Outlook

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It’s about time! Microsoft is finally bringing Outlook for Mac into the 21st century with a feature that Apple users have been enjoying for a while now: the ability to “unsend” an email. This means no more cringing after hitting send because you spotted a typo, or worse, realized you accidentally sent a confidential message to the wrong person.

While Apple’s “Undo Send” simply delays the email for a few seconds, giving you a chance to change your mind, it’s unclear whether Microsoft’s “Recall” will work the same way. Perhaps they’ve come up with a more sophisticated method, but the end result is the same: a safety net for those “oh no!” moments we’ve all experienced after hitting the send button.

This update also brings Outlook for Mac in line with its Windows and web counterparts, which already have this functionality. It’s a small change, but a significant one that will likely be appreciated by many Mac users who rely on Outlook for their email needs. Now, if only they could add a feature to predict the future and prevent us from sending those emails we really regret later…

Microsoft Recall is more robust in some ways, but more limited in others. Here’s how it works:

Message recall is available after you select Send and is available only if both you and the recipient have a Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Exchange email account in the same organization. Messages sent to or from a Hotmail, Gmail, or live.com account can’t be recalled.

Ah, there’s a catch! While Microsoft’s “Recall” feature does seem a bit more sophisticated than Apple’s “Undo Send,” allowing you to potentially unsend an email even after it’s been delivered, there’s a limitation: it only works for emails sent between Microsoft accounts within the same organization.

This means you won’t be able to retract that embarrassing email you accidentally sent to your client or that heated message you fired off to your landlord. It’s really designed for internal use within a company, which makes sense for preventing sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands or for correcting mistakes in professional communication.

Still, it’s a step up from Apple’s limited time frame, and it’ll be interesting to see if Microsoft expands this capability in the future to include external emails. For now, though, we’ll all need to continue practicing the art of proofreading and restraint before hitting that send button!

This addition of “Recall” to Outlook for Mac is a welcome improvement, but it also highlights the different philosophies Apple and Microsoft seem to have towards email. Apple’s approach with “Undo Send” is straightforward and universally applicable, albeit with a very short grace period. It’s like a quick safety net for those split-second “oops” moments. Microsoft, on the other hand, offers a more nuanced and powerful tool, but restricts it to a specific use case: internal corporate communication.

This difference might stem from how each company perceives the primary use of their email platforms. Apple’s Mail app caters to a broader audience, including individuals and families, where quick fixes for common mistakes are likely more important. Microsoft, with its strong enterprise focus, prioritizes features that enhance control and security within a professional setting.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time Microsoft has offered a recall feature in Outlook. Older versions had a similar function, but it was notoriously unreliable and often didn’t work as intended. Hopefully, this new iteration of “Recall” will be more robust and effective.

Ultimately, both “Undo Send” and “Recall” have their pros and cons. While Apple’s approach is simpler and more widely applicable, Microsoft’s offers greater flexibility within its specific domain. Perhaps in the future, we’ll see a convergence of these approaches, with email clients offering both a quick “undo” option for minor errors and a more powerful recall function for specific situations.

For now, Outlook for Mac users can breathe a sigh of relief knowing they have a bit more control over their sent emails, even if it’s only within the confines of their organization.