How to Recall an Email in Outlook
new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web; classic Outlook differences noted · Last checked · Suggest an edit
https://instructions.wiki/outlook/recall-an-email-in-outlook
The message went out with the wrong attachment and the cursor is already hovering over Sent Items. Recall is real but narrow: it only works when both sender and recipient sit in the same Microsoft 365 organization, and only while the message is still unread. Outside that, nothing can pull a message back.
Open the sent message
Go to Sent Items and double-click the message so it opens in its own window. The recall command does not appear in the reading pane.
Choose Recall this message
On the Message tab, open More commands (the three-dot menu) and choose Recall this message. If the command is missing, the account is not on Exchange or Microsoft 365 and recall is not available.
Pick delete or replace
Choose Delete unread copies of this message to remove it, or Delete unread copies and replace with a new message to send a corrected version in its place. The replacement opens as a normal compose window after the recall is confirmed.
Tick the report option
Leave Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient ticked, then click OK. The recall runs in the background.
Read the recall report
A Message Recall Report arrives in the inbox, one line per recipient, showing success or failure. Failure usually means the recipient had already opened the message or the mailbox is outside the organization. In new Outlook and Outlook on the web, a recall status line also appears at the top of the original sent message.
For outside addresses. A message sent to Gmail, Yahoo, or any address beyond the organization cannot be recalled, and the recipient is never notified of the attempt. The only real protection there is a send delay: go to Settings, then Mail, then Compose and reply, and set Undo send to a delay of up to 10 seconds. During that window an Undo button sits at the bottom of the screen and pulls the message back before it leaves.
In classic Outlook for Windows. Open the sent message, then use Message, Move, Actions, Recall This Message. The rules about organization and unread status are identical.