Outlook Email Scheduling: How to Send Messages Later

To schedule an email in Outlook, write the message, open the menu beside Send, choose Schedule send, and select a delivery time. In classic Outlook for Windows, use Options > Delay Delivery instead; the exact steps depend on which Outlook app and account you use.

What scheduling an Outlook email does

Scheduling lets you prepare an email now and have Outlook hold it until a time you choose. It is useful for sending a reminder during a recipient’s workday, coordinating across time zones, or drafting a message outside business hours without delivering it immediately. It does not make the email arrive at an exact guaranteed second: the recipient’s mail service, connection, and filtering can affect when it appears in their inbox.

Scheduling is different from setting a reminder for yourself. A scheduled email is intended to be sent to its recipients later; a reminder or calendar event only notifies you. It is also different from recurring email automation. Outlook’s basic Schedule send feature schedules one message for one delivery time, not a repeated weekly or monthly series.

The feature is generally available in supported Outlook apps and Outlook.com without a separate email-scheduling add-on. However, the available controls can vary with the app version, account type, and organization settings. If you do not see the option, try Outlook on the web or check for an app update.

Schedule a message in new Outlook or Outlook.com

In new Outlook for Windows and Outlook.com, the basic process is much the same. Compose a new message or reply, add the recipients and subject, and finish writing the email before choosing its delivery time.

Select the small arrow or dropdown beside the Send button.
Choose Schedule send.
Select one of the suggested times, or choose a custom time if that option is shown.
Confirm the date and time. Outlook will confirm that the message is scheduled.

For example, if you prepare a project update at 10 p.m. and choose 8 a.m. the next morning, Outlook holds the message for delivery at the selected time. Check the date as well as the clock time, particularly if you are scheduling just after midnight or several days ahead.

In these apps, a scheduled message is typically kept in Drafts until its scheduled delivery time. Open Drafts to find it if you need to review or change it. The exact wording and location can differ slightly as Microsoft updates Outlook’s interface, but the Send dropdown is the key place to look.

Schedule an email in classic Outlook for Windows

Classic Outlook has a different command. Create the message, then open the Options tab in the message window. In the More Options area, select Delay Delivery. In the dialog box, find Delivery options and check Do not deliver before. Set the date and time, close the dialog, and select Send.

The message does not normally go out immediately: it remains in the Outbox until its delivery time. That folder is therefore the place to check when a message scheduled with Delay Delivery seems to have disappeared from the compose window. You can open the message from the Outbox to review or edit it before it is sent.

What happens if Outlook is closed depends on the account and configuration. With many Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 work accounts, the server can handle the scheduled delivery, so the desktop app does not need to stay open. With POP or IMAP accounts, classic Outlook may need to be running and connected when the delivery time arrives. If timing is important, check your account setup and test the behavior with a non-urgent message first.

Do not confuse Delay Delivery with Outlook’s rules for delaying all outgoing messages. Delay Delivery applies to the message you are composing; a rule can affect more messages and has separate settings. For one planned email, the message-level command is usually the simpler choice.

Outlook for Mac and mobile

In current Outlook for Mac, compose the email and look for the dropdown beside Send. Choose Schedule Send, then select a suggested time or set a custom one if offered. The labels and placement can vary between the new and legacy Outlook for Mac experiences. If Schedule Send is missing, check whether you are using an up-to-date version and whether the account supports the feature; Outlook on the web is a useful alternative.

In the Outlook app for iOS or Android, compose a message and open the additional message options, usually shown as a three-dot menu. Choose Schedule Send if the option appears, then select a delivery time. Mobile app menus can change, so look for the send-scheduling command rather than assuming it will be in the same place as the desktop version.

Scheduling from a phone does not mean the phone must remain on until delivery when the service has accepted the scheduled message. For a work account with organization-specific policies, however, account behavior may differ. Confirm that Outlook displays a scheduled or queued confirmation before closing the app.

Edit, send now, or cancel a scheduled email

Until delivery, you can usually revise a scheduled message, change its time, or cancel it. The steps depend on the app in which you created it:

In new Outlook or Outlook.com, open Drafts and select the scheduled message. Edit it or use the available scheduling controls to choose a different time. To stop it from being sent, delete it or cancel the schedule using the option shown.
In classic Outlook for Windows, open the message in Outbox. Edit it or remove the Do not deliver before setting if you want to send it without the delay. If you cancel the message, delete it from Outbox.
In Mac or mobile Outlook, open the scheduled message in the folder or scheduled-message view shown by that version, then use its edit, reschedule, or cancel controls.

Folder names and controls are not identical across every Outlook client. Before deleting a message, confirm that you have selected the scheduled copy rather than another draft or a sent copy. If the message has already left the Outbox or Drafts and appears in Sent Items, it has likely been submitted; scheduling controls cannot recall it from the recipient’s mailbox.

