How to schedule an email (and why you would want to)

Write it now, send it later. Most email services can hold a message and send it at the time you choose, often even when your computer is off. Here is where the button is in each one, and which services do not have it.

Updated October 17, 2026 · 4 min read

Why schedule an email?

• Time zones: reach people in India, the UK or California during their morning, not yours.
• Polite hours: write at 11 pm without emailing your boss or a client at 11 pm.
• Better timing: land in the inbox when people are actually reading, not buried overnight.
• Reminders and follow-ups: rent, invoices, renewal dates and "just checking in" emails, written once and sent on the right day.
• Birthdays and holidays: write greetings early and never forget them.
• Before time off: schedule what needs to go out while you are away, alongside your out-of-office reply.
• Spreading out a big send: smaller batches through the day look better to inbox providers than one blast. See why to send in batches.

Which email services can schedule emails?

Gmail, step by step

1. Write your email.
2. Click the arrow next to Send and choose Schedule send. In the app, tap More (three dots) › Schedule send.
3. Pick a suggested time or Pick date and time.

Gmail sends in the time zone you were in when you scheduled, and it may go out a few minutes late. You can have up to 100 scheduled emails. To change or cancel: open the Scheduled folder, open the email and click Cancel send. It turns back into a draft.

Outlook, step by step

Outlook.com, Outlook on the web and new Outlook: click the arrow next to Send › Schedule send, then choose a time. The email waits in Drafts until it goes. In new Outlook this does not work for IMAP or POP accounts such as a Gmail account added to Outlook.

Classic Outlook for Windows: in the message, go to Options › Delay Delivery, tick Do not deliver before and set the time. It waits in the Outbox, and Outlook must be open and online at that time.

Outlook for Mac: arrow next to Send › Schedule send. It sends even if Outlook is closed, for Microsoft 365 and Outlook.com accounts.

iPhone, iPad and Mac (Apple Mail)

On iPhone or iPad, write your email, then press and hold the blue send arrow and choose a time or Send Later. On a Mac, click the arrow next to the Send button. This needs iOS 16 or macOS Ventura or later. Scheduled emails appear in the Send Later mailbox, where you can edit or cancel them.

No schedule button? Workarounds

• Use an app that can: add your AOL or iCloud account to the Yahoo Mail app, Apple Mail, Outlook or Spark and schedule from there.
• Save a draft and set a reminder on your phone to send it.
• For newsletters, use an email marketing service: they all schedule campaigns. See the history of email marketing for the main names.

Questions people ask

Does my computer need to be on for a scheduled email to send?

Not for Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo or Proton: the provider sends it. Classic Outlook's Delay Delivery (outside Microsoft 365 work accounts) and Thunderbird add-ons need the program open, and Apple Mail may need your device on and online at the send time.

Can I schedule an email in AOL Mail?

Not on aol.com. Add your AOL account to the Yahoo Mail app or another app with a schedule feature.

How do I cancel a scheduled email in Gmail?

Open the Scheduled folder, open the email and click Cancel send. It becomes a draft you can edit or delete.

Can I schedule a recurring email?

Not with the built-in schedule buttons; each one sends once. Use a reminder, an add-on, or an email marketing tool for repeats.

Sending one email to a whole list? Check the addresses first with Veml, which removes bad and risky emails before you hit send. (Veml and EmailNa have the same owner.)