I have an email stuck in my outbox and it won't allow me to delete it

OK, gang, i think i figured it out. I got it to work at least, but there is one step that no one seems to mention: once you turn on Airplane mode, then completely power down your iphone. - as in, hold down power button until you seen the red & white "Slide to power off" button. Power back on, then go straight to OUTBOX with airplane mode still on. (Mine turned red & let me delete at that point) There REALLY should be a simple shortcut built into MAIL to solve this problem. hint hint, AAPL….

Okay, after two months of frustration this was by far the answer to my problem using the added one point that had not been mentioned:

1. Once you turn on Airplane mode
2. Completely power down your iphone
3. Hold down power button until you seen the red & white "Slide to power off" button
4. Power back on, then go straight to OUTBOX with airplane mode still on. (Mine turned red & let me delete at that point)

Thank you for the stress relieving 5 point lesson.

me too ... and it burns my battery very quickly while it spins and spins and spins.... there needs to be a override button/feature to clear a stuck email. Last time this happened, I dealt with it for months before it finally allowed me to delete it.

I know this thread is a bit old, but just in case anyone finds it here is the solution:

1) Put the iPhone in Airplane mode

2) Open the Mail app

3) Go to the Outbox

4) Click Edit, click the circle next to the stuck message to select it

5) Click Delete

6) Take the iPhone out of Airplane mode

7) Return to the Mail app. :-)

This did not work for me. Even in airplane mode the one email (with video) is still spinning away (since Jan. 7) and the edit option is greyed out. A couple of weeks ago a lead chat tech support person worked with me for hours trying to figure out a problem with sending iPhone videos which began suddenly in December. It was in the process of figuring that out that this email got stuck in my outbox. I would just ignore it but now other emails get stuck in the que waiting for this one to send. Those emails I can edit or resend but the problem email just sits there.

Anyone have the solution? (I have an iPhone 5S operating on IOS 9.2. ATT is the carrier if that matters.)

Hi, thanks for the attempt, but it didn't work for me either. It won't allow me to select it as it's greyed out. Worst of all it's a large email that is chewing up my data usage as it keeps resending it and the recipient isn't too happy about that as every day he receives it thrice. Does anyone have a solution for this issue?

Does not work for this problem where our "red circle" is actually a "spinning progress 'bar' " that does not stop spinning.

Please advise, anyone who can help! thanks. 🙂

Thank You!!! driv me crazy for a week now.

TThis worked! Thank you!

Thank you!! I tried everything and that stupid email has been trying to send for a month! Even worse, is the person who is was going to kept receiving blank emails every time I opened my outbox! Your extra step was the solution every one else missed! Thanks for the solution!

Brilliant! I had an audio file sent from an app doing the same thing. Recipient was a tad frustrated with receiving same email repeatedly. This worked perfectly. Thank you!

B B B Booyah!

Brilliant thanks that wouldn't work for me either until I tried the power down trick - Worked! Thank you so much 😁

Thank you so much this had been running since April 5. Eternally grateful.

This was an important step! It did not work without it! Thank you!