It is quite common to send an email and then accidentally send it to the wrong person or realize that it contains incorrect content. Fortunately, Microsoft Outlook offers the Mail Retraction feature for these situations. Under certain circumstances, this feature allows you to retrieve the email you have sent. However, some criteria must be met for this process to be successful.
Requirements for Outlook Mail Retraction
In order to retrieve/withdraw an e-mail via Outlook, certain conditions must be met. These conditions are as follows:
- Microsoft Exchange Server must be in use: Mail retraction works only between people using a Microsoft Exchange server. That is, the sender and recipient must be using email through the Exchange server in the same organization (for example, in the same company). Unfortunately, it is not possible to retract out-of-company mail.
- The recipient must not have opened the email: The email you sent must not have been opened by the recipient before the email is retracted. If the email has been opened, the retraction will fail.
- Same Mail Program: Both you and the recipient must use Outlook. For recipients using different email clients (for example, Gmail), the retraction will not work.
Outlook Mail Retrieval Step by Step
If the above conditions are met, you can retract an email you have sent by following the steps below.
1. Open the Sent Items Folder
First you need to find the email you want to retract in Outlook. For this
- Go to the Sent Items folder on the Outlook main screen.
- Find and open the email you want to retract.
2. Access the Withdraw Option
With the email you sent open:
- Go to theFile menu and click Recall This Message.
- This option can be found under Resend or Recall in some Outlook versions.
3. Choose the Retraction
You will be presented with two options:
- Delete unread copies: Delete the sent mail from the recipient’s inbox, i.e. completely delete the mail in the recipient’s inbox.
- Delete unread copies and send a new one: Deletes the sent mail and allows you to send a new one instead of the erroneous one.
Select the action you want to withdraw and click OK.
4. Track Results
You will receive notifications whether the mail has been withdrawn or not. If the recipient has not opened the mail yet, the retraction will be successful and you will receive a confirmation notification.
What can you do if the retraction fails?
If the retraction fails (for example, if the recipient has already read the email), you can use an alternative strategy to remedy the situation:
- Send an Explanatory Email: You can correct the situation by sending a short and clear explanation of the incorrectly sent email. Sending a follow-up email correcting the incorrect information can be a good way to avoid misunderstandings.
- Send a Correction Email: Especially in corporate communications, you can save the situation by sending a new email to replace the incorrectly sent email. In the second email you send, make it clear that you have corrected the previous mistake.
Outlook’s mail retraction feature is very useful for correcting incorrectly sent mails. However, it is important to be careful as it may not be successful in all cases. You can save time and minimize possible errors by following the steps above during the Outlook mail retrieval process. If you are not using Outlook corporate mail, you can read our article titled Opening company mail.
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