How to Schedule Send an Email in the Microsoft Outlook App

To schedule an email in Outlook, write your message, open the menu beside Send, choose Schedule send, and select a delivery time. The exact steps depend on whether you use new Outlook, classic Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, the web app, or a phone. Scheduling lets you compose now and have Outlook send the message later, provided the feature is available for your account.

What You’ll Need

An Outlook account added to the Outlook app. Some scheduling options depend on your account type and app version.
A drafted message with a recipient and subject. You can schedule without finishing the message first, but check it before confirming the send time.
A delivery date and time, including the correct time zone if you are scheduling across regions.
An internet connection for the message to be submitted and, for classic Outlook for Windows, Outlook must generally be open and connected when the scheduled delivery is due.

Step-by-Step

Open a new message. In Outlook for Windows or Mac, choose New mail or New Email. In Outlook on the web, select New mail. In the mobile app, tap the compose button, usually shown as a pencil or plus symbol. Enter the recipient, subject, and message text. Add any attachments now so you can verify they are included before scheduling.
Check the message before setting its time. Confirm the recipient address, especially if Outlook has suggested a contact with a similar name. Make sure the subject is clear and the message is complete. Scheduling changes when the email is sent; it does not proofread it or recall it after delivery.
In new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web, open the Send menu. Select the small arrow beside Send, then choose Schedule send. The arrow may be directly beside the Send button, so avoid clicking the main button if you are not ready to send immediately. Select one of the suggested delivery times or choose a custom time if that option appears.
Choose a custom date and time when needed. In the scheduling panel, select the date and the time you want the message to go out, then confirm the selection. Review whether Outlook is displaying your local time. Select Send or the confirmation button to schedule the message. Closing the compose window without confirming may leave the email as an ordinary draft rather than a scheduled message.
In classic Outlook for Windows, set a delivery delay. Open the message, select the Options tab on the ribbon, and choose Delay Delivery. In the message properties window, under Delivery options, select Do not deliver before. Enter the date and time, close the properties window, and then select Send. The message is held in the Outbox until its delivery time. This is different from the Schedule send button in newer Outlook versions.
In Outlook for Mac, use Schedule Send. Compose the message and open the dropdown beside Send. Choose Schedule Send, pick a suggested time or enter a custom date and time, and confirm. The wording or location can vary with the Mac Outlook release. If you do not see the option, update Outlook and check whether the account you are using supports scheduled delivery.
In the Outlook mobile app, use the message menu. Compose your email, then tap the three-dot menu or other message options control near the top of the compose screen. Tap Schedule send, select a suggested time or choose a custom date and time, and confirm. The menu can look different on Android and iPhone, and the feature may not appear for every account or app build.
Verify that Outlook scheduled it. After confirming, look for a confirmation message and check the relevant folder. Depending on the Outlook version and account, a scheduled message may appear in Drafts or a Scheduled folder. Open the message if you need to confirm the recipient and delivery time. Do not rely on the message appearing in Sent Items before it has actually been delivered.
Change or cancel it before delivery if necessary. Open the scheduled message from the folder where Outlook saved it. Use the available edit, cancel, or unschedule control. If you edit the message, confirm the new delivery time and save or schedule it again. If you want it sent immediately, use the send-now option when offered. Folder names and controls vary, so check that the message is no longer scheduled before closing Outlook.

For a quick example, suppose you finish a project update at 4 p.m. but want your team to receive it the next morning. Compose and check the update, choose Schedule send, select 9 a.m. on the intended date, and confirm. Before scheduling, check that 9 a.m. is the time zone you mean and that the message is addressed to the correct team list.

Common Mistakes

Clicking Send instead of its dropdown. In versions with a separate arrow, clicking the main Send button sends the message right away. If the email went out immediately, Outlook’s schedule feature cannot pull it back reliably; use the recall feature only if your account and circumstances support it, and contact the recipient if needed.
Using the wrong time or date. A date picker can default to today, and a time can be interpreted in your local time zone. Check the full date and time in the confirmation screen, especially near midnight, when travelling, or when recipients are in another region.
Assuming every Outlook version behaves alike. New Outlook and Outlook on the web use Schedule send, whereas classic Outlook for Windows uses Delay Delivery. The classic desktop method holds the email in Outbox and has different connection requirements.
Closing classic Outlook before the message leaves. A classic Outlook delayed message may remain in Outbox if Outlook is closed or disconnected at the scheduled time. Keep the app open and online, or use a supported server-based scheduling option in new Outlook or the web version if your account offers it.
Forgetting attachments or recipients. A scheduled email is still a normal email. Check attachments, copied recipients, links, and any confidential information before confirming; the scheduled status does not prevent an accidental disclosure.
Expecting a schedule option for every account. Features can vary by Outlook release, account provider, and organizational settings. A connected third-party or IMAP/POP account may not show the same controls as a Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com account.

