select “More Commands”
- Select “Recall This Message” and pick the desired action.
- Tap on “OK” to confirm.
How To Recall An Email In The Outlook Web App
Unlike the Outlook desktop version, you can’t recall an email once it has been sent in the Outlook web app. However, you may set up ”Undo Send.” When you activate this feature, your email will be held for a brief period before being sent, allowing you the option to cancel it if needed. Here’s how you can activate Undo Send:
- Go to outlook.office.com on your browser.
- Enter your login credentials.
- Click on “Next.”
- Look for the “Settings icon” at the top right corner.
- Select Mail>Compose and reply from the settings menu.
- Scroll down and find the “Undo send” section.
- Set your preferred “Undo time” ranging from 0-10 seconds.
- Hit “Save” at the end.
Once you’ve saved the changes, you’ll notice that when you send a new email later, there’s an “Undo” option available for a set time of up to 10 seconds.
This option works similarly to a call-back feature in Outlook. Remember that you can only recall your email during the set time frame.
Why Can’t I Recall An Email In Outlook?
Outlook’s email recall tool is helpful, but it has limitations that might make it an unreliable safety net. Let’s go over some important points to consider:
- Recall only works for unread emails. Unfortunately, if the recipient has already opened the message, there’s not much you can do.
- Recall functionality is not supported by all email accounts. It is most effective when used in organizations that utilize Exchange Server accounts.
- Sometimes even if the recipient uses an Exchange account, their email client might not be compatible with recall features. For example, if they’re using a mobile app or a third-party email client, recall might not work as intended.
- Generally, when you attempt to recall a message in Outlook and it is unsuccessful, the recipient will still be notified of your attempt. This can be awkward or raise unnecessary questions, especially if the recipient sees the message.
- Recalling emails in Outlook doesn’t have a specific time limit. But if you try to recall it sooner, you’ll have a better chance of success.
- Recalling emails sent outside your organization (e.g., to Gmail or Yahoo accounts) is virtually impossible.
How To Take Back An Email In Outlook – FAQs:
Act fast! In Outlook, you can try recalling an email (deleting or replacing it) if the recipient hasn’t opened it yet. It works best with Exchange accounts.
* Search for the sent email and open it.
* Click on “Recall This Message.”
In some cases, yes, Outlook may notify the recipient that an email has been recalled from their inbox in Outlook.
Request the recipient to delete the email, send a follow-up with corrections, or consider secure email services with expiry features.
In Outlook, recalling an email hides the notification by default, but it’s not guaranteed. When recalling uncheck “Tell me if recall succeeds or fails.” However, the recipient might still notice the recall attempt, especially if they’ve seen a preview of the email.
Conclusion
Lastly, email recall can be a lifesaver in a pinch, it’s best not to rely on it solely. Remember that prevention is always better than cure. So take the necessary steps to eliminate the necessity for email recall whenever feasible. Nevertheless, if you accidentally click send in a rush, simply follow the simple steps outlined above to get back your email.
