Microsoft is rolling out a new cloud-based message recall feature for Exchange Online, improving upon the classic recall feature in Outlook for Windows that was only successful half of the time.
The feature, which is starting to roll out now to all Exchange Online tenants worldwide now through mid-March, is essentially an improvement of the classic recall feature in Outlook for Windows that gives senders the ability to recall messages.
However, that classic message recall feature was limited, allowing user to “at least partially recall an email” with an average success rate of only about 50%, according to an Exchange Team blog.
“So, for most message recall requests, it’s been a best-effort or better-than-nothing action, rather than a full sigh-of-relief experience,” the Exchange Team writes.
Based on its use by Microsoft employees over the last several months, the new message recall feature is more than twice as effective, according to Microsoft.
In addition to improved performance, Microsoft has also improved usability by creating an aggregate recall status report for each recalled message to replace the potentially hundreds or thousands of individual recall status email notifications, according to the blog.
In addition to being more effective at successfully recalling messages, recipients no longer must have Outlook for Window open for recalls taken from their mailboxes to be processed. Instead, the recall happens with the cloud mailbox, not on the client. This allows recipients to use any email client that syncs with Exchange Online mailbox, and the client doesn’t have to be open for the recall to process, the company says.
The new recall feature can also recall “read” messages and messages from any folder or sub-folder within the mailbox, not just the inbox. However, admins can disable the ability to recall read messages. Eventually, admins will be able to completely disable the message recall feature, according to the blog.
Senders still need to use Outlook for Windows to trigger a message recall, the company adds.
Like the old recall feature, there is no time limit, but Microsoft may add the ability for admins to customize a time limit for their organizations.
“The new Message Recall won’t stop you from accidentally sending ‘Oops’ email messages, but with its high success rate and ease of tracking with the new recall status report, it should help bring you a lot more peace of mind for when you do,” The Exchange Team writes.
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