My outgoing email messages are defaulting to scheduled send. How to stop this?

Question

How do I get rid of scheduled send? My messages are defaulting to delayed send.

Answer 1

Hi,

Thank you for sharing your question. I understand how confusing and inconvenient it is when every email you send suddenly defaults to Scheduled Send or Delayed Delivery, especially when you expect messages to send immediately.

In Outlook, this usually happens when a delay rule has been created or when the “Do not deliver before” option is still enabled on a previous message. In classic Outlook, delayed sending is controlled by the Delay Delivery settings, and if a rule was set to defer all messages, Outlook will continue holding your emails until the scheduled time. Removing the delay requires clearing the Delivery Options or disabling any existing delay‑send rules.

To fix this, open any email stuck in the Outbox, go to Options > Delay Delivery, and clear the “Do not deliver before” checkbox so messages send immediately. If the delay applies to all outgoing mail, check your Rules settings and remove any rule that defers delivery. Outlook will then send messages normally once no delay is configured.

May I ask whether you're using classic Outlook for Windows, the new Outlook, or Outlook on the web? This will help me guide you to the exact steps based on your version.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Best Regards,

Noel