How to Schedule an Email in Outlook (A Step-by-Step Guide for Every Version)

Scheduling emails in Outlook lets you send your message at the perfect time. 

Whether you want your email to reach someone’s inbox on Monday morning or you need to send it across time zones, Outlook makes it easy.

But here’s the thing. Microsoft recently redesigned Outlook and renamed some features. The option that used to be called “Delay Delivery” is now “Schedule Send” in the new version. 

And the steps for scheduling an email vary depending on which version of Outlook you’re using.

That’s why I created this guide.

I’ll walk you through the exact steps to schedule an email in Outlook for every version. It includes New Outlook, Classic Outlook, Web, Mac, and the mobile app. 

Each section includes screenshots so you can follow along and set it up in under a minute.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

TL;DR: How to Schedule an Email in Outlook (Desktop & Web)

The steps are the same for both New Outlook Desktop and Web Outlook:

1. Compose your email as usual.
2. Look for the small arrow next to the Send button.
3. Click the arrow and select “Schedule Send.”
4. Choose a suggested time or set a custom date and time.
5. Click Send. Your email will be saved in the Drafts folder until the scheduled time.

One key difference: Web Outlook sends from Microsoft’s servers. So your email will go out even if your computer is off. The desktop app needs your computer to be on and connected at the scheduled time.

How to Schedule an Email in New Outlook in 2026 (Web and App)

Here, I’ll walk you through the exact steps on how to schedule a mail in Outlook, including web, the new desktop app, and Mac. Let’s get started.

1. How to Schedule an Email in the New Outlook App
2. How to Schedule an Email in Web Outlook (latest UI)
3. How to Schedule in Email in Mac
4. How to Schedule an Email in the Outlook Mobile App (iOS & Android)

How to Schedule an Email in the New Outlook

The new Outlook has made email scheduling very easy.

And if you’re using the latest version of the Outlook App, here’s how to schedule your emails.

1. Start by creating a new email.
2. When your email is ready, go to the downward (⌄) arrow beside the “send” button and click “Schedule send”.
   
3. A pop-up will appear, and you need to select the time your mail will be delivered. You can also select a custom time.
   
4. Hit Send, and your mail will be saved to the drafts.

You can quickly watch this YouTube video on how to schedule an email in Outlook.

How to Schedule Email in Web Outlook

Here’s a step-by-step guide to schedule emails from web Outlook:

1. Compose a new email like you usually do. Make sure you add all the recipients and fill in the subject line.
2. Go to the downward arrow (⌄) beside the send button and select “Schedule send”.
   
3. Select the default available time or enter a custom one and click on “Send”
   
4. When you click send, your mail will be saved to drafts until the delivery time that you specified.

How to Schedule an Email in Outlook on Mac

In the latest version of Outlook for Mac, here’s what you need to do:

1. Compose your email and add recipients in the “To:” field.
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to the “Send” button.
   
3. Select “Schedule Send” from the menu.
4. Choose your desired date and time for the email to be sent.
5. Click “OK” to confirm.

Your email will be saved in the Drafts folder until the scheduled time.

If in case you want to edit the schedule time of your email you can simply go to drafts, find your email, select “Modify Email” and change the time.

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

You can schedule emails directly from the Outlook mobile app. The steps are the same on both iPhone and Android.

Here’s how to do it:

Steps to Schedule an Email on Outlook Mobile:

1. Open the Outlook app on your phone and tap New Mail to start a fresh email.
2. Type in the recipient’s email address, add your subject line, and write your message.
3. Once your email is ready, look at the bottom toolbar. You’ll see a row of icons. Next to the blue Send arrow on the far right, you’ll find the Schedule Send icon. It looks like a small paper plane with a clock. Tap on it. [Screenshot: Bottom toolbar in Outlook mobile showing the Schedule Send icon next to the Send button]
4. You’ll see a few default time options like “Tomorrow morning” or “Next week.” Pick one if it works for you. If you want to set your own time, tap “Choose a time” and select your preferred date and time.
5. Tap Send or Schedule to confirm. Your email will be saved in the Drafts folder with the delivery time already locked in.

That’s it. Your email will go out at the scheduled time, even if you close the app.

How to Schedule an Email in Classic Outlook (Legacy)

Here, I will walk you through the exact steps to delay or schedule emails in the Classic Outlook desktop version. Let’s get started.

1. Create a new email and fill out the subject line, recipients, etc.
   
2. After your email is ready to send, go to “Options” in the header and select “Delay Delivery”, as I’ve shown in the following image.
   
