Classic Outlook Schedule Send in New Outlook: What Changed

The Schedule Send feature in Outlook lets you delay outgoing email delivery to a specific time. In classic Outlook, this feature is available from the Options tab on the ribbon and works with Exchange, Microsoft 365, and Outlook.com accounts. In the new Outlook for Windows, the feature has moved to a different location and has a different name: Send Later. The new version also removes the ability to set delays by default for all messages. This article explains exactly what changed between the two versions and how to use the replacement feature.

Classic Outlook Schedule Send: Feature Overview

In classic Outlook, the Schedule Send feature is part of the Delivery Options dialog. You access it by opening a new message, clicking the Options tab on the ribbon, and then clicking Delay Delivery. This opens the Properties dialog for the message. In that dialog, you can check the box labeled Do not deliver before and then set a specific date and time. The message stays in the Outbox folder until that time, and Outlook sends it automatically.

Classic Outlook also supports a default delay rule. You can go to File > Options > Mail and under Send messages, set the Delay delivery by a minimum of X minutes option. This applies a global delay to every message you send. The delay is measured from the moment you click Send. This feature is useful for companies that want a grace period to recall a mistaken email.

The classic Schedule Send works with Exchange accounts, Microsoft 365 accounts, and Outlook.com accounts. It does not work with POP3 or IMAP accounts unless the account is connected to an Exchange server. The message sits in the Outbox folder and is sent only when Outlook is running. If you close Outlook before the scheduled time, the message will not send until you open Outlook again.

New Outlook Send Later: How It Differs

The new Outlook for Windows replaces Schedule Send with a feature called Send Later. The location and the user interface are different. When you compose a new message in the new Outlook, you do not see an Options tab. Instead, you see a small dropdown arrow next to the Send button. Clicking that arrow gives you a short list of preset times, such as Send in 1 hour, Send in 2 hours, Send tomorrow morning, and Pick date and time.

Selecting Pick date and time opens a simple calendar and time picker. You choose the date and the hour and minute, then click Send. The message moves to the Drafts folder and shows a clock icon. At the scheduled time, Outlook sends the message automatically, provided Outlook is running.

The key difference is the absence of a default delay rule. The new Outlook does not have a setting that delays all outgoing messages by a fixed number of minutes. If you want to delay every message, you must use the Send Later dropdown for each individual message. Microsoft has not announced plans to bring the global delay rule to the new Outlook.

Another difference is the storage location. In classic Outlook, scheduled messages stay in the Outbox folder. In the new Outlook, scheduled messages stay in the Drafts folder until the send time. You can open a scheduled message from the Drafts folder, edit it, and reschedule it by clicking the clock icon and selecting a new time.

Steps to Use Send Later in New Outlook

1. Compose your message as usual
   Open a new email, fill in the To, Subject, and body fields. Do not click the main Send button yet.
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to Send
   On the right side of the Send button, there is a small downward arrow. Click it to see the Send Later options.
3. Choose a preset time or Pick date and time
   Select from the list of common delays or click Pick date and time to open the date and time picker.
4. Set the date and time
   If you chose Pick date and time, select the date from the calendar and the hour and minute from the dropdowns. Then click Send.
5. Find the message in Drafts
   The message moves to the Drafts folder. A small clock icon appears on the envelope. You can open it, edit it, or cancel the schedule by clicking the clock icon and selecting Remove schedule.
6. Keep Outlook running at the scheduled time
   Outlook must be open and connected to the internet for the message to send. If Outlook is closed at the scheduled time, the message sends the next time you open Outlook.

Limitations and Workarounds

No default delay rule for all messages

The most requested missing feature is the ability to delay all outgoing messages by a set number of minutes. In classic Outlook, this is configured in File > Options > Mail > Delay delivery by a minimum of X minutes. In the new Outlook, this setting does not exist. The only workaround is to manually use Send Later for every message. If you send many emails per day, this adds extra clicks.

Send Later not available for all account types

Send Later works with Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Outlook.com accounts. It does not work with Gmail, Yahoo, or other IMAP or POP3 accounts connected to the new Outlook. If you use a non-Microsoft email account, the Send Later dropdown does not appear. You must use a third-party service or switch back to classic Outlook to schedule sends.

Message may send late if Outlook is in sleep mode

If your computer goes to sleep or the Outlook window is minimized, the scheduled message may send a few minutes late. Outlook checks the Drafts folder periodically, not continuously. A delay of one or two minutes is normal. For time-critical messages, set the schedule at least five minutes earlier than the desired delivery time.

Cannot edit a message after it starts sending

Once the scheduled time arrives, Outlook attempts to send the message. If you open the Drafts folder at that exact moment, you may see the message briefly. You cannot stop the send process after it begins. If you need to cancel, do it before the scheduled time by removing the schedule from the clock icon menu.

Classic Schedule Send vs New Outlook Send Later: Key Differences

Item	Classic Outlook Schedule Send	New Outlook Send Later
Access location	Options tab > Delay Delivery	Dropdown arrow next to Send button
Default delay rule	Available in File > Options > Mail	Not available
Message storage	Outbox folder	Drafts folder
Preset times	None (must type date and time)	1 hour, 2 hours, tomorrow morning, custom
Edit after scheduling	Open from Outbox, edit, resend	Open from Drafts, edit, reschedule via clock icon
Account support	Exchange, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com	Exchange, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com only

The move from Schedule Send to Send Later simplifies the user interface for one-time delays but removes the global delay rule. Users who rely on the default delay for compliance or error prevention must either apply Send Later manually to each message or stay on classic Outlook. Microsoft is gradually adding classic features to the new Outlook, but the default delay rule has not appeared in preview builds as of this writing.

You can now use the Send Later dropdown in the new Outlook to schedule individual messages. If you need a global delay, consider switching back to classic Outlook by toggling the Try the new Outlook switch off. Check the Outlook blog periodically for updates on feature parity between the two versions.