How to Schedule an Email in Outlook to Send It Later

To schedule an email in Outlook, write your message, choose a future delivery time, and select Send. The exact controls depend on whether you use classic Outlook for Windows, new Outlook, Outlook on the web, or Outlook for Mac. Scheduled send is useful for timing a message for a recipient’s workday, preparing a reminder in advance, or sending across time zones. Before you begin, check which Outlook version you have and confirm the recipient, date, time, and time zone.

What You’ll Need

An Outlook account that can send email. Some scheduling options depend on the account type and Outlook version; a work or school account may have features that a particular personal or IMAP account does not.
The recipient’s correct email address, plus a subject and message ready to send.
Your intended send date and time, including the time zone. Outlook normally uses the time zone set for your device or account.
For classic Outlook for Windows, keep the app open and connected to the internet until the delayed message is sent. This is different from server-based scheduled send in new Outlook or Outlook on the web.

Step-by-Step

Identify your Outlook version. In Windows, the classic Outlook app has the traditional ribbon and usually an Outlook File tab; new Outlook has a more modern interface and a Settings gear. Outlook on the web runs in a browser. On a Mac, use Outlook for Mac. The names and locations of scheduling controls differ, so follow the matching instructions below rather than looking for one button in every version.
Start a new message and fill in its details. Select New Email in classic Outlook for Windows, or New mail in new Outlook or Outlook on the web. In Outlook for Mac, select New Message. Enter the recipient in the To field, add a clear subject, and write the message. If it is important that the email not go out early, pause before sending and verify the recipient and wording first.
Schedule it in new Outlook or Outlook on the web. Select the small arrow or menu beside Send, then choose Schedule send. Pick one of the suggested times or choose a custom time if the option appears. Set the date and time you want, check the displayed time zone, and confirm the schedule. The message is held for delivery rather than sent immediately. Depending on the interface, it may appear in Drafts or a scheduled-send view; open the message there if you need to review, change, or cancel it before the scheduled time.
Schedule it in classic Outlook for Windows. Open the message, select the Options tab on the ribbon, and choose Delay Delivery (in some layouts, it is in the More Options group). In the Properties window, under Delivery options, check Do not deliver before. Enter the delivery date and time, then select Close. Back in the message window, select Send. The email normally remains in the Outbox until its scheduled delivery time. Keep classic Outlook open, signed in, and connected to the internet until then; closing the app or losing the connection can delay delivery.
Schedule it in Outlook for Mac. Compose the email, then use the arrow or dropdown beside Send and choose Schedule Send or Send Later, depending on the app version. Choose a suggested time or set a custom date and time, then confirm. Look in Drafts or the scheduled-message area to find the message before it goes out. If you do not see a scheduling choice, check for Outlook updates and confirm that your account type supports the feature; the option is not identical across all Mac versions and accounts.
Confirm the message is queued. Do not assume that clicking the scheduling control worked just because the compose window closed. Check the relevant folder or scheduled-message view, open the item if needed, and verify its recipient and scheduled time. In classic Outlook for Windows, check Outbox. In new Outlook, Outlook on the web, and Mac, check Drafts or the scheduled-send area shown by your version. If the item is still open as a draft, it may not have been scheduled.
Change or cancel it if plans change. Find the queued message before its delivery time. In new Outlook, Outlook on the web, and supported Mac versions, open the scheduled item and use the available edit or cancel option; it may return to Drafts for editing. In classic Outlook for Windows, open the message in Outbox, make the change, and send it again with the delay settings adjusted or removed. If you delete a queued message, confirm that it is no longer present before assuming it cannot be sent.

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong Send control: In versions with Schedule send, clicking the main Send button sends immediately. Use the arrow or menu next to it, then choose the scheduling option and confirm the time.

Forgetting classic Outlook must stay available: A message delayed through classic Outlook for Windows can wait in Outbox. If the computer is off, Outlook is closed, or the connection is unavailable at the delivery time, it may not leave when expected. Server-based scheduling in new Outlook or the web does not rely on your desktop app staying open in the same way.

Choosing the wrong time zone or date: A date near midnight can be especially easy to misread. Check the date as well as the clock time, and consider the recipient’s local time when timing a business message.

Assuming a draft is scheduled: A saved draft will not automatically send at a particular time. Look for an explicit scheduled-send confirmation or the queued item in the expected folder.

