Schedule Email in Outlook: Send It Later

To schedule an email in Outlook, write your 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 tells Outlook to hold a message and send it at a time you choose, rather than sending it as soon as you press Send. It is useful for sending a reminder during someone’s working hours, preparing a message before a deadline, or avoiding an email arriving in the middle of the night. It does not guarantee that the recipient will read the message at that time: delivery can be affected by connectivity, mail-system processing, filtering, or the recipient’s settings.

A scheduled email is also different from a reminder or a calendar event. It sends an ordinary email; it does not reserve time on anyone’s calendar or alert you to follow up. If you need a reminder to take an action, create a task or calendar reminder as well.

Choose the Outlook version you are using

Microsoft has several Outlook experiences, and the scheduling controls are not identical. New Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web, and Outlook for Mac generally offer a Schedule send option beside the Send button. Classic Outlook for Windows uses a delayed-delivery setting within the message options. Outlook mobile may offer scheduling from its message menu, depending on the app version and account.

If you are unsure which Windows app is open, classic Outlook has the traditional desktop ribbon and may be labeled Outlook (classic) in Windows. New Outlook has a more web-like interface. The steps below distinguish them because looking for Schedule send in classic Outlook—or Delay Delivery in the newer app—can lead to a dead end.

Schedule a message in new Outlook for Windows

Select New mail and write the recipient, subject, and message.
Select the small arrow beside Send. Choose Schedule send.
Choose one of the suggested times or select the option to choose a custom time. Set the date and time, then confirm the schedule.

Check the recipient and the time before confirming, especially if Outlook is showing a different time zone than you expect. The message is not sent immediately when scheduled. In the newer Outlook experience, a scheduled message is typically held in Drafts until its scheduled delivery time. Open Drafts and look for the message there if you want to review it.

Use Delay Delivery in classic Outlook for Windows

In classic Outlook for Windows, compose a new message and address it as usual. On the message window’s ribbon, open Options > More Options > Delay Delivery. In the Properties dialog, find Delivery options, select Do not deliver before, and enter the date and time. Close the dialog, then select Send. The message is placed in the Outbox and held until its delivery time.

Do not confuse this with choosing a later time from the Schedule send menu in new Outlook. The classic method is a message property, and the message’s location and delivery behavior can differ. To change or remove a delay, open the message from Outbox before it is sent, return to the Delay Delivery settings, and adjust or clear the delivery time. If it has already left the Outbox, it is too late to change that message’s scheduled delivery.

Schedule email in Outlook on the web or Mac

In Outlook on the web, create a message, then select the arrow beside Send and choose Schedule send. Pick a suggested time or set a custom date and time, then confirm. In Outlook for Mac, the scheduling control is also available from the menu beside Send when supported by the Outlook version and account. Menu wording and placement can vary slightly as Microsoft updates the apps, so look for the send-button dropdown rather than the message’s formatting controls.

In the Outlook mobile app, compose the message and open the menu (often shown as three dots) near the send controls. If Schedule send appears, select it and choose a time. If you do not see the option, update Outlook and check that you are using the intended account; feature availability can vary by app build and account type. You can also schedule the message from Outlook on the web or a desktop app that supports the feature.

Edit, send now, or cancel a scheduled email

In new Outlook and Outlook on the web, look in Drafts for the scheduled message. Open it to review its contents. Depending on the client, Outlook offers a cancel-sending action; after canceling, you can edit the message, send it immediately, or schedule it again. If the message is not visible in Drafts, check that you are viewing the correct account and folder.

In classic Outlook, find the delayed message in Outbox. Open it to change the time through Delay Delivery, or delete it from Outbox to prevent it from being sent. Be cautious when changing the recipient or content: a message can be released as soon as you remove its delay or choose Send. Review the To, Cc, subject, attachments, and delivery time before confirming any change.

Timing, connectivity, and account behavior

For Schedule send in newer Outlook experiences, the message is generally held by the mail service until the selected time, so closing the app after scheduling should not normally prevent it from being sent. Classic Outlook’s Delay Delivery is more dependent on account and mail-server configuration. With some non-Exchange accounts, Outlook may need to remain open and connected for the message to leave the Outbox; an Exchange account may handle delivery on the server. If the email is time-critical, do not assume the computer can be shut down without checking how your account behaves.

Use the time zone displayed by Outlook as your reference, and account for daylight-saving changes when scheduling well ahead. For example, if you are preparing a Monday message on Friday, confirm the calendar date as well as the clock time; selecting 8:00 a.m. on the wrong date is an easy mistake. A scheduled message can also be delayed after it leaves your mailbox by the recipient’s provider, so scheduling controls when Outlook hands off the message, not the exact moment it appears in every inbox.

Common scheduling problems and practical checks

The option is missing: Check whether you are in classic or new Outlook, look beside the Send button, and make sure the app is up to date. Classic Outlook uses Delay Delivery rather than the newer Schedule send label.
The email sent immediately: Verify that you selected Schedule send and confirmed the time, rather than clicking the main Send button. In classic Outlook, confirm that Do not deliver before was selected and the dialog was closed before sending.
The message is not where expected: New Outlook scheduled messages commonly appear in Drafts, while classic delayed messages appear in Outbox. Check the correct mailbox and account.
The message did not go out on time: Check its folder and scheduled time, confirm the account is online, and consider whether a classic non-Exchange account required Outlook to stay open. Also check whether the message was edited, canceled, or moved.
The time looks wrong: Review the displayed time zone, date, and daylight-saving change. If sending across regions, state the time zone when discussing the message with the recipient.

For an important message, schedule it a few minutes before the deadline rather than at the last possible second. Then check the relevant folder to make sure Outlook retained the scheduled item. If the recipient must receive information by a strict deadline, use an approved communication channel as a backup rather than treating scheduled email as a guaranteed delivery service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I schedule an email in Outlook for free?
Scheduling is an Outlook feature, not a separate paid scheduling add-on. Which controls are available can depend on the Outlook app, account type, and organization settings. If Schedule send is unavailable, try the corresponding Outlook web or desktop experience for your account.

Will Outlook send a scheduled email if my computer is off?
New Outlook’s Schedule send is generally handled by the mail service, so the app need not stay open after scheduling. Classic Outlook’s Delay Delivery can depend on the account: some non-Exchange setups may need Outlook running and connected. Check your account’s behavior if the timing matters.

Where do I find an email scheduled to send?
Look in Drafts in new Outlook or Outlook on the web. In classic Outlook for Windows, a delayed message is held in Outbox. Folder behavior can vary with the client and account, so check the mailbox in which you composed it.

Can I change the scheduled time?
Usually, yes, as long as the message has not been sent. Open it from Drafts or Outbox, cancel or adjust the scheduled delivery, then choose a new time. The exact controls vary by Outlook version.

Can I schedule an email from Outlook on my phone?
Outlook mobile may provide Schedule send in the compose menu, often under the three-dot menu. If it is missing, update the app or schedule the message using Outlook on the web or a desktop version with the feature.

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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