How to Delay or Schedule an Email in Outlook

If you want to know how to delay Outlook email, the method depends on which Outlook you use. In new Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web and Outlook for Mac, open the arrow next to Send and choose Schedule send. In classic Outlook for Windows, use Delay Delivery and set a "Do not deliver before" time, or create a rule that holds every message for a few minutes.

Which Outlook Are You Using?

The quickest way to tell is to look at the top-right corner: new Outlook for Windows shows a New Outlook toggle switched on, while classic Outlook has a full ribbon with a File tab. Outlook on the web runs in your browser at outlook.com or through your work account. Our guide to new Outlook vs classic Outlook explains the wider differences between the two apps.

How Do You Schedule an Email in New Outlook and Outlook on the Web?

You schedule an email in new Outlook or Outlook on the web by choosing Schedule send from the drop-down arrow beside the Send button. The steps are the same in both.

1. Write your message and add at least one recipient.
2. Select the arrow next to Send.
3. Choose Schedule send.
4. Pick one of the suggested times, or select Custom time and set your own date and time.
5. Select Send. The message moves to Drafts and waits there until the delivery time.

To send it early or cancel it, open the Drafts folder, open the scheduled message, select the Edit pencil icon and choose Send now, or simply delete the draft. Because the scheduling happens on Microsoft's mail servers, your PC does not need to be switched on at the delivery time.

How to Delay Outlook Email in Classic Outlook for Windows

In classic Outlook, you delay a single message with the Delay Delivery option, which holds it in the Outbox until the time you set. This is the method that applies to standalone versions such as Outlook 2024, 2021 and 2019.

1. Start a new message and write it as normal.
2. Select the More options arrow in the Tags group of the ribbon. On the simplified ribbon, use Options → More commands → Delay Delivery instead.
3. Under Delivery options, tick Do not deliver before and choose a date and time.
4. Select Close, then Send.

The message sits in the Outbox until the chosen time. Microsoft's guide to delaying or scheduling email in Outlook notes that Outlook must be online and connected for this to work. In practice, that means if you close Outlook or shut down the PC before the delivery time, a message held locally can stay in the Outbox until you open Outlook again.

To change or cancel it, open the message in the Outbox, return to Delay Delivery, clear Do not deliver before, then select Close and Send to send it now.

How Do You Delay Every Email You Send?

Classic Outlook can hold every outgoing message for a set number of minutes using a rule, which gives you a short window to catch mistakes. Microsoft states the delay can be up to 120 minutes.

1. Go to File → Manage Rules & Alerts.
2. Select New Rule.
3. Under Start from a blank rule, choose Apply rule on messages I send, then Next.
4. Leave the conditions empty to cover all mail, select Next, and confirm with Yes when Outlook asks if the rule should apply to every message.
5. Tick defer delivery by a number of minutes, click the underlined a number of link and enter the minutes.
6. Select OK, then Next, add any exceptions, name the rule, make sure Turn on this rule is ticked, and select Finish.

New Outlook and Outlook.com do not use this rule. Instead, they offer Undo send under Settings → Mail → Compose and reply, which holds each message for a few seconds (up to 10) so you can cancel it.

How Do You Schedule an Email in Outlook for Mac?

Outlook for Mac schedules messages with the same Schedule send option on the Send button, and older builds call it Send Later.

1. Compose the message and add at least one recipient in the To line.
2. Click the arrow on the Send button and choose Schedule send.
3. Set the date and time, then click OK.

The message waits in Drafts and, according to Microsoft's Schedule send guide for Outlook for Mac, it sends even if Outlook is closed. To cancel, open it in Drafts and choose Cancel Send. Gmail, Yahoo and iCloud accounts added by IMAP are not supported, and Outlook for Mac has no rule to delay all mail.

Delay, Schedule or Recall: Which One Do You Need?

Scheduling and delaying stop a message before it leaves; recall tries to pull it back afterwards, and only in narrow circumstances. Recall needs both people on Microsoft 365 work or school accounts in the same organisation, and the message must still be unread. Our step-by-step guide on how to recall a message in Outlook covers when it works, including the limits on Mac.

Because recall fails so often across different email providers, a short delay rule or Undo send is the more dependable safety net. Encryption is a separate tool again: it controls who can read a message, not when it arrives.

A Common Mistake We See

A common mistake is scheduling a message in classic Outlook on a laptop, closing the lid, and assuming it went out on time. With a POP or IMAP account, the delayed message is held in the local Outbox, so it only sends once Outlook is running and connected again. Server-side Schedule send in new Outlook or Outlook on the web avoids that, but it does not work with IMAP or POP accounts.

Before relying on scheduled mail for anything time-sensitive, send yourself a test with a delivery time five minutes ahead and confirm it arrives with the app closed. If you prefer the full desktop app with rules and Delay Delivery, a one-time-purchase Outlook 2024 licence gives you classic Outlook without a subscription.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I delay an Outlook email by a few minutes?

In classic Outlook, create a rule with File → Manage Rules & Alerts → New Rule → Apply rule on messages I send, then choose defer delivery by a number of minutes. In new Outlook or Outlook.com, turn on Undo send under Settings → Mail → Compose and reply for a delay of a few seconds.

Does a scheduled email send if my computer is off?

In new Outlook, Outlook on the web and Outlook for Mac, yes, because the message is held on the mail server and sent from there. In classic Outlook, Microsoft says Outlook must be online and connected, so a message waiting in the local Outbox may only send after you open Outlook again.

Why is Schedule send missing in new Outlook?

Schedule send is not available for IMAP or POP accounts, such as many Gmail, Yahoo or internet provider mailboxes added to new Outlook. It works with Outlook.com and Microsoft 365 work or school accounts. Switch the From account to a supported mailbox, and the option appears under the Send arrow.

How do I change the time of a scheduled email?

In new Outlook or the web, open the message in Drafts, select the Edit pencil icon, then send it now or schedule it again. In classic Outlook, open the message in the Outbox, go to Delay Delivery, change the date and time, and select Close and Send.

Can I schedule an email in Outlook for Mac with Gmail?

Not through Outlook's own scheduling. Microsoft lists IMAP and POP accounts, including Gmail, Yahoo and iCloud, as unsupported for Schedule send on Mac. You need an Exchange-based account such as Outlook.com or Microsoft 365, so add one of those mailboxes if you want to schedule from Outlook for Mac.

What is the maximum delay for an Outlook rule?

Microsoft states that a classic Outlook rule can defer delivery by up to 120 minutes. For a longer wait, use Delay Delivery on the individual message and set a specific date and time, or use Schedule send in new Outlook or on the web.

Conclusion

How to delay Outlook email comes down to your version: Schedule send in new Outlook, on the web and on Mac, and Delay Delivery or a deferral rule in classic Outlook. Test it once before you rely on it. If you want a desktop Outlook you own outright, compare the versions in our Outlook collection.

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