New Outlook ‘Schedule Send’ Default Suggested Time: How to Adjust

When you compose an email in the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web, the Schedule Send feature proposes a default delivery time based on the recipient’s time zone and your typical working hours. This suggested time can sometimes conflict with your preferred sending schedule, such as when you want messages to arrive early in the morning rather than mid-afternoon. The cause is that Outlook automatically calculates the earliest reasonable time within the next hour that falls within standard business hours in the recipient’s region. This article explains how to change that default suggested time so that the Schedule Send dropdown always shows your chosen hour first.

How Schedule Send Default Suggested Time Works in New Outlook

The Schedule Send feature in new Outlook allows you to delay message delivery to a specific future time. When you click the arrow next to the Send button and select Schedule Send, a dropdown shows a list of suggested times. By default, Outlook picks the next hour that falls within standard business hours 8 AM to 5 PM in the recipient’s time zone. If you send a message at 2 PM your time and the recipient is three hours ahead, Outlook might suggest 5 PM that same day rather than 9 AM the next morning.

The default suggested time is calculated using the recipient’s detected time zone from their mailbox settings and your organization’s working hours if configured. This behavior can be inconvenient if you prefer all messages to go out at a fixed time like 7 AM or 10 PM. The setting to override this default is located in the Schedule Send section of Outlook settings, and it applies globally to all new messages you compose.

Prerequisites for Adjusting the Default Suggested Time

You need a Microsoft 365 work or school account or a personal Microsoft account that uses the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web. The new Outlook client is the version with the toggle switch in the upper-right corner labeled Try the new Outlook. This setting is not available in classic Outlook for Windows or Outlook for Mac. Your account must have access to the Schedule Send feature, which is enabled by default for all Exchange Online and Outlook.com users.

Steps to Change the Default Suggested Schedule Send Time

Follow these steps to set a custom default suggested time for Schedule Send in new Outlook. The change takes effect immediately for all new messages you compose after saving the setting.

1. Open Outlook Settings
   In the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web, click the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the window. The Settings pane opens on the right side of the screen.
2. Navigate to the Mail section
   In the Settings pane, click the Mail tab at the top. If you are using Outlook on the web, the tab is labeled Mail and appears as a horizontal menu near the top of the pane.
3. Select Schedule Send
   Scroll down the Mail settings list until you find the Schedule Send option. Click it to open the Schedule Send configuration panel.
4. Enable custom default time
   In the Schedule Send panel, locate the setting labeled Suggest a specific time when scheduling send. Toggle this switch to the On position. A time picker appears below the toggle.
5. Set your preferred default time
   Use the hour and minute dropdowns in the time picker to select the time you want Outlook to suggest first. For example, choose 7:00 AM if you want all messages to default to early morning delivery. The time is displayed in your local time zone as set in Outlook.
6. Save the setting
   Click the Save button at the top of the Schedule Send panel. The Settings pane closes automatically. Your custom default suggested time is now active.

After saving, compose a new message and click the arrow next to Send. Select Schedule Send. The dropdown now shows your custom time as the first suggestion. Outlook still shows additional options like Tomorrow morning and Next Monday, but your custom time appears at the top of the list.

If Schedule Send Still Shows the Wrong Default Time

The custom default time does not appear in the Schedule Send dropdown

If you set a custom time but the dropdown still shows Outlook’s calculated suggestion, close and reopen the Settings pane. Verify that the toggle for Suggest a specific time when scheduling send is set to On and that you clicked Save. If the issue persists, sign out of your account and sign back in. This refreshes the cached settings and forces Outlook to reload your preferences.

The custom time is ignored when the recipient is in a different time zone

Outlook uses your custom default time as the starting suggestion, but it still adjusts the displayed time to the recipient’s local time zone. For example, if you set 7:00 AM your time and the recipient is five hours ahead, Outlook shows 12:00 PM in the dropdown. This is expected behavior. The message is delivered at the absolute time you selected, not at a relative time in the recipient’s zone. To avoid confusion, always verify the delivery time shown in the Schedule Send confirmation dialog before clicking Send.

The Schedule Send setting is missing from the Settings pane

The Schedule Send section appears only if you are using the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web. Classic Outlook users do not see this setting. To confirm which version you are using, look for the Try the new Outlook toggle in the upper-right corner of the Outlook window. If you see it, click it to switch to the new Outlook. If you are already on the new Outlook and the setting is missing, your IT administrator may have disabled Schedule Send through Microsoft 365 policies. Contact your admin to enable the feature.

Item	New Outlook for Windows	Classic Outlook for Windows
Schedule Send settings location	Settings > Mail > Schedule Send	Not available natively
Custom default time support	Yes, with toggle and time picker	No
Time zone adjustment for suggestions	Yes, based on recipient mailbox time zone	N/A
Applies to new messages only	Yes	N/A

After setting your custom default suggested time, compose a test message and use Schedule Send to confirm the dropdown shows your preferred time. If you frequently send messages at a specific hour, this adjustment saves you from manually picking the time each time. For advanced control, consider using a Microsoft Power Automate flow to send emails at exact intervals based on triggers like file creation or calendar events.