How to schedule an email in Outlook: step-by-step guide

When to Schedule an Email in Outlook

Scheduling emails lets you compose messages now and send them later at a specific date and time. This is useful in several common situations.

You want to send an email during business hours, but you are writing it at night or on a weekend. Sending at 2am signals urgency or poor boundaries. Scheduling for 9am the next morning is professional and increases the chance the email is read promptly.

You are working across time zones. If your recipient is in a different time zone, scheduling lets you deliver the email when they start their workday rather than when you finish yours.

You need to space out follow-ups. Rather than setting a reminder to send a follow-up in three days, you can write it now and schedule it for the right time. Understanding follow-up email frequency helps you decide when to schedule each message in the sequence.

You want to batch your email work. Writing all your emails in one focused session and scheduling them throughout the day or week is more efficient than switching between tasks.

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook Desktop (Windows)

Step 1: Compose Your Email

Open Outlook and click "New Email" to create a new message. Fill in the recipient, subject line, and body as you normally would.

Step 2: Open Delay Delivery Options

Click the "Options" tab in the message ribbon at the top. Then click "Delay Delivery" in the More Options group. This opens the Properties dialog box.

Step 3: Set the Delivery Date and Time

In the Properties dialog, find the "Delivery options" section. Check the box labeled "Do not deliver before." Use the date and time selectors to choose when you want the email sent.

Step 4: Close and Send

Click "Close" to exit the Properties dialog. Then click "Send" as you normally would. The email moves to your Outbox folder and stays there until the scheduled time. At the scheduled time, Outlook sends it automatically.

Important: On the Windows desktop app, the email sends from your Outbox at the scheduled time only if Outlook is open and connected to the internet at that time. If Outlook is closed when the scheduled time arrives, the email sends the next time you open Outlook. This is a critical limitation for users who shut down their computers at the end of the day.

If you use Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 with a server-side sending configuration, the server handles the delivery and your computer does not need to be on. Check with your IT team if you are unsure which setup you have.

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook for Mac

Step 1: Compose Your Email

Open Outlook for Mac and create a new email. Enter the recipient, subject, and message body.

Step 2: Access the Send Later Option

Click the dropdown arrow next to the "Send" button (the small downward arrow, not the Send button itself). Select "Send Later" from the dropdown menu.

Step 3: Choose the Date and Time

A dialog box appears where you select the date and time for delivery. Set your preferred schedule and click "Send."

Step 4: Confirm in Drafts

The email moves to your Drafts folder with a scheduled send indicator. It remains there until the scheduled time. Unlike the Windows desktop version, Outlook for Mac using Microsoft 365 handles scheduled sending through the server, so the email sends even if the app is closed.

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook on the Web (Outlook.com / OWA)

Step 1: Compose Your Email

Log in to Outlook on the web and click "New message." Fill in the email details as usual.

Step 2: Click the Send Dropdown

Next to the "Send" button, click the small dropdown arrow. Select "Schedule send" from the menu.

Step 3: Select a Time

Outlook presents suggested send times (like "Tomorrow morning" or "Monday morning") based on common scheduling patterns. To set a custom time, click "Custom time" and use the date and time picker to specify exactly when the email should be sent.

Step 4: Confirm

Click "Send" to schedule. The email appears in your Drafts folder with a clock icon indicating it is scheduled. The email sends from the server at the scheduled time regardless of whether your browser is open.

This is the most reliable method for scheduling emails in Outlook because the web version always sends through the server. There is no dependency on your local application being open.

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook Mobile (iOS and Android)

Step 1: Compose Your Email

Open the Outlook mobile app and tap the compose button. Enter the recipient, subject, and body text.

Step 2: Access the Schedule Option

Tap the three-dot menu (more options) in the compose toolbar. Select "Schedule Send" from the options.

Step 3: Choose the Time

Select from the suggested times or tap "Pick a time" to set a custom date and time. Confirm your selection.

Step 4: Send

Tap "Send." The email is queued on the server and will be sent at the scheduled time. Like the web version, the mobile app uses server-side scheduling, so the email sends regardless of whether your phone is active.

