How to Schedule an Email in Gmail and Outlook in the US

Sometimes an email is ready to go, but the timing is wrong. Maybe it is late at night and you do not want to wake a client, or you want a birthday message to land first thing in the morning. Both Gmail and Outlook let you schedule an email to send later, and the steps are nearly the same on your phone and your computer. Once you know where the button hides, it takes about ten seconds.

Scheduling is also a quiet productivity habit. You can clear your inbox on a Sunday evening and have the replies go out during work hours, or draft a follow-up while the details are fresh and let it send when the other person is actually at their desk.

Step 1: Schedule an email in Gmail on your computer

Open Gmail in your browser and click Compose to write your message as usual. Fill in the recipient, subject and body, then look at the Send button at the bottom left. Next to it is a small down arrow. Click that arrow and choose Schedule send.

Gmail will suggest a few times, such as tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon or Monday morning. Pick one, or click Pick date and time to set your own date and time. Gmail uses the time zone set in your Google account, so check that it matches where you live if your messages keep arriving an hour early or late. Click Schedule send, and the message moves to the Scheduled folder in the left sidebar.

Step 2: Schedule an email in the Gmail app on iPhone or Android

The Gmail app works the same way, with the button in a slightly different spot. Open the app, tap Compose, and write your message. Instead of tapping the send arrow right away, tap the three dots in the top right corner of the compose screen and choose Schedule send.

Pick one of the suggested times or tap Pick date and time to choose your own. Once you confirm, the email waits in the Scheduled folder, which you can find by tapping the menu icon and scrolling down. The app will send it automatically at the chosen time, as long as your phone has an internet connection when the time arrives.

Step 3: Schedule an email in Outlook on your computer

Outlook has the same feature, and in most recent versions the steps are close to Gmail. Click New mail, write your message, then look for the small down arrow next to the Send button. Click it and choose Schedule send, or pick Send later in older versions of Outlook.

A small window will open with suggested times and a calendar. Choose a date and time, then click Send. The message sits in your Drafts folder until the scheduled time, when Outlook sends it on its own. If you use Outlook on the web at outlook.com, the steps are the same: New mail, arrow next to Send, Schedule send.

Step 4: Schedule an email in the Outlook app on iPhone or Android

In the Outlook mobile app, open a new message and write it as usual. Then press and hold the Send button, the paper plane icon, for a second. A menu appears with the option Schedule send. Tap it, pick a date and time, and confirm.

Your message will wait in the Drafts folder until it is time to go. One thing to watch: in some versions of the app, the press-and-hold gesture is easy to miss, and a quick tap sends the email right away. If that happens, you can undo the send within a few seconds in most recent versions, but it is better to hold the button deliberately.

Step 5: Change or cancel a scheduled email

Plans change, and both services let you edit a scheduled message before it goes out. In Gmail, open the Scheduled folder, click the message, and choose Cancel send. The draft pops back into your compose window, where you can edit it and schedule it again, or send it right away.

In Outlook, open Drafts, find the message, and open it. Click the arrow next to Send again and pick a new time, or delete the draft to cancel it completely. If the scheduled time has already passed, the message will have sent, so check your Sent folder first to be sure.

A few tips that save trouble

First, double check the date, especially around weekends and holidays. A message scheduled for Monday morning does nobody any good if Monday is a federal holiday and the office is closed. Second, remember that scheduling depends on the service, not your device. You can schedule on your laptop, turn the laptop off, and the email still goes out, because Gmail and Outlook send it from their servers.

Third, keep the tone in mind. A scheduled email arrives exactly when you chose, so write it as if you are sending it at that moment. A cheerful "good morning" works at 9 a.m. but reads oddly if the schedule slips and it lands at 11 p.m. And if you schedule a message to a group, check the recipient list one more time before you confirm, because a scheduled mistake is harder to catch than a sent one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I schedule an email in Gmail for free?

Yes. Scheduling is a free feature in Gmail on the web and in the Gmail app. You do not need a paid Google Workspace plan, and there is no limit on how many messages you can schedule.

What happens if my phone is off when a scheduled email is due?

Nothing bad. Gmail and Outlook send scheduled messages from their own servers, not from your phone or computer, so the email goes out on time even if your device is off or offline.

How do I cancel a scheduled email in Outlook?

Open your Drafts folder, find the message, and either delete it to cancel it or open it and choose a new time from the arrow next to the Send button. If the message is already in Sent, it has gone out and can no longer be cancelled.