How to Schedule an Email in Outlook: 2025 Guide for Any Device

Why Schedule Emails?

Email scheduling is a really useful feature for everyday communication. It has lots of advantages for optimising communication, improving productivity, and making sure messages reach recipients at the right moment. You can compose emails when it's convenient and set them to send at a good time, which helps enhance engagement, coordinate across different time zones, and keep your workflow more structured. 

This feature is really beneficial for professionals managing global teams, entrepreneurs optimising client interactions, and individuals looking to streamline their email habits.

Perfect Timing: Reach Recipients When They’re Most Active

Sending emails when people are most likely to engage boosts open and reply rates. Different studies show that emails delivered during peak business hours – typically 7 AM to 10 AM or 1 PM to 3 PM – perform significantly better.

This is especially critical for sales pitches, marketing campaigns, or urgent updates. Imagine your client in Tokyo starting their workday while you’re asleep. Scheduling your proposal to arrive at 3 AM your time ensures it’s fresh in their inbox, not lost in overnight traffic.

Work Smarter: Write Now, Send Later

Instead of relying on reminders or drafts, Outlook’s scheduling feature allows you to compose emails whenever inspiration strikes, then send them at the most strategic time. It's especially useful for:

• Night owls who prefer to write emails after business hours.
• Busy professionals who batch their emails for efficiency.
• Marketers and sales teams looking to optimize response rates.

Avoid Time Zone Headaches

Coordinating communication across different time zones can be a real challenge, especially for remote teams and international businesses. By scheduling your emails, you make sure they reach global recipients during their working hours, improving communication without disrupting your workflow. This feature is really useful for:

• Remote teams collaborating across time zones.
• International businesses engaging with global clients.
• Freelancers working with customers in different regions.

Streamline Personal Communication

When it comes to personal productivity, scheduling helps you to be more thoughtful and precise in how you interact with others. Whether you're sending greetings, reminders or updates, you can prepare emails in advance and have them delivered at a time that works for you. This means you won't send messages on the fly or at inconvenient times, and you can focus on communicating in a more thoughtful way.

That's why knowing how to schedule an email in Outlook lets users get more control over their email strategy, improving engagement while making workflows easier to handle in different situations.

How to Schedule an Email in New Outlook

New Outlook brings a refreshed design and improved functionality. The interface has changed, and some features have been relocated. If you’re wondering how to schedule an email in Outlook using this version, here’s your step-by-step guide:

1. Compose your email, including recipients, subject, and body.
2. Select the dropdown arrow next to Send and tap Schedule send.
3. Select one of the default options or choose a custom time.
4. Click Send button within the scheduling window.

How to Schedule an Email in Classic Outlook

If you're using the older version of Outlook known as Classic Outlook, the process differs slightly:

1. Compose your email, including recipients, subject, and body.
2. Select the More options arrow from the Tags group in the Ribbon.
   
   • If you don't see these options, you probably have the simplified ribbon: On the ribbon, choose the Options tab, then tap More commands → Delay Delivery.
3. In the Delivery options dialog box, click the box "Do not deliver before". 
4. Select the desired date and time using the date and time pickers and then click Close.  
5. When you're done composing your email, select Send.

Instant Send of Delayed Emails

1. Go to your Outbox folder and open the scheduled email.
2. Find Delay Option:
   
   • Ribbon: More options → Tags group.
   • Simplified Ribbon: Options tab → More commands → Delay Delivery.
3. Under Delivery options uncheck "Do not deliver before."
4. Click Close then Send.

Universal Delay for All Emails

​​Scheduling sets a precise future time for delivery, while delaying adds a temporary hold before immediate sending. Here’s how to delay all emails in Outlook:

1. In Mail, on the ribbon, select the File tab → Manage Rules & Alerts → New Rule.
2. Under Start from a Blank Rule, select Apply rule on messages I send and click Next.
3. In the Select condition(s) list, if you want to apply the rule to all messages, do not select any checkboxes and click Next. 
4. Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box.
5. In the Select action(s) list, select the checkbox for defer delivery by a number of minutes. 
6. In Edit the rule description (click an underlined value) box, click the underlined phrase a number of and enter the number of minutes you want to delay the messages (up to 120 minutes). 
7. Click OK, then click Next. 
8. Select any exceptions you want and click Next. 
9. In Specify a name for this rule box, type a name for the rule. 
10. Ensure the "Turn on this rule" checkbox is selected and click Finish.

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook Web (and Outlook.com)

For users who prefer the flexibility of a browser-based email solution, scheduling an email in Outlook Web is a simple yet powerful feature. Outlook Web (part of Outlook 365) allows users to send emails at a later time without needing to install desktop software. The process is the same as in New Outlook:

1. Compose your email.  
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to the "Send" button.
3. Select Schedule send from the menu.
4. Choose a default scheduling option or select Custom time.
5. If you choose Custom time, select the desired date and time from the calendar and time pickers.
6. Click Send.

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook for Mac

Mac users have the same scheduling capabilities as Windows users, and the process is pretty similar.

1. Compose your email.
2. Look for the dropdown arrow next to the Send button.
3. Select the Schedule send option.
4. Set your desired date and time for delivery.
5. Click OK.

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook App for Android & iOS (Mobile)

For users who rely on mobile devices for communication, knowing how to schedule an email in Outlook App for Android & iOS is essential. While the desktop and web versions of Outlook offer built-in scheduling, the mobile version has limitations depending on the app version.

1. Compose your email.
2. Look for and tap the Schedule Send icon (“send” with a clock icon button).  
3. Choose from the proposed dates and times or tap Choose a time.
4. If you select Choose a time, specify the custom date and time.
5. Tap Send to confirm.

