How to Schedule an Email in the New Outlook App

In the new Outlook app, write your email, select the arrow beside Send, choose Schedule send, and pick a delivery time. Outlook holds the message until then, so you can compose it now without sending it immediately. Before starting, make sure the right account is selected and that the message is ready to go, including its recipients and any attachments.

What You’ll Need

The new Outlook app for Windows or Mac, signed in to an account that supports scheduled sending. The option can depend on the account type and app version.
A draft email with the correct recipient addresses, subject, message, and any files you want to attach.
The intended send date and time. Consider the time zone displayed on your device and the recipient’s working hours.
An internet connection while setting up the schedule. For supported Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com accounts, delivery is handled by the mail service, so you generally do not need to leave Outlook open.

Step-by-Step

Open a new message. In Outlook for Windows, select New mail near the upper-left corner. On a Mac, select New Email or the new-message button; its wording can vary slightly by build. If you have already started a draft, open it instead. Check the account shown in the From field if you have more than one mailbox connected.
Fill in the recipients. Enter the To address and, if needed, add people in Cc or Bcc. Check spelling and confirm that Outlook has resolved each address to the intended contact. This is a good moment to decide whether a recipient really needs the message, especially if you are sending confidential information.
Add a clear subject and finish the message. Write the subject and email body as you normally would. Include enough context for the recipient to understand the message without needing a follow-up. If the email refers to an attachment, attach the file now and confirm that the correct version is included. Scheduled messages can be easy to forget, so avoid leaving placeholders such as “add date here.”
Review the email before scheduling. Check the From account, To, Cc, Bcc, subject, links, spelling, and attachment list. Open any important attachment if you need to confirm its contents. Scheduling delays delivery; it does not provide a recall or guarantee that you can stop the message after it has been sent.
Open the Send menu. Select the small dropdown arrow next to the Send button, rather than selecting the main Send button. In some versions, the arrow may be shown as a chevron. On Outlook for Mac, use the dropdown beside Send in the compose window. If you click Send itself, Outlook may send the email immediately.
Choose Schedule send. Select Schedule send from the menu. Outlook may show a few suggested times, such as a later time today or the next morning, along with an option to choose a custom time. The exact choices and labels can vary by account and app version. If you do not see Schedule send, see the troubleshooting section below.
Set the delivery date and time. Choose a suggested option if it suits your needs, or select the custom-date-and-time option and enter the intended date and time. Review the date carefully, particularly when scheduling near midnight or across a weekend. Outlook normally uses the time zone associated with your account or device settings; check that setting if you work across time zones.
Confirm the schedule. Select the button that confirms or schedules the send, if Outlook asks you to confirm. Wait for the confirmation message or other indication that the email was scheduled. Do not close the compose window before the action completes. If Outlook reports an error or returns you to the draft without confirmation, check the message status before assuming it is queued.
Find the message if you need to check it later. Depending on the account and Outlook version, a scheduled message may appear in Drafts or in a Scheduled folder. Look in the mailbox from which you sent it, not just the default account. Open the message to verify its delivery time and content. If the send time arrives and it remains in the folder, check for a connection, account, or delivery issue.

Once the schedule is confirmed, you can close Outlook for supported server-based accounts; the service will send the message at the selected time. This is different from a method that relies on a desktop application staying open. If you are using a work account with policies or an account type that behaves differently, follow the status shown in Outlook and your organization’s guidance.

Common Mistakes

Clicking Send instead of its arrow. The main button sends immediately. If the message goes out at once, scheduling did not take effect. For future messages, pause and select the dropdown arrow first.
Choosing the wrong date or time. Suggested choices can be convenient, but check the displayed date and time before confirming. A morning option may refer to tomorrow, not later today, depending on when you create the message.
Forgetting the sender account. A message can be scheduled from a personal mailbox when you intended to use a work address, or vice versa. Verify the From field and make sure you are looking in the matching mailbox afterward.
Leaving a placeholder or incorrect attachment. Scheduling makes it tempting to treat a draft as finished. Check the full body, links, attachment names, and versions before queuing it. Do not assume you will remember to fix it later.
Expecting scheduling to improve deliverability. Schedule send controls when Outlook submits the email. It cannot guarantee delivery to the inbox, prevent spam filtering, or retract a message after it has been delivered.
Assuming the recipient sees your local time. Outlook schedules according to the time zone settings applied to your account or device, while the recipient may be in another zone. If timing matters, state the time zone in the email itself.

