How to Recall An Email Message In Outlook

The outlook is a web-based webmail service own by Microsoft Company. It is one of the world’s first webmail services, and know as Hotmail in 1996. Many people are attached to Outlook because of its unique inbuilt features, one of them also includes delete/recall or replace an email message that you send.

When you recall a message that you sent is recovered/retrieved from the mailboxes of the receiver who haven’t yet opened it. Later on, you can either replace the message with the updated one or simply create another new message.

Today in this article, I will guide you and show you a step-by-step procedure to recall an email you have sent in Outlook, what may happen or may not when you act to recall or replace the message.

so let’s get started!

Table of Contents

What Does Recall an Email Means?

If you send any message or Email accidentally or you forget anything to include in the message and want to update, then you can delete the message from the receiver’s inbox before they read it. In Outlook you can recall Email in two different ways:

Delete/Recall the message before the receiver reads it.

Delete/Replace sent a message with a new message.

When you successfully recall your sent message, the receiver will not be able to see the Email and messages you have sent.

Requirements and Limitations to Recall an Email

You and the receiver must have an exchange email and use it as an email client.

Message and Email you sent should be unread and is in the receiver inbox.
The receiver mailbox is open when you try to recall the Email.
The message should not be read by any process like a spam filter, add-in, or set up a rule.

Azure Information Protection protects the message. So if the message is protected, the recall fails.
Recall and replace message exists only in Windows clients (Outlook App).

[NOTE: When you try to recall Email, Outlook may notify the receiver that you recalled the Email.]

How to Recall and Replace Sent Email?

Till now, there is no option like undo or recall Email in web-browser, but you can use Outlook Application to recall and replace the message. To recall or replace Email follow the following steps;

[NOTE: If you open a message in a display reading pane, then the recall option will not be available.]

Search Outlook on your laptop or PC.

Open “Outlook application” on your device.
Now go to the Sent Items folder just below Inbox.
Now double click on the message you want to recall.

After you double click on the message, it will open a separate window.
Now click on the drop-down menu of More Move Actions just down to OneNote and right to Move folder.
Now you will see a list of actions, click on the Recall This Message…

After you click on the Recall This Message.. you will see a dialogue box in the middle of your screen.
Now you will see two actions you can perform for the message. One is “Delete unread copies and of the message,” and another one is “Delete unread copies or replace with a new message.” The choice is your either you want to delete/recall, or you want to delete/replace the message.
Click on the circle checkbox of the action you want to perform. And if you wish to notify you, then click on the square checkbox of “Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient.“

If you click on the circle checkbox of delete/replace, then you will see the sent message box now edit your message you want to replace.
After you complete your action, now finally click on the OK button. After you click on the OK button, you will see a notification if the recall succeeds or failed in the top, just below the Subject of your message.

Now you have successfully recalled or replace your message that you wanted to do. And if you have an old version of Office 2007 then follow the following steps;

Recall or Replace for Office 2007

Open Office 2007 on your device.
In the Mail you will see Sent Items in the navigation pane, now click of the Sent Items.
Now click on the message you want to recall and open it.

On the Message tab Under Actions group, you will see Other Actions, click on the Other actions drop-down menu.
Now you will see a list of activities on the list. Click on the “Recall This Message…” or “Resend This Message…” action you want to perform.
If you click on the resend, then edit the sent message and replace it that you want to send. And click on the Send button.

Or click on the OK button.

Now you have successfully recalled or replaced the message you want to in your Office 2007.

Possible Result When You Recall Outlook Email

If the receiver has already opened your message you have sent, then your recall will fail. Both the recall and replaced message will be available for the recipient.

If the receiver hasn’t opened your message you have sent, then Outlook will inform the recipient that you have deleted/recall the message from their Inbox.
Recipient moves both messages to the same folder using a rule or manually, then also they will be notified that you have deleted the message.
If the receiver has enabled Process request and response on arrival, which is under Tracking Options, then even if the receiver has not read your sent Email, Outlook deletes sent Email but informs the recipient.

At the same time, if you recalled the message and the recipient is opening the same message then, Outlook informs the receiver that you want to delete the message and the message stays in the Inbox.
If you use Outlook on a Cellphone and attempt to recall a message, then it will fail to recall the Email.

Sending Delay Messages

If you think you will misplace the message or you need something more to add in the Email, but you don’t have the attachments, then you can use a schedule or delaying messages that you want to send. Sending Delay Messages will provide you time to recall missing things and recognize errors or update the information to send before the recipient goes through incomplete emails.

Conclusion

So now, set your mind free even if you sent emails to the wrong person, you forget to attach or need to update the message because there is no big issue or problem to take tension. You can follow the following steps mentioned above to Delete/Recall or Replace an email message you have sent.

If you have any confusion or questions regarding recall or replace the message that you have sent, then you can comment on us in the comment section below, or you can contact us on our official website Online Help Guide.