3. In the delivery options section, you need to select the “Do not deliver before” checkbox and enter the date and time of the email delivery.
   
4. Click close and send. Your email will be added to the Outbox folder, and it will be automatically sent based on the set date and time.

If you have a sudden change of plan and want to send the scheduled email immediately, follow these steps:

1. Go to the “Outbox”.
2. Open the scheduled email.
3. Select “More Options” from the Tags group in the ribbon.
4. In the Delivery options, uncheck the “Do not deliver before” checkbox.
5. Click Close and hit Send.

How to Edit Scheduled Emails in Outlook

If there are any changes in plans, and you want to send your scheduled mail instantly.

You can do that easily in Outlook.

• How to Edit Scheduled Emails in Classic Outlook
• How to Edit Scheduled Emails in the New Outlook
• How to Edit or Cancel a Scheduled Email on Mobile

For Classic Outlook (desktop Windows)

Go to the Outbox folder (Classic Outlook stores scheduled emails in the Outbox, not Drafts).

Open the scheduled email.

Click Options → Delay Delivery in the ribbon.

From here you can:

• Change the delivery time: update the “Do not deliver before” date and time, click Close, then Send.
• Send immediately: uncheck the “Do not deliver before” checkbox, click Close, then Send.

Delete the email: close the dialog without saving, then delete it from the Outbox.

For Web Outlook & New Outlook (Windows/macOS)

1. Go to your Drafts folder and find the scheduled email (look for the clock or timer icon).
2. Open the email and click the edit (pen) icon
3. From here, you have four options:
   • Edit the content: make your changes to the subject, body, or recipients, then click Send to reschedule it.
   • Change the send time: adjust the scheduled date and time, then click Send.
   • Send immediately: click “Send now” to deliver the email right away.
   • Cancel the email entirely: click the trash/delete icon to remove it. The email won’t be sent

How to Edit or Cancel a Scheduled Email on Mobile

Here are the steps to follow for the mobile app of Outlook.

1. Go to your Drafts folder in the Outlook app.
2. Find and open the scheduled email.
3. Tap Edit.
4. From here, you can update the message, change the delivery time, or tap Send to send it right away.

To cancel the email completely, just delete it from Drafts before the scheduled time. It won’t be sent.

Common Outlook Scheduling Issues and How to Fix Them

Running into issues with scheduling emails in Outlook? You’re not alone. Microsoft’s redesign moved and renamed several features, and some scheduling options aren’t available on all account types.

Here are the most common problems and how to fix each one:

1. The “Schedule Send” Option Is Missing

This is the most commonly reported issue. Here’s what’s usually going on:

• You’re on Classic Outlook: In the classic version, the feature is not called “Schedule Send.” It’s called “Delay Delivery.” You’ll find it under the Options tab, then click Delay Delivery. If you’re looking for a “Schedule Send” button in Classic Outlook, it does not exist there.
• You’re using an IMAP or POP email account: Schedule Send is only available for Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Outlook.com accounts. If you’ve connected a Gmail, Yahoo, or other third-party email to Outlook, the scheduling option will not appear. There is no workaround for this. Scheduling is limited to Microsoft account types only.
• Your Outlook version is outdated: If you’re on New Outlook but still don’t see Schedule Send, try updating. Go to File, then Office Account, then Update Options, then click Update Now. Restart Outlook after the update completes.

2. Scheduled Email Didn’t Send at the Right Time

This usually comes down to which version you used:

• Desktop app (New or Classic): Your computer must be turned on, Outlook must be running, and you need an active internet connection at the scheduled time. If any of these are not met, the email stays in Drafts (New) or Outbox (Classic) until you’re back online. It will send automatically once you reconnect.
• Web Outlook: This usually does not happen because the web version is sent from Microsoft’s servers. If it did happen, open your Drafts folder and check whether the email was actually scheduled. You may have clicked Send instead of Schedule Send by mistake.
• Mobile app: Mobile scheduling is also server-side. Your email should send regardless of whether your phone is on. If it did not send, check your Drafts folder to see if the email is still pending.

3. The Scheduled Delivery Time Is Wrong

• Check your Outlook time zone settings: Go to Settings → Calendar → Time zone and verify it matches your current location. Daylight saving time changes can shift your scheduled emails by an hour.
• Check your computer’s system clock: If your computer’s date and time are incorrect, Outlook may interpret your schedule differently than you intended.