Tips

Use a short delay for a final check. If you are sending a sensitive or important message, schedule it a few minutes ahead rather than at the current time. That gives you a chance to reopen the draft and cancel or correct it, if the cancel option is available before delivery.
Choose a recipient-friendly time. For routine work messages, consider the recipient’s working hours and local time zone. A scheduled email is not a substitute for an agreed deadline or an urgent communication channel.
Keep a clear subject line. A subject that describes the action or topic makes the message easier to find in Drafts or Scheduled and easier for the recipient to recognize.
Check recurring details manually. If you often schedule similar emails, review dates, names, meeting links, and attachments each time. An old draft can retain details that no longer apply.
Use the correct mailbox when checking status. When several accounts are connected, expand the relevant account’s folder list. Searching all mailboxes can help, but verify the sender address before editing or cancelling a message.
Allow for delivery, not just the scheduled time. The selected time is when Outlook is set to send or submit the message; network delays and the recipient’s mail system can affect when it arrives. Avoid scheduling at the last possible minute for a deadline.

Troubleshooting

Schedule send is missing. Confirm that you are composing a new message in the new Outlook app and that you selected the arrow beside Send. Update Outlook, restart it, and check that you are signed in to the intended mailbox. Availability can depend on the account type, organizational settings, and rollout of app features. If the option is still absent, try Outlook on the web with the same supported account or ask your organization’s Microsoft 365 administrator whether scheduling is available.

The message sent immediately. Check Sent Items to confirm what happened. The main Send button sends now; the scheduling command is in its adjacent dropdown. If a message has already been delivered, Outlook may not be able to recall it. If appropriate, send a correction rather than relying on recall.

You cannot find a scheduled message. Look in both Drafts and Scheduled under the mailbox used in the From field. Clear any search filters, check the date range, and confirm that the schedule action completed. If the email is in Drafts, open it and inspect its status instead of creating a second copy, which could lead to duplicate delivery.

You need to change or cancel the send. Open the scheduled message from its folder. Look for Cancel send or an equivalent control. Cancelling usually returns the message to a draft so that you can edit it, send it immediately, or schedule it again. The exact control can vary by account and version. Make the change before the scheduled time; once the message has been sent, you cannot use the schedule controls to undo delivery.

The message did not send at the expected time. Check whether the time zone or date was set incorrectly, and verify that the message is still scheduled rather than merely saved as a draft. Check Outlook’s connection and account status, then reopen the message and review its schedule. For a work mailbox, an administrator may be able to identify account or service restrictions. Do not repeatedly schedule copies until you have checked whether the original is still queued.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I schedule an email in the new Outlook app while my computer is off?
For supported Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com accounts, scheduling is handled by the mail service, so Outlook generally does not have to remain open and the computer can be off. Account type and organization policies can affect availability, so confirm that Outlook shows the message as scheduled.

Can I schedule an email from Outlook on a Mac?
Yes, when the feature is available for the account and app version. Compose the message, use the dropdown beside Send, choose Schedule send, and select a time. Button labels and the location of the schedule controls may differ slightly from Windows.

Can I edit a scheduled email?
Usually, you first cancel its scheduled send, then edit the draft and schedule it again. Find it in Drafts or Scheduled, open it, and use Cancel send if that control appears. Make changes before the planned delivery time.

Can I schedule an email to send right now?
Use the regular Send button for immediate delivery. Schedule send is intended for a later date or time; the available choices may include a near-future suggestion, but there is no benefit to scheduling a message that should go now.

Will a scheduled email arrive at the exact minute?
Outlook aims to send at the selected time, but submission or delivery can be delayed by service or network conditions, and the recipient’s mail system controls final arrival. For time-critical messages, schedule ahead and leave a reasonable buffer.

Does Schedule send work with every email account?
Not necessarily. Availability can vary with account type, app version, and administrator settings. If the command is missing, update Outlook, check the same mailbox in Outlook on the web, or contact your organization’s support team.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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