Read our related posts:

• How to Recall an Email in Outlook on Any Device
• How to Send a Secure Email in Outlook

Managing Your Scheduled Emails

Once an email has been scheduled, it's often necessary to view, edit, reschedule, or cancel it before it is sent. The method for managing these emails depends on the version of Outlook being used.

How to View Scheduled Emails in Outlook

The location of your scheduled emails depends on the Outlook version you used to schedule them. In classic Outlook for Windows, scheduled emails can be found in the Outbox folder. For the new Outlook, Outlook on the web, Outlook on Mac, and Outlook Mobile, scheduled emails are located in the Drafts folder.

Notably, in classic Outlook, the specific scheduled date and time are only visible when you open the email and access its delay options, whereas newer versions typically display a clear indication of the scheduled delivery time directly in the Drafts folder.  

How to Edit or Reschedule Emails in Outlook

To modify the content or reschedule the delivery time of a scheduled email, follow these steps based on your Outlook version:

• Classic Outlook for Windows: Open the email from the Outbox folder. Navigate to Options → Delay Delivery. In the "Do not deliver before" section, adjust the date and time as needed. Click "Close" and then "Send" to save the changes. Alternatively, to send immediately, uncheck the "Do not deliver before" box and click "Send".
• New Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the Web, and Outlook on Mac: Go to the Drafts folder and open the scheduled email. Select the "Edit" pencil icon. You can modify the email content and then reschedule it by clicking the dropdown next to "Send" and selecting "Schedule send" again with the new desired time. To send immediately, click "Send Now".
• Outlook Mobile: Navigate to the Drafts folder and open the scheduled email. Look for an edit option (the exact location might vary slightly depending on your device). Modify the content or reschedule the delivery using the "Schedule Send" option again.

How to Cancel Scheduled Emails in Outlook

If you need to stop a scheduled email from being sent, follow these steps:

1. Find the Scheduled Email: Navigate to the Drafts or Outbox (classic Outlook) folder.
2. Access Cancellation Options:
   
   • Direct Deletion: Open the email, and simply delete it.
   • Schedule Send Modification: Alternatively, open the email, click on "Schedule Send Options" → "Modify Email." Within the modification window, click the "Trash Bin" icon to delete it.
3. Confirm Deletion: The email will be removed, and the scheduled send canceled.  

Limitations and Requirements

While the email scheduling feature in Outlook is a valuable tool, it's important to be aware of its limitations and certain considerations that can affect its functionality.

📌 Account Type Limitations on Scheduling Functionality

The "Schedule send" feature in the new Outlook for Windows is not supported for IMAP or POP accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo, or iCloud.

📌 Classic Outlook Must Be Online

A significant limitation of the "Delay Delivery" feature in classic Outlook is that the Outlook application must remain online and connected to the mail server until the scheduled delivery time. This is a crucial point for users of classic Outlook to remember, as shutting down their computer or losing internet connectivity will prevent the scheduled emails from being sent at the intended time.

Newer versions of Outlook, which save scheduled emails in the Drafts folder, do not have this limitation as the scheduling is managed on the server side once the "Send" button is clicked in the scheduling window.

📌 Limitations with Groups and Shared Mailboxes (Schedule Send Suggestions)

The "Schedule send suggestions" feature, often associated with Viva Insights in Microsoft 365 accounts, has certain limitations regarding recipients. It is not possible to schedule delivery to distribution lists or Microsoft 365 or Office 365 groups using this feature. 

However, you can schedule delivery to a shared mailbox if the shared mailbox is added in the "To" field. Furthermore, scheduling delivery from a shared mailbox is possible if the user has full access permissions to the shared mailbox and has been granted the ability to "send as" or "send on behalf of" the mailbox. These distinctions are important for users who frequently collaborate using shared mailboxes or communicate with groups.

Tips for Effective Email Scheduling

To make the most of the email scheduling feature in Outlook, consider the following best practices:

• Double-check the delivery time: Make sure you always check that you've set the right date and time before you schedule an email. Otherwise, you might end up sending emails too early or too late.
• Consider the recipient's time zone: When you're in touch with people in different parts of the world, remember to check their local time zone so you can make sure they get your email at the right time.
• Review the email content carefully: Before you schedule an email, take a moment to check it again for typos, grammar mistakes or wrong info. While you can edit a scheduled email before it's sent, it's best to send a polished message.
• Be mindful of important deadlines: Use the scheduling feature to send reminders or follow-up emails in advance of critical deadlines to ensure timely action.
• Use schedule send for work-life balance: Use the scheduling feature to send emails outside of working hours and schedule them to be sent during business hours, which will help you get a better work-life balance and respect people's (and yours) time outside of work.
• Check the Drafts/Outbox folder: Regularly review your Drafts (for new Outlook, web, and mobile) or Outbox (for classic Outlook) folder to ensure your scheduled emails are still set to send at the correct time and that no unexpected issues have occurred.
• Be aware of account type limitations: If you are using the new Outlook with an IMAP or POP account, remember that the schedule send feature will not be available.
• Ensure internet connectivity (for classic Outlook): If you are using classic Outlook, make sure your computer remains online and Outlook is open until the scheduled delivery time to ensure your emails are sent as planned.

Wrapping Up

Mastering how to schedule an email in Outlook is a simple yet powerful way to improve productivity. You can send emails at exactly the right time, deal with different time zones, and make sure your messages are sent when they should be, no matter if you're online or not. And it's easy to stay organised and efficient, whether you're using New Outlook, Outlook Web or Outlook for Mac.

However, it’s important to keep in mind the limitations and considerations to ensure that scheduled messages are delivered as expected.

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