How to Schedule an Email in Outlook for a Later Time

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 controls vary by Outlook version, so follow the steps for the app you use below.

Scheduled delivery lets you prepare an email now and have Outlook send it later, which is useful for working across time zones, sending a reminder at a convenient hour, or keeping a message out of someone’s inbox until it is relevant. Before you begin, check the recipient address, message, intended date and time, and the time zone shown on your device. Scheduling is not the same as setting a reminder for yourself: Outlook is expected to send the message automatically at the chosen time, subject to the account and app requirements described here.

What You’ll Need

An Outlook account and access to Outlook on the web, new Outlook, classic Outlook for Windows, or Outlook for Mac. Menu names and availability can differ by version and account type.
A completed draft, including the correct recipients and any attachments. You can schedule before adding recipients, but checking everything first reduces the chance of a message going out with missing information.
A delivery date and time that you have checked against your local time zone. If you are coordinating with someone elsewhere, confirm the recipient’s time zone too.
For classic Outlook for Windows, keep Outlook open and connected to the internet until the delayed message has been sent. The classic Delay Delivery method relies on Outlook being available to process the message.

Step-by-Step

Start a new message. In Outlook on the web or new Outlook for Windows, select New mail. In classic Outlook for Windows, select New Email from the Home ribbon. In Outlook for Mac, select New Email or New Message, depending on the version. You can also open a reply or forward if you want to schedule a response.
Fill in and review the message. Enter the recipients in To, Cc, or Bcc, add a clear subject, and write the message. Attach any files now and verify that each attachment appears in the message. Check names and email addresses carefully; a scheduled email can still be sent to the wrong person if an address was selected from autocomplete.
Open the scheduling option in new Outlook or Outlook on the web. Select the small arrow or drop-down beside Send, not the main Send button. Choose Schedule send. Depending on the interface, Outlook may show suggested choices such as later today or tomorrow morning, as well as an option to pick a custom time. Choose the custom option if none of the suggestions fits.
Set the date and time. In the scheduling dialog, choose the delivery date and time, then confirm with Send or Schedule send. Check the displayed date, including the year if the message is for a future date, and check whether the time is shown in your local time zone. The message should now be scheduled rather than sent immediately. Look for a confirmation on screen or a Scheduled folder entry.
Use Delay Delivery in classic Outlook for Windows. With the message open, go to the Options tab on the message ribbon and select Delay Delivery. In the Properties or Delivery options window, select Do not deliver before, then enter the date and time. Close the dialog, return to the message, and select Send. Outlook places the message in the Outbox until its delivery time. Do not close Outlook or take it offline before the message is sent; this older, client-dependent method needs Outlook running and connected to process the send.
Schedule in Outlook for Mac. In a new message, use the arrow beside Send and choose Schedule Send or Schedule send, then choose a suggested time or set a custom one and confirm. If the arrow or scheduling command is missing, update Outlook and check whether the feature is available for your account. Classic Outlook’s Windows-only ribbon route does not apply to Mac.
Confirm that the message is waiting. In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, open the Scheduled folder if it is available. Select the message and check the planned delivery time. In classic Outlook for Windows, check the Outbox for the delayed message. If it is not where expected, check the message window for a confirmation and verify that you used the scheduling command rather than clicking Send normally.
Make a change before delivery if needed. In web or new Outlook, open the scheduled message and use the available cancel or edit option. Usually, canceling scheduled delivery returns the message to a draft so you can edit it, select a new time, or send it immediately. In classic Outlook, open the message in the Outbox, change the delivery time through Options > Delay Delivery, or remove the delay if you want to send it now. Recheck the status after saving or sending your change.

Common Mistakes

Clicking Send instead of its arrow: The main Send button normally sends immediately. For the newer scheduling feature, open the small menu beside it and choose the scheduling command before confirming a time. If you already sent the message, scheduling cannot recall it. You may be able to use Outlook’s separate recall feature in eligible work or school accounts, but recall is not guaranteed and is not a substitute for checking first.

Choosing the wrong date or time: A selection such as tomorrow morning can be easy to misread, especially near midnight, at the end of a month, or when crossing into a new year. Use a custom date and read the confirmation carefully. When writing to someone in another region, convert the intended delivery time rather than assuming that Outlook uses the recipient’s local time.

Assuming every Outlook version behaves the same: The Scheduled folder is common in web and new Outlook, while classic Outlook’s Delay Delivery message sits in the Outbox. The classic method has an important dependency: Outlook needs to be running and online at the scheduled time. If you use that version, do not rely on a closed computer to send the message.

