Sent an Email by Mistake? - Recall Emails using Outlook 2010

Had other Dubai pieces in mind, but limited time today means a quick write-up.

Ever hit "send" only to be hit with instant regret? Maybe a typo lurked in the email, or worse, it went to the wrong person entirely!

This scenario crossed my mind a few years back. Wouldn't it be amazing to set an expiry date or schedule deletion for sent emails?  Actually, some email services already offer this! Big String is one example.

However, this function is actually available to most people already, it is just not very well known.
If you  use outlook, then you can give it a go.
In outlook, there is actually a "Recall" function that allow you to delete erroneous email before it's read by the recipient. We tried it today, and it worked! After making a massive mistake pressing the "Send" button. Go immediately to your "Sent" folder.

Locate the email that you desperately want to kill/ destroy. 
Double click on the sent mail, to open it up in a stand alone window.
At the top of the email window, there are many options, such as reply, move, delete...etc.

In the "Move" section, if you click on "More Move Actions", there is an option called "Recall this message". This way you can save all the embarrassment if you are quick enough.

Note:
If the recipient has already read your email then it's too late obviously, this only works with unopened emails.

2024 Update: With the new Office 365 email service, this only seems to work for people within your organisation. It may not work for external recipients. 

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