Choose a time zone and avoid timing mistakes

Outlook’s scheduling controls use a date and time interpreted through the account or device’s time-zone settings. If you work with people in another region, convert the intended delivery time before scheduling. For example, 9 a.m. in London is not always the same number of hours ahead of New York because daylight-saving changes do not begin and end on the same dates everywhere.

Before confirming a schedule, check these details:

The calendar date, especially when choosing a time shortly after midnight.
The time zone shown by Outlook or configured for your device and account.
Whether daylight saving time is in effect on the delivery date.
The recipient’s working hours and the local date where they are based.

For a message that must arrive before a deadline, schedule it with a reasonable buffer rather than at the last possible minute. A scheduled send sets when Outlook attempts to send the email; it cannot guarantee delivery by a particular deadline or prevent delays caused by mail systems, account restrictions, or an incorrect recipient address.

Does an Outlook plan or subscription affect scheduling?

People sometimes search for an Outlook plan because they want to know whether scheduling requires a paid subscription. Basic scheduled sending is available in Outlook.com and supported Outlook apps, and it is not generally a separately purchased scheduling tool. The app, account type, and administrator settings matter more than having a particular add-on.

Work or school accounts may be managed by an organization. An administrator can control account features, retention, and security, and some older or less common account configurations may not show the same controls. A Microsoft 365 subscription can affect which Outlook apps and services are available to you, but it does not guarantee that every version has identical menus.

If you have a free Outlook.com account and cannot find Schedule send, check that you are composing in Outlook.com rather than a different mail app connected to the account. If you use a work account, try Outlook on the web or ask your organization’s support team whether the feature is restricted.

Common scheduling problems and fixes

If a scheduled message does not appear to send, first find out which Outlook version created it. In new Outlook or Outlook.com, inspect Drafts; in classic Outlook for Windows, inspect Outbox. A message that is still in one of those locations may be waiting for its time, blocked by a connection issue, or set for a later date than intended.

The Schedule send option is missing: Check the Send dropdown rather than the main Send button. Update Outlook if possible, or try Outlook on the web. In classic Windows Outlook, use Options > Delay Delivery.
The message is still waiting after its time: Verify the scheduled date, time, and time zone. For classic Outlook using POP or IMAP, make sure Outlook is open and connected. Check for an offline status or an Outbox delivery error.
The wrong time was selected: Open the message in Drafts or Outbox and reschedule it before it is sent. Do not assume the time displayed in another time zone is the same local time.
You cannot find the queued email: Search Drafts and Outbox, and check whether the message was moved or deleted. Different Outlook versions store scheduled messages differently.
You need to stop it after it was sent: Deleting the item from Sent Items does not remove it from recipients’ mailboxes. Outlook recall has narrow requirements and is not a dependable way to undo delivery.

For high-stakes messages, send a test to an address you control and verify where the scheduled copy appears. This helps establish how your particular account behaves before you rely on the feature for a deadline or a time-sensitive announcement.

Alternatives when Outlook scheduling is unavailable

If the scheduling command is unavailable, try the Outlook web app with the same account, where the supported feature may be accessible even if an older desktop interface does not show it. You can also prepare the email as a draft and set a calendar reminder to send it manually. A reminder is less automatic, but it avoids relying on a client-specific queue.

For repeated announcements or large-scale campaigns, an email marketing or workflow service may be more appropriate than scheduling messages one by one in Outlook. Such services have their own consent, privacy, and organizational requirements. For ordinary personal or work correspondence, Outlook’s built-in Schedule send or Delay Delivery is usually the most direct option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I schedule an email in Outlook for free?
Outlook.com offers scheduled sending, and supported Outlook clients include scheduling controls. There is generally no separate fee just to schedule an individual email, although the available app features can depend on your account and version.

Does Outlook need to be open for a scheduled email to send?
It depends on the app and account. Outlook.com and many Exchange or Microsoft 365 accounts can handle scheduled delivery through the service. Classic Outlook with a POP or IMAP account may need to be running and connected at the scheduled time.

Can I change the time after scheduling an email?
Usually, yes, as long as it has not been sent. Find the scheduled message in Drafts or Outbox, open it, and use the available edit or reschedule controls. The folder and exact procedure depend on the Outlook version.

Can I schedule a recurring email in Outlook?
Schedule send is for a single message at a chosen time, not a recurring series. For recurring communications, use an appropriate workflow or mailing service, or create a reminder and prepare each message as needed.

Why is my scheduled email still in Drafts or Outbox?
Those folders can hold a message until delivery. Check its scheduled time and time zone. In classic Outlook, also check connection status and account type; a POP or IMAP account may require Outlook to be open and online.

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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