Want to write an email now and send it later — without wrestling with reminders or drafts? Find out here how to schedule an email for later delivery in Apple Mail for Mac and have your message arrive just when you want.
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First, Smells Like a Quarter to Nine
You have carefully filled the tiny maze with a trail of wooden ashes, strategically interspersed with scented chips at noteworthy turns.
Now, a glimmer of combustion slowly finds its way along the line in the incense clock, and the scented chips, of course, tell you the (approximate) time without you having to look at, check or hear anything.
Now, how about laying a trail of electrons that will have messages sent at a convenient time without you having to sit down at any device, write the message or do anything at all?
How to Schedule an Email in Apple Mail for Mac
Time needed: 2 minutes
To schedule an email to be sent later using Mail for macOS on a Mac:
- Click the downward arrowhead next to the Send button in a message you are composing in Mail.
No menu: Mail currently includes no menu item for scheduling emails.
No keyboard shortcut: Consequently, no keyboard shortcut for sending later exists either. - Choose Send Later… from the menu that has appeared.
Preset times: You can also from the preset times, of course, and schedule the email for later in the day or the next morning, for instance.
- Pick the date and time for delivery.
Type or drag: You can enter date and time using the entry fields, of course, but you can also move the minute and hour hands, for example, to choose a time.
- Click Schedule.
Important: The Mac needs to be running or able to wake up at the scheduled time and be connected to the internet for delivery to happen.
Second thoughts: Up until scheduled delivery, you can change the schedule or cancel scheduled sending; see below.
Their word: Apple include information on scheduling emails in the Mac User Guide.
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How to Schedule an Email in Apple Mail for Mac: FAQ
What happens when the Mac is not running when the email is scheduled to be delivered?
If the Mac is sleeping or in hibernation, it will wake to send the message (provided power nap is enabled).
With power nap disabled or the Mac otherwise unable to wake and send (it is running critically low on battery power, for instance), the message will be sent the next time the Mac has both power and a network connection.
Does Mail have to be running in addition to the Mac?
No.
Scheduled emails are delivered with Mail not running in the foreground.
In your hand: How to Schedule an Email in Apple Mail on iPhone
Can I change or recall a scheduled email before it is delivered?
Yes.
To change the time of delivery for a scheduled email in Apple Mail for Mac:
- Open the Send Later folder in Mail.
- Now open the scheduled email you would like to edit.
- Click Edit next to the scheduled delivery time in the message’s header.
- Now pick the desired time and click Schedule.
Cancel delivery: To stop scheduled sending altogether, click Cancel Send Later.
Now a draft: If you cancel a scheduled delivery, the email becomes a draft again, and you can edit, send and schedule it like any other email draft in Apple Mail.
Email sent? How to Undo Send in Apple Mail for Mac
(Tested with macOS Tahoe 26.0–26.1, Sequoia 15.2–15.5, Sonoma 14.3–14.6 and Ventura 13.1; first published March 2023, last updated November 2025)