Forgetting to check attachments or recipients: Scheduling does not add a missing file or correct an address. Review the complete message immediately before you schedule it, including any links, attachment names, and people in Cc or Bcc. This is especially worthwhile for messages prepared well in advance.

Expecting a scheduled message to be a reminder: Scheduling queues the email for delivery; it does not necessarily notify you again before it goes out. If you want to reconsider the message later, set a separate calendar or task reminder and leave enough time to edit or cancel it.

Tips

Use a custom time for important messages. Suggested send times are convenient, but a custom selection is more precise when a deadline, meeting, or time-zone handoff matters. Choose a time when the recipient is likely to find the message useful, rather than simply choosing the next available suggestion.
Schedule a short test if the feature is new to you. Send a low-stakes message to yourself a few minutes ahead. This helps you learn where scheduled messages appear in your version and how the confirmation looks without risking an important email.
Keep classic Outlook available. For the Windows Delay Delivery route, leave Outlook open and connected until the item leaves the Outbox. If the computer is shut down, Outlook is closed, or the connection is unavailable at the planned time, the message may wait and send only after Outlook is available again.
Review scheduled messages when plans change. Before a meeting or deadline moves, check the Scheduled folder or Outbox for messages related to it. Cancel or edit an email that would now arrive too early, too late, or with outdated information.
Allow for delivery rather than promising an exact inbox arrival. Outlook can initiate sending at the scheduled time, but the recipient’s mail service, filtering, or network conditions can affect when it appears in their inbox. For a time-sensitive message, schedule it with a reasonable buffer.

Troubleshooting

The schedule option is missing. Confirm that you are using a supported, up-to-date Outlook version and that you are looking at the arrow beside Send. If it is still absent, check your account type and try Outlook on the web or another current Outlook app. Features can differ across versions and accounts; classic Outlook for Windows provides Delay Delivery as a separate method. If you are using a work or school account, your organization’s settings may also affect which features are available.

The message sent immediately. Check whether you selected the main Send button or a command that sends now. If the email has already left the Outbox or Scheduled folder and appears in Sent Items, it was sent; changing a schedule afterward will not undo delivery. For a future email, create a new draft and use the scheduling menu carefully.

The message is still in the classic Outlook Outbox. Make sure Outlook is open, connected, and not in Work Offline mode. Check the scheduled date and time in the message’s Delay Delivery settings. If the time has passed while Outlook was closed or offline, reconnect and allow Outlook to process the Outbox. If it remains stuck, check for an unsent error, a large attachment, or an account sign-in prompt.

The scheduled message is not visible. In new Outlook or the web, open the Scheduled folder and check that you are viewing the same account and mailbox used to compose it. In classic Outlook, look in Outbox rather than Scheduled. If you cannot find it in either location, inspect Drafts and Sent Items, then search for the subject; it may have remained a draft or been sent immediately.

The time appears wrong. Compare the scheduled time with the device’s time zone and date settings, and reopen the message’s scheduling details if the app lets you edit them. Do not assume a displayed time has been converted to the recipient’s zone. If the date has already passed, choose a new future time and confirm the change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I schedule an email in Outlook on the web?
Yes. Compose the message, select the arrow beside Send, choose Schedule send, set a suggested or custom delivery time, and confirm. Check the Scheduled folder afterward.

Can I schedule an email in classic Outlook for Windows?
Yes. Open the message, choose Options > Delay Delivery, select Do not deliver before, set the date and time, close the dialog, and send. Keep Outlook open and connected until it processes the message.

Can I edit or cancel an email after scheduling it?
Usually, yes, as long as it has not been sent. Open it from Scheduled or Outbox and use the available cancel or edit controls. If canceling returns it to Drafts, make your changes there and schedule it again.

Does Outlook need to be open for a scheduled email to send?
For the classic Windows Delay Delivery method, keep Outlook open and online. The newer Schedule send feature in Outlook on the web and new Outlook is designed to send at the scheduled time without relying on the classic Outbox workflow; check the scheduled status in your account.

Will Outlook use my time zone or the recipient’s?
Scheduling is based on the time shown by your Outlook app and account, generally your local time zone. Outlook does not automatically choose a convenient local delivery time for each recipient, so convert the time yourself when coordinating across regions.

Can I schedule email from Outlook on my phone?
Scheduling availability and menu wording can vary by mobile app version and account. If you do not see a scheduling choice beside Send, use Outlook on the web or a desktop version that offers Schedule send, then check the Scheduled folder to confirm.

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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