To accept an Outlook meeting after declining it, reopen the original invitation and select Accept, or open a preserved calendar event and change its RSVP to Accept. In classic Outlook for Windows, start with the original request in Deleted Items. If you cannot recover the invitation, ask the organizer to forward the original meeting request.
The short version
- Classic Outlook: Open the original request in Deleted Items, select Accept, then select Send the response now.
- Browser and mobile: Open an invitation with working response controls and select RSVP > Accept.
- Saved meeting: On Mac or mobile, open the preserved event and select Edit RSVP > Accept.
- Missing invitation: Try deleted-item recovery or ask the organizer to forward the original request.
| Method | Where it applies | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Accept from Deleted Items | Classic Outlook for Windows | The original meeting request |
| Change a preserved event’s RSVP | New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web | A preserved event in an eligible Microsoft 365 work or school account |
| Enable preservation and reveal events | New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web | A Microsoft 365 work or school account |
| Accept from the browser message list | Outlook.com and Outlook on the web | An invitation with working response controls |
| Change the Mac response | Current Outlook for Mac | A supported calendar account and a preserved event or available invitation |
| Change the mobile response | Outlook for iOS and Android | An invitation or preserved event |
| Reveal a declined event on mobile | Outlook for iOS and Android | Preservation already enabled for the account |
| Restore mobile mail | Outlook.com mail in Outlook for iOS and Android | An invitation in Deleted Items |
| Accept through Teams | Microsoft Teams | A preserved meeting in the same work or school Exchange calendar |
| Recover a removed invitation | New or classic Outlook, Outlook.com and Outlook on the web | Server recovery before retention expires |
| Request the original invitation | Outlook clients that respond to invitations | The organizer forwarding the request |
| Accept with the keyboard | The current Outlook RSVP interface | An invitation with working response controls in Inbox |
| Request administrator recovery | Organizational mailboxes | An invitation still recoverable under mailbox retention |
Accept from Deleted Items in classic Outlook
In classic Outlook for Windows, open Deleted Items in the Folder Pane, then double-click the original meeting request. Select Accept, then select Send the response now to notify the organizer. These steps apply to classic Outlook, including Outlook for Microsoft 365 and Outlook 2024.
If the Folder Pane is hidden, select View > Folder Pane > Normal, then open Deleted Items. When the original request is missing from that folder, try the recovery steps below or ask the organizer to forward it.
Change your response in new Outlook or your browser
In new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web with an eligible Microsoft 365 work or school account, open the preserved declined meeting from Calendar. Open RSVP and select Accept. This requires an event that was already preserved; enabling preservation after declining does not recover an earlier decline.
In Outlook.com or Outlook on the web, you can also find the original invitation or one forwarded by the organizer in your mailbox. In the message list, select RSVP > Accept. This route requires an invitation with working response controls.
For an invitation in Deleted Items, right-click it and select Move > Inbox first. Then select RSVP > Accept from the message list. If the recovered invitation cannot be acted on, ask the organizer to forward the original meeting request.
Change your response in Outlook for Mac
In current Outlook for Mac with a supported calendar account, open Calendar and double-click the declined meeting if it was preserved. Select Edit RSVP > Accept. For a Microsoft 365 work or school account, you can configure preservation through Outlook on the web using the settings below.
Alternatively, open an available original invitation or a newly forwarded meeting invitation and select Accept. If you have neither a preserved event nor an available invitation, ask the organizer to forward the original request.
Accept the meeting on iPhone or Android
In Outlook for iOS or Android, open the available meeting details and select Edit RSVP > Accept. For an original or forwarded invitation, tap RSVP > Accept. Both routes require an existing invitation or a preserved calendar event.
If declined-event preservation was already enabled for your account, open Settings > Calendar and turn off Hide Declined Events. Open the revealed meeting and select Edit RSVP > Accept. This setting changes visibility; it does not recover deleted events.
For Outlook.com mail in the mobile app, open Deleted Items, select the invitation, then select More options > Move to folder > Inbox. Open the restored invitation and tap RSVP > Accept if its response controls are available. Items already removed from Deleted Items require recovery on a computer. If the restored invitation has no working response controls, request the original invitation from the organizer.
Accept the preserved meeting through Teams
If Microsoft Teams is connected to the same work or school Exchange calendar, you can respond to an Outlook meeting there while the event is still present. In Teams, select Calendar, select the preserved meeting, then select RSVP > Accept.
To include a message with your acceptance, open View event > RSVP with note, choose Accept, enter the note, then select Confirm. If the declined meeting is missing, recover the Outlook invitation or ask the organizer to forward the original request.
Recover an invitation after Deleted Items was emptied
In new Outlook, Outlook.com or Outlook on the web on a computer, select Deleted Items. Select Recover beside Recover items deleted from this folder, select the invitation, then select Restore. This works only when server recovery is available and the retention period has not expired.
In classic Outlook, select Deleted Items, then open Home > Recover Deleted Items From Server. Select the invitation, choose Restore Selected Items, then select OK. Locate the recovered request and accept it using the response controls for your Outlook client.
For an organizational mailbox, if the invitation is missing from Recover Deleted Items, ask your administrator whether it remains recoverable under mailbox retention. Recovery depends on what is still retained and is not guaranteed. After the administrator recovers the request, accept it in Outlook; if it cannot be recovered, ask the organizer to forward the original invitation.
Ask the organizer to forward the original request
Ask the organizer to forward the original meeting request when you cannot find or recover your copy. Open the received invitation and select Accept, or select RSVP > Accept on clients that use that menu.
The same fallback applies when a restored invitation has no working response controls. Microsoft recommends requesting the original meeting invitation from the organizer when the declined invitation is unavailable.
Accept an invitation using the keyboard
In the current Outlook interface with RSVP controls, select the invitation in Inbox and press Enter. Press Tab until RSVP has focus, then press Enter. Use the Up or Down arrow key to select Accept, then press Enter. If the invitation is missing, restore it or obtain the original request from the organizer first.
Keep declined meetings available for later changes
In new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web with a Microsoft 365 work or school account, select Settings > Calendar > Events and invitations. Under Save declined events, enable Show declined events on your calendar, then select Save. In Calendar, open View > Filter and uncheck Hide declined events.
This preserves subsequent declines so you can open the saved meeting and change its RSVP later. It does not recover meetings you declined before enabling preservation. Declining a meeting in classic Outlook does not preserve the event, even when the account has preservation enabled.
The preservation setting is limited to Microsoft 365 work or school accounts and excludes personal Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, MSN, IMAP and POP accounts. If your account is excluded, use an available invitation or ask the organizer to forward the original request when you need to change your response.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does restoring the invitation automatically accept the meeting?
Restoring the invitation does not send an acceptance. Recovery and accepting are separate actions, so you still need to submit your response.
Does selecting Accept in Outlook for Mac submit the response immediately?
Yes, selecting Accept from Edit RSVP immediately submits your RSVP in current Outlook for Mac. Make sure you are ready to accept before choosing it.
How do you change your response with VoiceOver or TalkBack?
In Outlook for iOS or Android, open the available meeting details and move focus to Edit RSVP, then double-tap. Move focus to Accept and double-tap again. An existing invitation or preserved calendar event is required.
Can you accept just one occurrence of a recurring meeting in Teams?
Yes, for a preserved recurring meeting in Teams, hover over the RSVP response and select This event to apply your response to that occurrence. Choose All events in the series when you want the response to cover the series.