In this post, we will show you how to fix The message cannot be sent right now error in Microsoft Outlook. Several Outlook users have reported that they cannot send emails from their accounts due to an unknown error. Whenever they try to send the email, the error appears and the email can’t be sent.
The complete error message reads:
The message cannot be sent right now. Please try again later.
Though the error primarily occurs while sending an email through Outlook Web Access (OWA), it may also occur when the user tries to ‘reply to’ or ‘forward’ an email with a connected account in Outlook.com, or while sending a group email. If you’re experiencing the same error, then read this post to know how to resolve the issue.
The message cannot be sent right now Outlook error
If you’re stuck at The message cannot be sent right now Outlook error, make sure you’re properly connected to the internet. If not, reset your router and try sending the email after a while. Also, temporarily disable your security software and see if it helps. If the error continues to show up, then use these solutions to fix the issue:
- Clean up space in your Outlook account
- Check the sending limits in Outlook.com
- Check on the aliases of the recipients
- Send using the @outlook.com alias
- Check the Email contact group
- Use Outlook desktop client or Outlook mobile
Let us see these in detail.
1] Clean up space in your Outlook account
Insufficient space is one of the prime causes of this error. Each user gets 15 GB of free Outlook.com email storage (50 GB with Microsoft 365 subscription) and 5 GB of free cloud storage shared across Microsoft 365 apps and services, including Outlook.com attachments data. If you reach your email storage and cloud storage quota, you may not be able to send or receive emails on Outlook.com.
To fix this up, free up space in your Outlook mailbox.
- Permanently delete emails you no longer require. Highlight the email and press Shift+Del on your keyboard.
- Clean up your mailbox by manually emptying the Deleted Items folder. Go to Settings > Storage. Click on the Empty dropdown next to the Deleted Items folder and select the appropriate option.
2] Check the sending limits in Outlook.com
Outlook.com put limitations on group sizes and emails per day. Before trying to resend, make sure you have not reached the daily limit of sending emails in Outlook.com. Microsoft 365 subscribers can send emails to up to 5000 recipients per day (500 recipients per message). For third-party connected accounts, the limit depends upon the service provider.
Also, the file attachment size limit is 34 MB. For larger files, you may collaborate over shared documents using OneDrive.
3] Check on the aliases of the recipients
An alias is an alternate email address. Outlook allows its users to associate multiple aliases with a single account. All these aliases use the same inbox, contact list, and account settings. If this alias is not formatted properly while sending the email, The message cannot be sent right now error may appear in Outlook.
Check the alias of the people to whom you’re sending the email. Make sure all of them are in their correct format and then try sending again.
4] Send using the @outlook.com alias
A few users have been able to resolve the issue by sending the email using their primary alias. If you’re using one of the connected accounts (such as your own domain account) to send or reply to the email, switch to your @outlook.com account. This will allow you to send the email without any issues.
5] Check the Email contact group
If you’re emailing a group of contacts, consider recreating the contact list. This will remove any inconsistencies formed during updates or upgrades in Outlook.com. If the group consists of many people, consider splitting it into 2 parts. Then see if you can send the email to each part without issues.
Also, check if you have added any emails to the Blocked Senders list (Settings > Mail > Junk email > Blocked senders and domains). If so, add the email to the Safe Senders list and then try again.
6] Use Outlook desktop client or Outlook mobile
If you’re still not able to send or reply to the email, use the Outlook desktop client or the Outlook mobile app. While this is not a solution to the issue on OWA, this workaround will at least enable you to send or reply to the message till the issue is resolved. For further assistance, we suggest you to contact Microsoft support.
I hope this helps.
Also Read: Outlook connected accounts Update failed and Sync issues.
Why does Outlook say this message Cannot be sent right now?
The message cannot be sent right now is an Outlook error that may be encountered when Outlook fails to send a message to the recipient. This happens due network connectivity issues, attachment size limit, mailbox size limit, incorrect email addresses, etc. You may also experience this error if your antivirus is misidentifying Outlook and interfering with its services.
How do you fix Outlook not sending emails but can receive?
If you’re not able to send emails in Outlook, check whether your account storage is full or you’ve reached the daily sending limit for your account. Also make sure the recipient’s email address is properly formatted. If you’re using a connected account, try sending the email using your outlook.com account.
Read Next: How to fix Outlook Error 0X800408FC on Windows.