Tips

Use a specific subject and include the purpose of the email so you can identify it quickly if you later need to edit or cancel it.
Schedule a message a few minutes later than the current time if you want a final review window. Confirm the time rather than assuming Outlook will add a delay automatically.
For messages to colleagues in another time zone, state the intended local time in your own calendar or check a time-zone converter before choosing the date and time in Outlook.
Make sure attachments have finished uploading before you schedule. Large files or a weak connection can delay the upload or prevent the message from being submitted properly.
Keep an eye on Drafts, Scheduled, or Outbox after setting up a message. The correct folder depends on your Outlook version, but checking it helps distinguish a scheduled message from a draft that was never confirmed.
If a message is important or time-sensitive, do not treat scheduling as proof that the recipient received it. Check the message after the delivery time and follow up through another channel if delivery matters.

Troubleshooting

I cannot find Schedule send. First check the arrow beside Send or the three-dot menu; it may not be a standalone ribbon button. Confirm whether you are in new Outlook or classic Outlook for Windows, since classic Outlook uses Options > Delay Delivery. Update the Outlook app, restart it, and check the same account in Outlook on the web. If the feature is still missing, your account type or organization policy may not support it. Do not assume that an ordinary draft will send later.

The message did not send at the selected time. Check the folder where it was saved. In classic Outlook for Windows, look in Outbox and make sure Outlook is open, connected, and not in Work Offline mode. Check for a send/receive error, a full mailbox, or an attachment that is still uploading. For new Outlook, Mac, web, or mobile, open the scheduled message and verify its time and status; reconnect to the internet and follow any prompt to retry or send.

The message went out immediately. This usually means the main Send button was clicked, or the message was sent from a version without the schedule control you expected. Check Sent Items to confirm. Outlook may offer a recall option in some Microsoft 365 work or school environments, but recall is not guaranteed and may not work for external recipients. If recall is unavailable or unsuccessful, send a correction or contact the recipient.

The scheduled message is missing. Search Drafts, Scheduled, and Outbox, and make sure you are viewing the same mailbox and account used to compose it. Search for a distinctive phrase from the subject. If it is not present, it may not have been confirmed or may have been moved or deleted. Recreate and schedule it, then verify its status before relying on it.

The time looks wrong. Check your computer or phone time zone and compare it with the time shown in the scheduled message. If necessary, edit the scheduled email and choose the intended local date and time again. Pay particular attention after travelling or changing device time-zone settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I schedule an email in Outlook for free?
Scheduling is available in many current Outlook experiences, including Outlook.com and supported Outlook apps, but availability can depend on the account and version. If you cannot find Schedule send, try Outlook on the web or check for app updates.

Can I schedule an email from my phone?
Yes, when the Outlook mobile app and account support the feature. Compose the message, open the options menu, tap Schedule send, and confirm a suggested or custom time. The menu position may differ between Android and iPhone.

Can I edit a scheduled email?
Usually, yes, before its delivery time. Find it in Drafts or Scheduled, open it, make your changes, and confirm the updated schedule. Verify that it remains scheduled after editing; saving a message as a draft does not necessarily preserve its delivery time.

Can I cancel a scheduled email?
Open the message before its scheduled delivery and choose the cancel or unschedule option if available. The email should return to a draft or otherwise lose its scheduled status. Check the folder afterward to make sure it will not still be sent.

Does Outlook have to be open for scheduled send?
For classic Outlook for Windows using Delay Delivery, generally yes: Outlook needs to be open and connected when the message is due to send. New Outlook, Outlook on the web, and supported account-based scheduling can work differently because delivery may be handled by the service. Check the behavior for your version and account.

Will a scheduled email send if my computer is offline?
It depends on how the message was scheduled. A classic Outlook delayed message can wait in Outbox until Outlook is online again, making delivery late. A message scheduled through a supported online service may be sent by that service, but confirm the status in Outlook rather than assuming it was delivered.

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

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