Written by email management specialists at Leave Me Alone. Updated for Outlook & Microsoft 365 in 2026.

Sent an Outlook email to the wrong person, forgot an attachment, or spotted a mistake right after hitting Send?

You’re not alone and in most cases, you can still fix it.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to unsend an email in Outlook using Undo Send or Message Recall, depending on your Outlook version and account type. We’ll show you how to stop a just-sent email in seconds, how to attempt a true recall when it’s supported, and how to set up safety nets so this never happens again.

Most people can fix the mistake in under two minutes, and setting up permanent protection takes about five minutes. This guide is updated for Outlook and Microsoft 365 in 2026, where features now vary by app (web, Windows, Mac, and mobile), making it critical to confirm what version you’re using before trying to "unsend"

Quick reality check: In Outlook, "unsend" can mean Undo Send (a short delay that lets you cancel before delivery) or Message Recall (a post-send attempt to remove the message from recipients’ mailboxes). If you’re cleaning up inbox chaos, having both options set up is a lifesaver.

Before you start

Prerequisites

  • You can access the email you sent (it should be in Sent Items).
  • If you want to use Recall, you generally need a Microsoft 365 work/school account and recipients inside the same organization (recall isn’t available for Outlook.com/Hotmail-style personal accounts).
  • On Mac, Recall requires Outlook for Mac 16.94 build or later.

Tools

  • Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, or Outlook in a web browser.
  • Optional: access to a desktop browser or desktop app if you sent the email from mobile.

Time

  • 1–5 minutes to attempt an unsend/recall
  • 3–8 minutes to set up safeguards (Undo Send / Schedule send / Outbox delay)

Cost

  • $0 extra (built into Outlook; availability depends on your account and organization)

Safety note

  • Assume the recipient may have already seen the email. If you sent sensitive personal or confidential data, follow your organization’s incident process (and contact IT/security) rather than relying on recall alone.

Step-by-step: Unsend an email in Outlook (do this now)

Decide if Recall is even possible. Open the "To:" address you sent to and answer this:

  • Work/school + same organization: Recall may be available.
  • External recipient (Gmail/Yahoo/another company): Skip ahead to Step 9 (correction email).
  • Personal Outlook.com/Hotmail account: Recall won’t work; you can only use Undo Send (Step 10) and corrections (Step 9).

If you see "Undo" right after sending, click it immediately. Look for a small bar that says "Sending…" with an Undo option. Click Undo before it disappears.

Check: The message reopens in the compose window instead of staying sent.

Confirm the message is back as a draft. Open Drafts, find the email, and either:

  • Fix recipients / attachments / wording, then send again, or
  • Delete the draft if you don’t want to send it at all.
Check: The incorrect message is not newly delivered to the recipient (test by calling/chatting if it’s urgent).

If Undo isn’t available, open the sent message in its own window. Go to Sent Items, then double-click the message (don’t just highlight it in the reading pane).

Check: You can see a ribbon/menu for the open message, where “Recall Message” may appear.

New Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web (work/school): try Recall. With the message open, select Recall Message on the ribbon, then confirm OK.

Check: You receive a Message Recall Report shortly after.

Classic Outlook for Windows: try Recall (File > Info path). With the message open:

  • Select File > Info.
  • Select Resend or Recall > Recall This Message…
  • Choose Delete unread copies (or replace if offered), then confirm.
Check: Outlook prompts you about recall success/failure reporting.

Outlook for Mac: try Recall (if you’re on a recent build). Confirm you’re on Outlook for Mac 16.94 build or later, then:

  • Open Sent > double-click the message.
  • Select Recall Message > OK.
Check: A recall report arrives in your inbox.

Open the Message Recall Report and confirm status. In your inbox, open the recall report and use its link to view per-recipient status (Succeeded / Pending / Failed).

Check: The recipients you care about show Succeeded. If not, go to Step 9.

If recall isn’t available (or fails), send a correction email within 2 minutes. Don’t overthink it—send the cleanup message now:

  • Hit Reply to your sent email so the thread stays together.
  • Change the subject to Correction: (or Update:) + original subject.
  • Put the fix in the first line (example: “Please ignore my last email—here’s the correct file attached.”).
  • If it went to the wrong person, politely ask them to delete it and confirm.
Check: You received a reply/acknowledgment (or you confirmed by phone/chat for urgent mistakes).

Turn on “Undo Send” so you have a built-in grace period next time. Choose your setup:

  • Outlook.com (personal): Settings (gear) > Mail > Compose and reply > Undo send > choose 5 or 10 seconds > Save.
  • New Outlook for Windows: Settings > Mail > Compose and Reply > Undo send (up to 10 seconds).
  • Outlook for Mac (new): Outlook > Settings > Composing > set delay (up to 120 seconds).
Check: After your next send, you see an Undo prompt/bar for the delay you set.

Use “Schedule send” when you want more than a few seconds to re-check. While composing, select the dropdown next to Send > Schedule send, then choose a time.

Check: The email stays in Drafts until the delivery time (and you can edit or send now).

