Why doesn't my email recall when I am emailing someone internally?

The message you received about not being able to recall emails sent to recipients outside your organization or on-premises may indicate that there are limitations affecting the recall feature. The recall function only works within the confines of the organization, and if there are any configurations that route emails externally or to a non-Microsoft service, it can cause issues with the recall process.

Additionally, if you are using a non-Microsoft service that requires routing all email through that service, this could also impact the ability to recall messages. Make sure that the email you are trying to recall was sent internally and not routed through any external services or configurations that might affect the recall functionality.

If you are still experiencing issues, consider checking the specific settings or configurations of your email system to ensure they align with the requirements for successful message recall.

Hi @Jonathan Thonglom

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum.    

Thank you for reaching out to us regarding the email recall message you received. I understand how important it is to have clarity on why the recall did not work as expected. 

The recall feature in Outlook only works when both the sender and the recipient are recognized as being on the same Exchange environment. In some cases, mail flow rules or domain configurations can cause internal addresses to be treated as if they were external. When this happens, Outlook blocks the recall and displays the message you saw: “Messages to recipients outside your organization or on‑premises can’t be recalled.” 

To ensure smoother communication going forward, here are a few options you may find helpful: 

1/ Follow‑Up message:  

• If the original message contained incorrect information, the most reliable solution is to send a follow-up email clarifying the correct details. This ensures recipients have accurate information regardless of recall success.  
• And if a recall is not possible, sending a quick clarification or correction email is often the most effective solution. 

2/ IT support:  

• If you would like, your IT team can confirm whether all mailboxes are hosted on the same Exchange environment and advise if recall can be supported in your setup. 
• You may also want to consult with your IT team to review the configuration and confirm that your domain is recognized as internal. Once this adjustment is made, recall requests should work correctly when sending emails to colleagues within the organization. 
• Additionally, if you suspect hybrid configurations (cloud + on-premises) or mail flow rules are affecting recall, contact your IT administrator. They can:  
  • Verify your organization’s setup.  
  • Explore options like cloud-based message recall available in Exchange Online.  

You may find further guidance here: 

• Work with Cloud-based Message Recall | Microsoft Learn 
• How to Enable message recall in Exchange Online - o365info 

Note: Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. The sites are not controlled by Microsoft. Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. Please make sure that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any suggestions from the above link  

I hope this information is helpful. Please follow these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to resolve this.    

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you. 

Hope you and your loved ones enjoy a beautiful Christmas and a happy New Year. 

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