4. The Schedule Send Dropdown Arrow Isn’t Appearing

• Restart Outlook. The UI occasionally fails to load correctly after an update or a crash.
• Switch to Web Outlook. If the dropdown consistently doesn’t appear in your desktop app, scheduling from the browser (outlook.com) is the fastest workaround.
• Check for add-in conflicts. Third-party Outlook add-ins can sometimes interfere with native features. Try temporarily disabling all add-ins: File → Options → Add-ins → Manage COM Add-ins → Go → uncheck all → restart Outlook. If the dropdown reappears, re-enable add-ins one at a time to identify the conflict.

5. Large Attachments Are Blocking the Scheduled Email

Outlook has a file size limit, typically 25MB for Microsoft 365 and 20MB for free Outlook.com accounts. If your scheduled email has a large attachment, it may fail to send.

Fix: Upload the file to OneDrive and insert a sharing link instead of attaching the file directly.

6. Scheduled Email Is Stuck in the Outbox (Classic Outlook)

1. Open the stuck email from the Outbox.
2. Go to Options → Delay Delivery.
3. Uncheck the “Do not deliver before” checkbox.
4. Click Close, then click Send.

If it’s still stuck, try switching to offline mode (Send/Receive tab → Work Offline), delete the stuck email, and recompose it with a fresh schedule.

Let’s now know where you can find scheduled emals in Outlook if you are unable to find them.

Where to Find Your Scheduled Emails in Outlook

This is one of the most common questions people have after scheduling an email. Microsoft stores scheduled emails in different folders depending on which version of Outlook you’re using. Here’s where to look.

Here’s the quick breakdown:

• Outlook Version → Where to Find Scheduled Emails
• New Outlook (Desktop) → Drafts folder
• Web Outlook (Browser) → Drafts folder
• Classic Outlook (Legacy) → Outbox folder
• Outlook on Mac → Drafts folder
• Outlook Mobile App → Scheduled folder

Can’t find your scheduled email? Here’s what to check:

1. Check the Sent Items folder. If the scheduled delivery time has already passed, your email was sent automatically. You’ll find it in Sent Items, not in Drafts or Outbox.
2. Make sure you’re looking in the right folder. The most common mistake is checking Drafts when you’re on Classic Outlook (it uses the Outbox). Or checking the Outbox when you’re on New Outlook (it uses Drafts).
3. Verify the email wasn’t deleted. If the email was removed from Drafts or Outbox before the scheduled time, it won’t be sent.

Check if Outlook was offline. On the desktop app (New or Classic), if your computer was off or Outlook was closed at the scheduled time, the email may still be sitting in Drafts or Outbox. Open Outlook and connect to the internet. It should send automatically once you’re back online.

Next, I’ll cover some limitations you’ll face when scheduling emails on Outlook.

What Are the Disadvantages of Scheduling Emails in Outlook

I know that scheduling emails in Outlook may seem convenient at first, but it can become a headache if you have to do it for multiple people.

Moreover, Outlook has some serious limitations if you’re scheduling emails for your mass email campaigns.

1. It Lacks Personalization
2. Difficult To Manage Large-Scale Campaigns
3. Impossible To Track Performance
4. No Auto Follow-Up Feature

1. It Lacks Personalization

Outlook doesn’t do a great job of personalizing emails.

You can definitely add names and greetings, but that’s the limit.

You can’t really dive deep and tailor each email to a specific person.

It’s like sending a mass email with a slightly personalized touch – not exactly the best way to grab someone’s attention.

And what’s more concerning, if all your emails read alike, then you have a higher chance of being marked as spam!

2. Difficult To Manage Large-Scale Campaigns

Scheduling a few basic emails to your co-workers or leads is fine in Outlook.

But if you want to run a segmented email campaign with hundreds of personalized emails on a regular basis, Outlook can make it incredibly messy and frustrating to organize everything neatly.

In short, Outlook isn’t robust enough for a large-scale email outreach or marketing need.

So, if you need to launch an email marketing or outreach campaign, you’re better off using specialized cold email software.

3. Impossible To Track Performance

If you’re in sales or marketing, you need to know whether your emails are being opened, clicked, or ignored—so you can optimize your subject lines, content, and timing.

And Outlook has no feature that lets you track important metrics.

So, you won’t know what’s working and what’s not, making it nearly impossible to improve your outreach over time.

The only way you can get analytics and reporting is by having a dedicated tool.

4. No Auto Follow-Up Feature

Outlook does not have an auto follow-up feature.

You have to do all your follow-up manually!

It’s not a big deal if you have to do it for a few emails, but once you’re handling outreach at scale—10, 20, or 100+ prospects— it becomes a time-consuming and inefficient.

For these reasons, specialized email outreach tools are a better option. 

