Schedule Send in Outlook: How It Works

To schedule an email in Outlook, compose it, open the arrow beside Send, choose Schedule send, and select a delivery time. The feature belongs to Outlook; Viva is not required, although Viva Insights may offer schedule-send suggestions in some organizations.

What Schedule Send Does—and What Viva Means

Schedule send lets you write an email now and have Outlook send it later. It is useful for planning a reminder, sending a message during a recipient’s working hours, or preparing an announcement ahead of time. You choose the date and time, and Outlook holds the message until then. A scheduled message is still an email: the recipient does not need Viva, and you do not need to add a Viva component to the message.

Viva is a collection of Microsoft workplace tools, not a different Outlook email-sending mode. Two Viva features can cause confusion. Viva Insights may show a schedule-send suggestion while you compose, depending on the Outlook version and your organization’s settings. Viva Engage, by contrast, is for workplace community posts; scheduling an Engage post does not schedule an Outlook email. If you simply want to deliver email later, use Outlook’s own scheduling control.

Schedule an Email in New Outlook for Windows

In new Outlook for Windows, use the schedule control beside the Send button:

Select New mail and write the message. Add recipients and any attachments as usual.
Select the small arrow next to Send. Do not select the main Send button, which sends the email immediately.
Choose Schedule send. Pick one of the suggested times or choose a custom time, if that option is shown.
Confirm the date and time. Outlook should indicate that the message is scheduled.

The labels and available time suggestions can vary with Outlook updates and account settings. Check the selected date, time, and time zone before confirming—especially when planning a message around a holiday, a daylight-saving change, or a recipient in another region. If Schedule send is not shown, confirm that you are using a supported Outlook version and account, and try Outlook on the web as a practical alternative.

Schedule Send in Outlook on the Web

Outlook on the web uses much the same process. Open Outlook in a browser, choose New mail, prepare the message, and select the arrow beside Send. Choose Schedule send, then select a suggested delivery time or set a custom one if available. Confirm the choice rather than clicking Send by mistake.

The web version is useful if you are away from your usual computer or need to check a scheduled message from another device. Sign in to the same mailbox and look in Drafts for messages that have not yet been sent. The exact location or wording can change with Outlook’s interface, so use the scheduled status shown on the message as your guide. A work or school administrator may also control which features are available in the organization’s account.

Classic Outlook for Windows Uses Delay Delivery

Some Windows users still have classic Outlook rather than new Outlook. Its traditional option is called Delay Delivery. It can schedule a message, but its behavior differs from the newer Schedule send feature.

Compose a message in classic Outlook and address it.
Open the Options tab in the message window.
In the message options, select Delay Delivery. Depending on the ribbon layout, this may be under More Options.
Under Delivery options, select Do not deliver before, then set the date and time.
Close the properties window and select Send.

With classic Outlook, the delayed message is generally held in the Outbox until its delivery time. For this client-side method, keep Outlook open and connected to the account so it can send the message when due. That is an important distinction from cloud-based scheduling in newer Outlook experiences, which can send while the app is closed. If the computer is asleep, Outlook is closed, or the connection is unavailable, a classic delayed message may wait until Outlook can process it.

Outlook on Mac and Mobile

In Outlook for Mac, compose the email and look for the arrow beside Send. If Schedule send is available, choose it, set the delivery time, and confirm. Outlook for Mac changes over time, and the control can appear differently across builds; if it is missing, check that Outlook is up to date or use Outlook on the web. The classic Windows Delay Delivery steps above are not a universal set of instructions for Mac.

The Outlook mobile app may also offer scheduled sending. Compose the message, open the additional-actions menu near the Send control, and look for Schedule send or a similarly named option. If it is present, choose the date and time and confirm. Menu placement and availability can differ between iOS, Android, app versions, and account types. If you cannot find the option on your phone, schedule the email in Outlook on the web or on a desktop instead.

Find, Change, or Cancel a Scheduled Message

Before the delivery time, a scheduled email has not yet reached the recipient. In newer Outlook experiences, check Drafts for the scheduled message. Open it to review the recipient, subject, wording, attachments, and scheduled time. If you need to change it, use the available cancel or edit controls; in some versions, cancelling the schedule returns the message to a regular draft that you can revise and schedule again.

