How to Recall an Email in Outlook Web App
Any person that regularly uses an email service will know the panic of hitting send too soon.
Once you’ve sent a message to the wrong client, included an embarrassing typo, or made any other small error, you’ll be wishing for a way to undo your mistake.
Luckily, most email providers have taken note of this common problem and have made it possible to do just that!
Outlook is no exception. However, there are a couple of different ways to achieve this depending on what version of Outlook you’re using and what preferences you have enabled.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to recall and undo sent emails in Outlook.
To be more specific, we’ll cover:
- What an email recall actually is
- The limitations of Outlook’s recall feature
- How to recall emails in newer Microsoft versions
- How to recall emails in Office 2007
- How to set up Undo Send in Outlook.
Let’s get into it!
What is an Email Recall in Outlook?
When you initiate a Recall in Outlook, the server will attempt to retrieve the message you sent from the inboxes of its recipients.
If this is successful, it will then delete the message. It can also, optionally, replace it with a new message of your choice. This allows you to fix typos, add missing attachments, or fix any issues in the email.
Most times the recipient of your message will be notified that you recalled (or attempted to recall) the message from their inbox.
Limitations on the Outlook Recall Feature
Because the Recall feature requires accessing another user’s inbox, there are pretty heavy restrictions on exactly when this feature can be used.
The biggest limitation is that the recall feature cannot be used in the Outlook Browser App. It’s only accessible in the desktop version of Outlook or Office 365.
Additionally, Microsoft can only access other Outlook inboxes, and can’t affect emails held on servers outside their own.
This means that if a recipient’s email ends in something like Hotmail.com, Gmail.com or Live.com, the Recall function won’t work. They must have an Outlook address, and you must also be in the same organization as the recipient(s).
Finally, message recall is only available if the recipient hasn’t enabled Azure Information Protection, hasn’t already opened the email, and hasn’t moved it to a different folder since receiving it.
In short, the recall function is incredibly useful in very specific circumstances, but these circumstances can be pretty finicky. It really depends on your personal situation.
How to Recall an Email in Outlook Web App
Here, we’ll break down the process of using the Recall function step by step.
Newer Microsoft Versions
If you haven’t purposefully remained on Office 2007, this section will probably include your version of Outlook.
Step By Step:
- Go to the folder panel at the top left corner of your Outlook window.
- Select the Sent Items folder.
- Open the message you wish to recall by double clicking.
- If you are using the classic ribbon layout, find the Actions menu in the message tab. Then, click Recall This Message.
- If you are using the simplified ribbon layout, find the More Commands button in the message tab. Then, choose Actions followed by Recall This Message.
- In the popup that appears, select Delete unread copies of this message or Delete unread copies and replace with a new message, depending on what you want to do.
- Hit the OK button.
- If you’re replacing the message with a new one, compose your new email and click Send.
Checking on the Recall
Once you submit a recall request, the process will normally take about 30 seconds or less to finish.
Once it’s done, you’ll get an email notification with the subject “Message Recall Report for Message [your original message subject].
In this email, you can select the View Message Recall Report link. This will open an online report in your browser. You may be prompted to log into your Outlook account to view it.
This document should give you all the information you need about your recall request, including whether it succeeded or failed for each recipient.
Though recall is normally very quick, keep in mind that the more recipients the email has, the longer it will take the server to process your request.
If there are several hundred recipients, expect a delay of around five minutes. If there are several thousand, it may take up to thirty!
If the recall fails for any reason (such as the recipient’s inbox being temporarily unavailable), then Outlook will keep attempting the process for 24 hours. If it still hasn’t succeeded in this time, the recall will be marked as failed.
Office 2007
Keep in mind that Office 2007 is no longer supported by Microsoft. This means it may have issues running on newer devices, and may be harder to receive technical support for.
However, there are situations where purposefully remaining on this older version is necessary. If that’s the case for you, we have a step-by-step guide for recalling an email in this version as well!
Step By Step:
- In the Mail section of the navigation panel select the Sent Items tab.
- Open the message you wish to recall and/or replace.
- In the Messages tab, find the Actions group. In this menu, click Recall This Message.
- Select either Delete all copies and replace with a new message or Delete unread copies and replace with a new message.
- Note: If your email has a large number of recipients, you’ll probably want to untick the “Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient” option. This can quickly become spammy with many recipients.
- If you chose to send a replacement message, compose it in the window that appears. Then, click Send.
If you don’t see the Recall This Message command then you likely don’t have an Exchange Server account or are not using Microsoft Outlook 2007. Both are required to use the Recall feature.
To check your Outlook profile’s account types, you can go to your account settings.
This is located in the Tools tab, under the Account Settings > Email menu. Here, you’ll see a list of your profile’s associated accounts. You can check their type under the Type column.
Checking on the Recall
Similar to the process of newer Outlook versions, you’ll receive a report that includes information about your recall attempt.
There are several outcomes that can occur depending on your recipient’s inbox.
If they have Process Requests and Responses on Arrival selected in their Tracking Options, Outlook will automatically attempt to recall the message.
If unread, the original email will be deleted and the recipient will be informed of your recall request.
This setting can be toggled by going to Tools > Options > Email Options.
If this setting is turned off in the recipient’s preferences then your recall will not have an automatic effect. Both the new and original messages will be visible in their inbox.
If they open the new message first, the original will be deleted and the user will be informed of the recall. If they open the original message first, both messages will remain in their inbox and the recall will be considered failed.
If the original message is moved to a different folder in the recipient’s inbox before you initiate your recall, it will result in a failed attempt.
Another Option: Undo Send
If you use Outlook in your web browser, you don’t have access to the recall function.
However, there is another option that can help!
The online version of Outlook includes an Undo Send function that can be turned on in your preferences. This will give you a short window where you can “undo” your email, stopping it from being sent to your recipient and bringing it back into editing mode.
This works by delaying the sending of your mail for a set period of time. During this time, an Undo button will appear at the bottom of your inbox.
This means that if you notice a last-minute issue with your email, you have a chance to fix the mistake before it reaches your email’s recipient.
To enable this option:
- Go to the Settings tab.
- Select View All Outlook Settings.
- Open the Mail > Compose and Reply menu.
- Under the Undo Send heading, choose the time period you want Outlook to delay your messages by. This has a maximum of 10 seconds.
- Click Save. You’ll see your undo button appear the next time you send a message in Outlook.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, the Recall function in Outlook can be pretty finicky.
It can only be used when you and your recipients’ accounts meet very specific requirements that can make it unsuitable for a lot of people.
However, if you do meet these requirements, it can be a very useful tool – especially if you regularly send important emails to large groups of people.
It’s especially handy when you accidentally slip a typo or error into your email that could lead to confusion or embarrassment.
If recall doesn’t suit your setup, then the Undo function is another great tool for pretty much everyone.
Even if you never use it, it’s a nice extra layer of security that gives you one last chance to change your message. You won’t need it 90% of the time, but when you do need it – you’ll be thankful it’s there.
References
https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-recall-an-email-sent-in-microsoft-outlook-web-access