How to Unsend or Cancel a Sent Email in Gmail

UNDO A SENT EMAIL.

GMAIL LETS YOU UNSEND EMAILS FOR A CERTAIN TIME, JUST MAKE SURE THE FEATURE IS ENABLED
ERRARE HUMANUM EST

Did you just send that message to Sam W. instead of Sam G.?
It may not be too late.
If you use Gmail on the web (via a browser such as Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer), you may be able to unsend the message you just sent.

Gmail can hold back delivering emails for up to 30 seconds after you have clicked Send. You can “unsend” an email and recover from false recipients, spelling mistakes, a sub-optimal subject and maybe forgotten attachments.
FIRST, LET’S ENABLE THE “UNDO SEND” FUNCTION IN GMAIL

To have Gmail hold back delivery of sent messages for a few seconds so you can take them back:

  1. Click the Settings gear in Gmail.
  2. Select Settings from the menu that appears.
  3. Go to the General tab.
  4. Make sure Enable undo send is selected for Undo Send:.
  5. Click Save Changes.

 

CHANGE THE TIME BEFORE A MESSAGE IS DELIVERED WITH “UNDO SEND” ENABLED IN GMAIL
You have at least 5 seconds to unsend the email by default and up to 30 seconds. To increase the time before the email gets delivered:

  1. Click the Settings gear in your Gmail’s toolbar.
  2. Choose Settings from the menu that has come up.
  3. Open the General category.
  4. Pick the desired time to undo message delivery for Send cancellation period: __seconds under Undo Send:.
  5. Click Save Changes.
UNSEND AN EMAIL WITH GMAIL

To take back an email shortly after you have sent it in Gmail:

  1. Make sure Undo Send is enabled (see above).
  2. After having sent an email in Gmail:
Many Thanks to our reader IAN ADAIR for this great Gmail tip!!!
If you have a tech tip of your own, feel free to send it to us and we can add it to our next newsletter!
RTG Admin

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