Have you ever hit “send” on an email and then immediately wished you could take it back?
Whether you made a mistake in the email, changed your mind about sending it, or just wanted to revise the content, we’ve all been there.
Fortunately, Outlook has a feature called “recall” that allows you to try and retrieve an email that you’ve sent.
In this blog post, we’ll go over what you need to know about the recall feature in Outlook and how to use it to try and take back an email.
We’ll also provide some tips for increasing your chances of a successful recall.
So if you’ve ever sent an email and then had second thoughts, keep reading to learn how you can use Outlook’s recall feature to try and retrieve it.
1. Prerequisites for Recalling an Email
Before you can use the recall feature in Outlook, there are a few prerequisites that must be met.
First, the email you want to recall must be sent to another Outlook user.
The recall feature will not work if the email was sent to an email address outside of Outlook, such as a Gmail or Yahoo address.
Second, the recipient of the email must be using a version of Outlook that supports recall.
Not all versions of Outlook have the recall feature, so it’s important to make sure the recipient is using a version that does.
Finally, the recipient must not have opened the email you want to recall.
If the email has already been opened, the recall feature will not work.
This means that the recall feature is not a way to retract an email after it has already been read by the recipient.
It’s only for retrieving emails that the recipient has not yet opened.
Keep these prerequisites in mind as you proceed with the recall process in Outlook.
If any of these conditions are not met, the recall feature will not work and you will not be able to retrieve the email.
2. Steps for Recalling an Email in Outlook
Recalling an email in Outlook is a relatively simple process.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Open Outlook and go to the Sent folder. This is where you’ll find all of the emails you’ve sent.
- Find the email you want to recall and click on it to open it.
- Click the “Actions” button in the top ribbon. This button is located near the top of the Outlook window, and it looks like a gear icon.
- Select “Recall This Message” from the dropdown menu. This will bring up the Recall This Message window.
- Choose one of the recall options:
- “Delete unread copies of this message” – this will delete any unopened copies of the email from the recipient’s inbox.
- “Delete unread copies and replace with a new message” – this will delete any unopened copies of the email and send a new email to the recipient with a new message.
6. Click “OK”. This will start the recall process.
That’s all there is to it! Just keep in mind that the recall feature is not guaranteed to work, so it’s important to be careful when sending emails in the first place.
But if you do need to recall an email, these steps should help you get the job done.
3. Tips for Recalling an Email Successfully
While the recall feature in Outlook can be a helpful tool, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not always successful. There are a few things you can do to increase your chances of a successful recall, however. Here are some tips:
- Double-check the recipient’s email address to make sure you are recalling the email to the correct person. If you send the recall to the wrong address, it won’t work.
- Remember that recall is not guaranteed to work. The recipient may have already opened the email, or they may not be using a version of Outlook that supports recall. In these cases, the recall will not be successful.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the recall feature in Outlook is a helpful tool that allows you to try and retrieve an email that you’ve sent.
It’s not always successful, but it can be a lifesaver if you’ve made a mistake in an email or changed your mind about sending it.
To recall an email in Outlook, you’ll need to open the email in the Sent folder, click the “Actions” button, select “Recall This Message,” choose one of the recall options, and click “OK”.
It’s a relatively simple process, but it’s important to remember the prerequisites for recalling an email: the email must be sent to another Outlook user, the recipient must be using a version of Outlook that supports recall, and the recipient must not have opened the email.
By following these steps and keeping these prerequisites in mind, you can increase your chances of a successful recall.
But it’s always a good idea to be careful when sending emails in the first place, as there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to recall an email even if you follow all of the steps correctly.