How to Edit or Cancel a Scheduled Email

If you need to change or cancel a scheduled email after setting it up, the process depends on your Outlook version.

Outlook Desktop (Windows): Open the Outbox folder. Double-click the scheduled email to open it. Make your changes or delete the email entirely. If you want to reschedule, go to Options, then Delay Delivery, and update the time.

Outlook for Mac: Open the Drafts folder and find the scheduled email (it will have a scheduled send indicator). Open it, make changes, and either reschedule or delete.

Outlook Web: Go to Drafts and find the email marked with a clock icon. Open it to edit the content or click the scheduling option to change the time. You can also delete it from Drafts to cancel.

Outlook Mobile: Navigate to Drafts, find the scheduled email, open it, and either edit or delete.

In all cases, you can only modify a scheduled email before the scheduled send time. Once the email has been sent, standard email recall rules apply. If you need to recall a sent email, the process is different and less reliable. For Gmail users, the recall process in Gmail works differently than in Outlook.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Email stuck in Outbox (Windows desktop). This is the most common issue. If Outlook is not running at the scheduled time, the email remains in the Outbox. Open Outlook and it will send. To avoid this, use Outlook Web or mobile for scheduling, or ensure Outlook is running at the scheduled time.

Scheduled email sent immediately. This happens when the scheduled time has already passed. If you set a delivery time for 9am but it is already 10am, the email sends immediately. Double-check the date, not just the time.

Time zone confusion. Outlook uses the time zone set in your system or account settings. If your system clock is set to a different time zone than where you intend to send, the email may arrive at an unexpected time. Verify your time zone settings in Outlook preferences.

Schedule option not available. The Schedule Send feature in Outlook mobile and web requires a Microsoft 365 subscription. If you are using a legacy Outlook version or a standalone POP3/IMAP account, the option may not appear. Check your account type and Outlook version.

Email shows as scheduled but does not send. This can occur if your account loses connectivity or if there is a sync issue with the Exchange server. Check your account status and ensure you are connected.

Tips for Effective Email Scheduling

Schedule for business hours in the recipient's time zone. Emails that arrive during working hours get more attention than those that arrive overnight. If your recipient is in a different time zone, adjust your send time accordingly. You can also send calendar invites in Outlook alongside scheduled emails to coordinate meetings across time zones.

Avoid scheduling too far in advance. Scheduling an email a week out means the context might change before it sends. For time-sensitive messages, schedule within 24-48 hours.

Use scheduling to batch your email work. Write all your emails during a focused block and schedule them to go out at appropriate intervals. This is more productive than context-switching throughout the day.

Review scheduled emails before they send. Periodically check your Outbox or Drafts for scheduled emails. Circumstances change, and a message that made sense when you wrote it might need updating before it goes out. Good email etiquette includes reviewing messages before they reach recipients, even scheduled ones.

FAQ

Can I schedule recurring emails in Outlook?

Outlook does not have a built-in recurring email scheduler. You can use Outlook rules, Power Automate (Microsoft's automation tool), or third-party add-ins to set up recurring emails. The native scheduling feature is for one-time delayed sends only.

Does the recipient know the email was scheduled?

No. Scheduled emails appear to the recipient as regular emails sent at the scheduled time. There is no indicator that the message was composed earlier and sent later.

Can I schedule emails in the Outlook desktop app without Microsoft 365?

Yes, but with a limitation. The Delay Delivery feature works in standalone Outlook desktop versions. However, the email must be in the Outbox, and Outlook must be open at the scheduled time for the email to send. Microsoft 365 accounts with Exchange Online handle this server-side.

What happens if I close Outlook before the scheduled time?

On Windows desktop with a local account (not Exchange), the email stays in the Outbox and sends the next time you open Outlook. On Outlook Web, Mac (Microsoft 365), and mobile, the email is scheduled server-side and sends regardless of whether the application is open.

Can I schedule an email to multiple recipients?

Yes. Scheduling works the same way whether you are sending to one person or multiple recipients. Compose the email with multiple recipients in the To, CC, or BCC fields and schedule it normally.