Gmail Labs has been offering the “Undo Send” email feature for a long time, but it is only now that the feature has been adapted by Google and been made official. What the “undo send” feature does is let you undo sending an email. For instance, if you prepared an email, and immediately after hitting the Send button you realize that you forgot to add a link into that email, you can simply click the Undo link, and the email will not be sent until you re-click the send button.
Technically, what happens here is that Gmail delays the sending of your email by a couple of seconds. That way the email stays with you and does not get sent out. This is the time period where you are allowed to undo the sending of an email.
More often than not we forget to include important things in our emails. By enabling the above feature you get a second chance to get that email back before it is sent. Here’s how you can use it in your Gmail account:
Undo Send an Email in Gmail
1. Head over to the Gmail website and get yourself logged in.
2. When your inbox loads up, click on the gear icon located in the top-right corner of the screen. Then, select the “Settings” option to be taken to the Settings panel for your Gmail account.
3. Once in Settings, click on the “General” tab on the top if you are not already there. There should be a section titled “Undo Send” where the undo send feature toggle is located.
Check the box that says “Enable Undo Send” to enable the feature in your account.
You now need to specify the cancellation period. This is the duration for which the email will not be sent, giving you the option to undo sending it. Click on the drop-down menu and choose your time period in seconds. I’d recommend choosing ten seconds, as I think it is enough time for you to make a decision whether to send the email or not.
4. Scroll all the way down and click on “Save Changes.”
5. It is time to test the feature that you just enabled. Create a new email by clicking on the “Compose” button.
6. Compose your email and when done, click the “Send” button.
7. As soon as you press the Send button, you will see an option on your screen saying “Undo.” Click on it so that your email will not be sent.
8. Gmail will send you back to the compose email window for you to make any changes to the email or to simply discard it.
The feature will remain enabled as long as you do not manually turn it off from the Settings panel. Disabling it is as easy as enabling it. You just need to visit the settings panel and uncheck the box for the feature, and it will be disabled.
Conclusion
This nifty little feature really helps you get those emails back that you were not ready to send and might possibly save you from unnecessary embarrassment.
Mahesh Makvana is a freelance tech writer who’s written thousands of posts about various tech topics on various sites. He specializes in writing about Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android tech posts. He’s been into the field for last eight years and hasn’t spent a single day without tinkering around his devices.
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