Classic Outlook’s Delay Delivery messages are typically in the Outbox, not Drafts. Open the message there to adjust its delivery settings or remove the delay, then save or send it as appropriate. Avoid assuming that deleting a message from one folder has the same effect in every Outlook version. Check the message’s status and folder before closing Outlook.

Once Outlook has sent the email, changing or deleting your copy will not reliably remove it from the recipient’s mailbox. Some organizations provide a recall feature for limited situations, but recall is not a dependable substitute for checking a scheduled message before it goes out.

Timing, Time Zones, and Delivery Expectations

Schedule send sets a time for Outlook to attempt delivery; it is not a guarantee that every recipient’s mail system will display the email at that exact minute. Mail servers, connectivity, spam filtering, and the recipient’s provider can affect when it appears. Plan for the selected send time, but do not use scheduling as a guarantee for a deadline-critical notice.

Pay attention to the time zone shown by your Outlook account or device. For example, if you are in New York and schedule a message for 9:00 a.m. local time, a recipient in London will not necessarily receive it at 9:00 a.m. London time; it is scheduled according to the time shown to you. If the purpose is to reach someone at the start of their workday, calculate the time difference and account for daylight-saving changes in both locations.

Scheduling also does not fix an incorrect address, missing attachment, or incomplete message. Before confirming, check the To, Cc, and Bcc fields, verify links and attachments, and make sure the chosen time is sensible. If the email contains sensitive or time-critical information, follow your organization’s normal approval and security procedures rather than relying only on a timer.

Common Problems and Practical Checks

No Schedule send option: Confirm whether you are in new Outlook, classic Outlook, Outlook on the web, or the mobile app. The classic Windows client may use Delay Delivery instead. Account policies and app versions can also affect availability.
The email sent immediately: You may have selected the main Send button rather than its arrow, or the scheduling confirmation may not have been completed. Check Sent Items and the message status.
A classic delayed email did not go out: Look in Outbox and make sure classic Outlook is open and connected. An offline state or a closed client can prevent the client-side delay from being processed on time.
The scheduled time looks wrong: Review the time zone and date in the scheduling dialog. Be particularly careful when scheduling near midnight or a daylight-saving transition.
You cannot find the message: Check Drafts for newer scheduled messages and Outbox for classic Delay Delivery messages. Folder behavior depends on which Outlook method created it.

When Viva Insights Can Help

Viva Insights may surface a suggestion to schedule an email at a more considerate time, such as when a recipient is outside their working hours. Treat that as a prompt, not as a separate delivery system: Outlook’s schedule-send control is what holds and sends the message. The suggestion’s availability depends on the organization’s Microsoft setup, enabled features, and Outlook version, so not every user will see it.

A suggestion is not proof that the proposed time is ideal. A recipient’s working hours may be incomplete or different from their actual availability, and a scheduled email can still arrive at an inconvenient moment. Use your judgment, particularly for urgent matters or messages involving people in different time zones. For a community announcement meant for Viva Engage, create and schedule a post in Engage instead of treating it as an email.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I schedule an email in Outlook when my computer is off?
New Outlook and Outlook on the web use cloud-based scheduling for supported accounts, so the app generally does not need to stay open. Classic Outlook’s Delay Delivery is different: keep the client open and connected so it can process the message.

Where do scheduled emails go in Outlook?
In newer Outlook experiences, look in Drafts for a scheduled message. In classic Outlook for Windows, a message using Delay Delivery is generally held in Outbox. The method you used determines where to look.

Can I cancel an Outlook email after scheduling it?
You can usually open the scheduled message before its send time and cancel its schedule or return it to a draft. After it has been sent, deleting your copy does not reliably remove the email from the recipient’s mailbox.

Does Viva schedule Outlook emails automatically?
No. Viva Insights may suggest a better time to send in some setups, but you must choose and confirm the schedule in Outlook. Viva Engage is for posts, not Outlook email delivery.

Can I schedule an email from Outlook on my phone?
Some versions of the Outlook mobile app show a Schedule send option in the compose screen’s additional-actions menu. If the option is unavailable, use Outlook on the web or a supported desktop version.

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

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