Scheduling before the message is ready: You may overlook an attachment, typo, or incorrect recipient when you are preparing a message in advance. Review the To, Cc, subject, message, links, and attachments before confirming the schedule.

Tips

Use a specific subject that makes the message easy to recognize if you need to find it later. If you are scheduling several emails, check each queued message individually; do not rely on the order in which they appear in a folder to confirm their delivery times.

When writing for someone in another region, schedule for a reasonable local hour rather than simply choosing your own usual sending time. If Outlook displays a time zone, use it to verify the intended moment. If your device’s time zone is wrong, correct the device or account setting before scheduling, then recheck the message.

For a message that must be sent even when your computer is shut down, use the server-based Schedule send option in new Outlook or Outlook on the web if it is available for your account. For classic Outlook, plan to leave the app running and connected through the delivery time. If the message is urgent or time-critical, do not rely on a queued email as the only way to communicate; confirm delivery through an appropriate alternative.

Keep a little time between scheduling and the desired delivery when you expect to make edits. Once a scheduled message has been sent, you generally cannot retrieve it from the recipient’s inbox. Treat the queued message as a chance to review, not as a guarantee that you can recall it afterward.

Troubleshooting

The message sent immediately instead of later: You may have selected the main Send button rather than its dropdown, or confirmed a suggested time you did not intend. Check Sent Items to see whether the email went out. If it did, Outlook scheduling cannot reverse delivery; contact the recipient if a correction is needed. For the next message, reopen the compose window and choose Schedule send or Delay Delivery before sending.

The schedule option is missing: First identify whether you are using classic Outlook, new Outlook, the web, or Mac; classic Outlook for Windows uses Options > Delay Delivery, not necessarily a Schedule send button beside Send. In another version, look for a dropdown beside Send. If the expected control is absent, update Outlook, check whether you are signed in to the intended account, and consider whether that account type supports scheduling. A work or school administrator may also restrict features.

A classic Outlook message is stuck in Outbox: Open Outlook and confirm it is online and connected. In classic Outlook, check whether Work Offline is enabled on the Send/Receive tab, and turn it off if appropriate. Check the message’s Do not deliver before setting and correct the time if necessary. If the scheduled time has passed, leave Outlook connected while it processes the Outbox. Do not create a second copy until you know whether the original has sent, or the recipient could receive duplicates.

A server-scheduled message has not appeared where expected: Check Drafts and any scheduled-message view available in your Outlook version, and make sure you are looking at the same account used to compose it. Refresh the folder or reopen Outlook. If the email is still only an ordinary draft, schedule it again and wait for the confirmation. If it is queued but overdue, check for a service or account issue and contact your organization’s support team if it is a work account.

The email is scheduled for the wrong time: Open the queued item and compare its date and time with your device’s time zone. Edit or cancel and reschedule it before delivery. If the message is already in Outbox in classic Outlook, open its delivery properties and adjust or clear the Do not deliver before setting. The exact controls for editing a queued message vary by Outlook version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I schedule an email in Outlook when my computer is off?
Usually, yes, when you use server-based Schedule send in new Outlook or Outlook on the web and the feature is available for your account. Do not assume classic Outlook’s Delay Delivery will work while the app is closed; keep it open and connected through the scheduled time.

Where do scheduled emails go in Outlook?
It depends on the version. New Outlook, Outlook on the web, and supported Mac versions may show the message in Drafts or a scheduled-send view. In classic Outlook for Windows, a delayed message normally waits in Outbox.

Can I edit or cancel a scheduled Outlook email?
Yes, if you act before it is sent. Find the queued message, open it, then use the available edit or cancel control. In classic Outlook, open it from Outbox and change or remove its delivery delay. Check that the updated message is queued correctly afterward.

Will a scheduled email send if Outlook is offline?
Server-based scheduling can send without the desktop app being online, but classic Outlook’s Delay Delivery depends on Outlook being open and connected when the message is due. If you are unsure which method you used, inspect the message’s folder and confirm its status.

Can I schedule an email from Outlook on my phone?
Some Outlook mobile app versions and accounts offer a scheduling choice in the Send menu, but availability and labels can vary. If you do not see it, use Outlook on the web or a supported desktop version, and verify the queued message before relying on it.

Does scheduling guarantee the recipient will read the email at that time?
No. Scheduling controls when Outlook attempts to send the message; delivery can still be affected by connectivity, recipient mail systems, or account policies. It also cannot guarantee when the recipient opens or reads the email.

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

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