How to Delay Delivery in Outlook: Your Ultimate Guide to Mastering Email Timing

Ever wish you could hit “send” on that email but have it magically appear in the recipient’s inbox at the perfect moment? Well, my friend, with Outlook’s delay delivery feature, you absolutely can! This isn’t some obscure trick; it’s a powerful tool that separates the email masters from the email novices. Let’s unlock its secrets.

In essence, delaying delivery in Outlook allows you to compose an email and schedule it to be sent at a later date and time. This functionality is readily available both on the Outlook desktop application and the web version. It is a strategic tool to help you control when your recipients receive your emails.

Delays in Outlook: The Steps to Success

There are a few ways to successfully delay emails in Outlook. Let’s explore them below:

Method 1: Delaying Individual Emails (Desktop App)

This method is ideal for those strategically timed messages. You know the ones: the pep talk that arrives bright and early, the gentle reminder sent just before the deadline, or that late-night brainstorm you want to land fresh in the morning.

1. Compose Your Message: Craft your email as you normally would, adding recipients, subject, and body.
2. Navigate to Options: Click on the “Options” tab in the ribbon at the top of the new email window.
3. Delay Delivery Settings: Look for the “Delay Delivery” icon. It looks like a clock with an envelope. Click it!
4. Set Your Delivery Date and Time: A “Properties” dialog box will pop up. In the “Delivery options” section, check the box next to “Do not deliver before.” Choose your desired date and time from the drop-down menus.
5. Send the Email: Click “Close” and then click “Send” on your email.

The email will now sit in your Outbox until the specified delivery time. That’s where the magic happens!

Method 2: Delaying All Outgoing Emails (Desktop App)

Want a blanket delay for every email you send? This is perfect for those who are constantly working ahead and want to ensure they’re not bombarding colleagues outside of business hours.

1. File, Then Manage Rules and Alerts: Go to “File” in the top left corner of Outlook, click “Manage Rules and Alerts.”
2. New Rule…: In the “Rules and Alerts” dialog box, on the “Email Rules” tab, click “New Rule…”
3. Start from a Blank Rule: Select “Apply rule on messages I send” under “Start from a blank rule.” Click “Next.”
4. Conditions (Leave Blank): You can set conditions if you want, but to apply to all emails, leave the conditions box empty. Outlook will prompt you with “This rule will be applied to every message you send. Is this correct?”. Click “Yes”.
5. Delay by a Number of Minutes: In the “What do you want to do with the message?” section, check the box next to “defer delivery by a number of minutes.”
6. Specify Delay Time: Click the underlined “a number of” and specify the number of minutes you want to delay delivery. For example, delay by 120 minutes for a 2-hour delay.
7. Exceptions (Optional): You can set exceptions to this rule if there are certain recipients or subjects you don’t want delayed.
8. Name Your Rule: Give your rule a descriptive name (e.g., “Delay All Emails by 2 Hours”).
9. Finish: Click “Finish.”

Now, every email you send will be delayed by the specified time. Remember to disable this rule if you need to send an immediate email!

Method 3: Delaying Delivery in Outlook Web App (OWA)

Using Outlook on the web? No problem! The delay delivery feature is there too, although slightly less intuitive.

1. Compose Your Message: Write your email as usual.
2. Send Button Dropdown: Click the small arrow next to the “Send” button. This should reveal a drop-down menu.
3. Schedule Send: Select “Schedule Send” from the menu.
4. Choose a Date and Time: Select the desired date and time from the options provided, or choose “Custom Time” for more specific control.
5. Schedule: Click “Schedule” to confirm.

Just like in the desktop app, your email will be held until the scheduled time. You can find it in the Drafts folder.

FAQs: Mastering the Finer Points of Email Delay

Now that you’ve grasped the core concepts, let’s dive into some frequently asked questions to fine-tune your email delay skills.

1. Where do delayed emails sit until they’re sent?

Delayed emails are stored in your Outbox. This is crucial! If Outlook is closed when the scheduled time arrives, the email won’t be sent until you reopen Outlook and it connects to the email server. Always ensure your Outlook is running for those time-sensitive, delayed emails.

2. What happens if I close Outlook before the delayed email is sent?

As mentioned above, closing Outlook prevents the email from being sent at the scheduled time. It will only be sent when you reopen Outlook and it connects to the email server. A common mistake is people thinking the server holds the email and will send it. The desktop Outlook application does that job.

3. Can I cancel a delayed email?

Absolutely! Simply go to your Outbox, open the email, and delete it. You can then edit it and reschedule the delivery, or simply discard it.

4. How do I edit a delayed email?

The process is the same as cancelling: find the email in your Outbox, open it, make your edits, and then reschedule the delivery. Remember to save the changes!

5. Can I delay delivery on recurring emails?

Unfortunately, you cannot directly delay the delivery of recurring emails. The delay delivery option is only available for individual emails. A workaround would be to recreate the recurring email as individual delayed emails.

6. Is there a limit to how far in advance I can delay an email?

While there isn’t a hard-coded limit, realistically, you’re limited by the practical constraints of your email server and the Outlook application itself. Scheduling emails years in advance isn’t recommended as things may change during that time (e.g. the recipient may not exist anymore).

7. Can I delay delivery on mobile Outlook apps?

The mobile Outlook app generally doesn’t offer the delay delivery feature directly. You’ll need to use the desktop or web version for this functionality. However, you can compose the email on your phone and then schedule the send from your desktop, where the functionality exists.

8. Will the recipient know I delayed the email?

No, the recipient will not see any indication that the email was delayed. It will simply appear in their inbox at the time you scheduled it to be sent. So, you have complete control over the delivery timing without revealing your strategy.

9. Does delaying delivery work with all email accounts?

Delaying delivery works with most email accounts configured in Outlook, including Exchange, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, and IMAP accounts. However, ensure that your account is properly configured and synchronized with Outlook.

10. Can I set different delay times for different recipients in the same email?

No, you cannot set individual delay times for different recipients within the same email. The delay delivery applies to the entire email as a whole. If you need different delivery times, you’ll need to send separate emails.

11. What happens if my computer is offline at the scheduled send time?

As mentioned earlier, if your computer is offline at the scheduled send time, the email will not be sent. It will remain in your Outbox and be sent when your computer reconnects to the internet and Outlook synchronizes with the email server.

12. How can I tell if an email in my Outbox is delayed?

Emails in your Outbox that are delayed will have a clock icon next to them, indicating that they are scheduled for future delivery. This visual cue helps you easily identify which emails are pending release.

Mastering the art of delayed delivery is a simple yet powerful way to enhance your email communication strategy. Use it wisely, and you’ll be amazed at the impact it can have on your productivity and your professional image. Now, go forth and schedule those emails like a true professional!