These tools offer features like personalization, spam avoidance, campaign management, tracking, and auto-follow-ups.

If you’re serious about email outreach, it’s worth investing in a good tool.

How to Schedule Emails in Outlook for Bulk Sending? (Using Tools)

Though the new Outlook is very convenient, it still lacks the ability to run powerful email campaigns.

This limitation can easily be sorted by email outreach platforms like Saleshandy.

Follow these steps, and you will be able to schedule hundreds of emails from Outlook with a one-time set-up.

1. Sign up for an email outreach tool like Saleshandy and log in.
2. Go to Settings → Email Accounts → Add Account to connect your Outlook email.
   
3. Go to the Prospects tab → Click Add Prospect or upload a CSV with your recipient list.
   
4. Go to the Sequences tab and click New Sequence. Draft your email and follow-ups. Use merge tags (like {{first_name}}) for personalization.
   You can also use the built-in AI feature to generate email copy faster.
   
5. Go to Settings → Schedules and click New Schedule.
   Set your time zone, working days, sending times, and daily limit.
   
6. Return to your sequence and toggle the Activate switch to start sending.

When you do this, Saleshandy will automatically start sending your emails during the specified time period.

Key Takeaway

If you ask me to keep it short, I’ll give you three pointers you should keep in mind to schedule emails successfully from Outlook.

1. Remember that the term “Delay delivery” is now “Schedule send” in the new Outlook.
2. I recommend the new Outlook for faster setup of email delivery.
3. Using a tool like Saleshandy makes bulk email scheduling super easy.

Explore our detailed guide on how to send mass emails in Outlook.

FAQs About Scheduling Emails in Outlook

1. How to schedule an email to send later in Outlook?

To schedule an email in Outlook to send later, simply compose your email like you normally would, use the Delay Delivery options to pick a future date/time, then send the email to have it scheduled.

2. Does Outlook delay delivery work even if the computer is asleep?

Yes, I personally checked that the schedule send feature works even if your computer is asleep because the information is stored on the server. Just make sure that your Outlook is in online mode when you are scheduling the emails.

3. How to remove delay delivery in Outlook?

To remove delay delivery, you need to go to Drafts, and then go to the edit option. There you can modify the scheduled timings or choose to send it immediately.

4. Does Outlook delay delivery work if the computer is off?

Yes, the delayed email delivery feature in Outlook will still work even if your computer is turned off at the scheduled send time.

5. Can you edit a scheduled email in Outlook?

It is possible to edit an email in Outlook that you have scheduled to be sent later. You just have to open the scheduled email, make your desired edits, and click on the ‘Send’ button again to be sent later as per your preference.

6. Can I schedule emails in Outlook’s mobile app?

Yes, Outlook’s mobile app includes a built-in email scheduling feature.

Here’s how to use it:

• Tap New Mail to start composing your message.
• Tap the Send button with the clock icon.
• Select Schedule Send from the options that appear.
• Choose one of the suggested times, or set a custom date and time.
• Once you’ve picked your preferred time, tap Send to schedule your email.

7. Where can I find my scheduled emails in Outlook?

It depends on which version of Outlook you’re using. In New Outlook and Web Outlook, your scheduled emails are stored in the Drafts folder. In Classic Outlook, they go to the Outbox folder. On the Outlook mobile app, look in the Scheduled folder. If you can’t find your email in any of these folders, it may have already been sent. Check your Sent Items folder to confirm.

8. Can I schedule recurring emails in Outlook?

No. Outlook does not have a built-in feature for scheduling recurring emails. However, you have a couple of workarounds. You can create an email template and manually schedule it each time you need to send it. Or you can use Microsoft Power Automate to set up automated recurring sends. Some third-party Outlook add-ins also support recurring email scheduling.

9. How far in advance can I schedule an email in Outlook?

You can schedule an email in Outlook up to one year in advance. Just select the “Custom time” option when using Schedule Send or Delay Delivery. Then pick any date and time within the next 12 months.

10. Can I schedule emails with large attachments in Outlook?

Yes, but keep the file size limits in mind. Most Microsoft 365 accounts allow attachments up to 25MB. Free Outlook.com accounts have a 20MB limit. If your file is too large, upload it to OneDrive first. Then insert a sharing link in your email instead of attaching the file directly.

11. Is the Schedule Send feature available on all Outlook account types?

No. Schedule Send only works with Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Outlook.com accounts. If you have connected a third-party email account like Gmail, Yahoo, or any other IMAP/POP provider to the Outlook app, the Schedule Send option will not appear. There is currently no workaround for this limitation.