We’ve all done it! Whether it was replying to all, sending a message to the wrong person or forgetting to attach a file, we’ve all sent an email we’ve regretted. The minute you hit send, the horror begins to ripple through your body and you begin to squirm with embarrassment. You’ve got to face the facts here – you can’t just bury your head in the sand!
Fortunately, GMail offers a way to snatch back those messages before they do their damage. The Undo Send in Gmail, which can be found on the Settings page, gives us all the break we so desperately need.
To enable Undo Send click on the cog icon in the top-right section of the page, and click Settings.
Next, select the General tab, scroll about halfway down until you see the Undo Send option, check the Enable Undo Send checkbox.
You can select a cancellation period of 5, 10, 20 ,or 30 seconds during which you can recall a sent email message. Select one of the options from the drop-down menu.
Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
Now when you send an email, the yellow dialogue box that indicates “Your message has been sent” will also give you the option to Undo.
If you’d like to recall your email, simply click Undo. As long as you click Undo within the designated time, your email will not send.
You will receive a notification that the Sending has been undone and the message will reopen in the composition window for you to make changes or put the email in the trash. If you do nothing, the email will be saved in your Drafts.
The Undo Send feature in Gmail for iOS is always available, it will appear at the bottom of the screen in in the black bar.
Sorry Android users…there is no Undo Send for you, but there is a “Confirm Before Sending” setting. To enable in the Android Gmail app, click on the menu at the top left.
Scroll to the bottom and click Settings
Check the box next to Confirm before sending
On the Android, compose your message, click send, and a notification will appear on your screen confirming to send the message.
While we may not get a “do-over” in life, when it comes to email we can have as many do-overs as we need as long as Undo Send is enabled 🙂
Hi! I’m Kim Murry and I’m the INFOhio Coordinator for Northern Buckeye Education Council. As the INFOhio Coordinator, I’m responsible for day-to-day and on-site support to media specialists at our member school districts and other schools in the region. In addition, I provide training on INFOhio tools and resources, as well as assist teachers, students and administrators with integrating technology into the classroom.