If you want every email to pause in the Outbox, add a send-delay rule (classic Outlook for Windows). In classic Outlook for Windows:

  • Go to Rules / Manage Rules & Alerts.
  • Create a new rule for messages you send and use the action defer delivery by a number of minutes (try 1–2 minutes).
  • When you need to cancel a send, open Outbox and delete/edit the message before it leaves.
Check: After you click Send, messages wait in Outbox instead of leaving instantly.
Note: If you switched to new Outlook and your old “delay sending” rule vanished, that’s often because new Outlook doesn’t support certain client-side rules use Schedule send instead (Step 11) or switch back to classic Outlook for this specific workflow.

Make inbox cleaning reduce future “oops” moments. Set a 10-minute timer and remove pressure from your inbox:

  • Pick 10 senders you never read and unsubscribe or filter them into a low-priority folder.
  • Keep your inbox calmer so you’re less likely to mis-click a recipient or fire off an email mid-distraction.
At Leave Me Alone: we’re all about inbox cleaning less noise means your important sends get your full attention.

Why this works

Undo Send works because Outlook intentionally waits before delivering your message—creating a small window where “Undo” cancels delivery and returns the message to drafts.

Message Recall is different: it’s a post-send process that only works within organizational boundaries (and availability can depend on your Microsoft 365 setup). In Exchange Online, cloud-based recall uses a service-side agent to attempt deletion from recipient mailboxes after you initiate a recall from Outlook.

Variations

  • I only need a quick safety net: Turn on Undo Send and set it to the maximum available in your app (often 10 seconds in new Outlook).
  • I need more time to catch missing attachments (Mac): In the new Outlook for Mac, set Undo Send to 30–120 seconds so you can reliably cancel and add files.
  • This email is high stakes: Use Schedule send so the message sits in Drafts until the time you choose—and you can edit/cancel calmly before it goes out.
  • We’re an IT-admin team: In Exchange Online, organizations can control cloud-based message recall settings (including whether read messages can be recalled).

Make-ahead / storage / scaling

Make-ahead (set it once)

  • Enable Undo Send on every device you use (desktop + web). Then test it with a message to yourself.
  • Pick one “high-risk” workflow (payroll, contracts, personal data) and default to Schedule send.

Storage (save your fastest fixes)

  • Create a “Correction template” email and save it as a draft so you can send it in under 30 seconds.
  • Keep a “Wrong recipient” script ready: one sentence apology + request to delete + request to confirm deletion.

Scaling (teams & orgs)

  • If you manage a Microsoft 365 environment, review cloud-based message recall options and org-level behavior (including read-message recall settings).
  • Be aware that classic Outlook supports both server-side and client-side rules, while new Outlook focuses on server-side rules only—this affects “delay all outgoing email” setups.

Quick checklist

  • I checked whether the recipient is internal (Recall possible) or external (send correction).
  • I clicked Undo immediately (if it appeared).
  • I opened Sent Items and double-clicked the message (not reading pane).
  • I tried Recall Message (new Outlook / web / Mac / classic Windows as applicable).
  • I opened the Message Recall Report and checked status.
  • If recall failed, I sent a Correction: email and asked the wrong recipient to delete/confirm.
  • I enabled Undo Send so I have a grace period next time.
  • I used Schedule send for high-stakes messages.
  • (Optional) I added an Outbox delay rule in classic Outlook for Windows.
  • I cleaned up inbox noise so I’m less likely to send in a rush.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between Undo Send and Recall in Outlook?

Undo Send delays delivery for a short window so you can cancel before it leaves. Recall is a post-send attempt to remove a message from recipients’ mailboxes (usually inside the same organization) after it’s already sent.

Can I unsend an email in Outlook.com (@outlook.com / @hotmail.com)?

You can’t recall a message in Outlook.com, but you can turn on Undo send to delay delivery briefly and cancel quickly.

Does Outlook Recall work for Gmail, Yahoo, or other external addresses?

No—message recall is designed to work within an organization using Microsoft 365 work/school email. If it went to an external address, send a correction instead.

Why don’t I see the Recall Message button?

Common reasons: you’re using a personal Outlook.com account, the message isn’t opened in its own window, or your organization/account doesn’t support recall.

Can I recall an email on a Mac?

Yes, if you’re on a recent Outlook for Mac build and you’re using a supported work/school account. Open the message from Sent and choose Recall Message.

Can I unsend an email from the Outlook mobile app?

It depends on your account and organization. If you don’t see an undo/recall option on mobile, open Sent Items on Outlook on the web or desktop to try recall, or send a correction.

Will Undo Send stop an email that was already delivered?

No. Undo Send only works during the delay window before delivery. After that, you’ll need to try Recall (if available) or follow up.

How long is the Undo Send window in Outlook?

It varies: Outlook.com lets you choose 5 or 10 seconds, new Outlook shows Undo for up to 10 seconds, and Outlook for Mac can be set up to 120 seconds.

What’s the best way to prevent needing to unsend emails?

Turn on Undo Send, use Schedule send for high-risk messages, and build a quick pre-send check (recipients, subject, attachments, first line).