Computers and Technology Digital Marketing

How to unsend an email in Gmail?

Unsend an email in Gmail

essencestudios2dAugust 19, 2021

1,438 3 minutes read

Have you ever unintentionally sent an email and wished you could retrieve it from the ether before it reached your intended recipients? We’ve all been there. You will be delighted to know that you can actually do that. You may unsend an email for a limited amount of time in both Gmail and Outlook, but you must first enable the option. Once activated, “Undo Send” will provide you with a limited window of opportunity to effectively retract your message before it reaches its intended recipient. The “Undo Send” option does not get your email from the inbox of other people; it only delays sending your email and allows you to alter your thoughts before it is too late.

How to unsend an email in Gmail

The “Undo Send” option in Gmail is set on by default, but you may change the duration that emails are held from the default of five seconds (too short, in my opinion) to 30 seconds. My timer is set at 10 seconds, but you can set the time according to your requirements.

Go to Gmail Settings (cogwheel symbol) > Settings > and select the General tab to change your timeframe.
“Undo Send” is located at the end of the page.
The “Send cancellation period” can be set to 5, 20, or 30 seconds, depending on what works best for you.

When you wish to undo an email, go to the “Message Sent” box and select “Undo.” The email sent by you will be reopened and saved in the drafts folder.

“Undo Send” is also available in the Gmail apps for Android and iOS. Search for the “Cancel” button and click it. It should be at the bottom of the screen.

How can you unsend an email on Outlook?

Outlook.com, like Gmail, stores your emails for a while before sending them, providing you the option to resend an email you’ve already sent. However, “Undo Send” is not enabled by default in Outlook.com. This is how you enable “Undo Send.”

Select “Settings” from the drop-down menu (the cogwheel icon).
Select “View all Outlook Settings” from the drop-down menu.
To send an email, select “Mail.”
Select “Undo Send” from the drop-down menu.
From 0 to 10 seconds, slide the slider.

When you wish to undo an email, go to the “Sending” box that appears at the bottom of the window and click the “Undo” box. The email sent by you will be reopened and saved in the “Drafts” folder.

Can you recall messages in Outlook?

Outlook includes a function called “Recall Message” that allows you to remove an email from the recipient’s inbox. It will work only if the message is sent to someone who is on the exact Microsoft Exchange server that you are on (i.e., someone in your organization) or someone with a Microsoft 365 account. For all of your other emails, you’ll still want to set up “Undo Send.” “How to set up Outlook to unsend emails” is the following part where you’ll discover the instructions.

To recall an Outlook email:

First, check to see whether it’s still in your “Outbox.” If you just sent a message, it’s probable that it’s still in your “Outbox.” If that’s the case, you may either move the mail to your “Drafts” folder or delete it.
Your email will appear in your “Sent” folder if it has been sent.
To open the message you wish to recall, double-click on it.
Select “Recall This Message” from the Messages > Move > Actions menu.

Click OK after selecting either “Delete unread copies of this message” or “Delete unread copies and replace with a fresh message.” If you select to replace the message, the original message will open for editing and resending.

It could be time to switch to Gmail or Outlook.com if your email service doesn’t allow you to unsend emails (both are free). If you want to be able to do more with your email address you can try out the Spectrum Roadrunner Email Settings Service. Also, if your current email address isn’t working for you, Spectrum or Roadrunner Email may be the best option for you. They have excellent Roadrunner customer support service.