Outlook: Recall an Email

Article Type: How-To

Question: Can I recall an email I have sent?

• I would like to "un-send" an email that I recently sent. 

Answer: Yes.  You can recall the message but the process is not fool-proof.

• Under certain circumstances, there are steps you can take to recall an email.

The following method will work under these circumstances.

• The recipient of the email must be inside the Microsoft Exchange email system
  • Example: You can recall an email to a co-worker, but not someone who has a Gmail, Yahoo, or other business email address.
• The email must not have been read already by the recipient.
  • Outlook will instead politely ask the recipient to delete the message.
• The recipient has not disabled the feature.
  • If the feature is disabled, Outlook will ignore incoming recall requests.

Recall an Outlook Email Message

• For the most recent instructions, follow Microsoft's official guide which can be found here.

Remember: 

• Check for spelling, grammar, and other errors.
• Ensure that you have included the correct recipients (check the email address carefully).
• Ensure that the data you are sending is not private (student records).
• Ensure that the message you are sending is safe for others to open.  For example, do not forward emails that contain attachments or links from unknown senders.