Sending an email with a typo is a mortifying experience that we’ve all suffered at some point. But in Gmail, there is a brief recall window.
Here’s how to recall email in Gmail, and how to make the recall window that bit bigger.
How to recall email in Gmail
By default, you can recall an email message in Gmail, but only for five seconds after you pressed "send." Here's how.
1. Send the email
Technically, you’d want to avoid this step in an ideal world. But you can’t unsend an email without sending it first, so for demonstration purposes, here’s an email I’m going to regret sending the second after it goes.
2. Quickly hit 'Undo'
You really have to be quick to hit this — so quick, in fact, that I accidentally sent it to myself while trying to get screenshots. But in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, you’ll spot a button saying “Message sent” with the words “Undo” and “View message” next to it. Hit “Undo”.
3. Breathe a sigh of relief
If you were quick enough, the email will return to draft form as in the picture below, with the message “Sending undone” flashing in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen.
How to buy more time to recall emails in Gmail
By default, the “Undo” window is tiny — just five seconds in length. Here’s how you can extend this.
1. Go to your Gmail settings
Hit the cog in the top right-hand corner of Gmail. Then press “See all settings” from the submenu that appears.
2. Find 'Undo Send' settings
Four items down on the general settings tab, you’ll find “Undo Send.” There’s a dropdown menu where you can change the recall window to five, 10, 20 or 30 seconds. Make your choice here.
3. Don’t forget to Save Changes!
Once done, scroll to the very bottom of the page and press “Save Changes”. Now you’ll get a more generous window the next time you want to recall email in Gmail!
More Gmail tips
- How to use Gmail — essential tips and tricks
- How to create a new Gmail account
- How to delete your Gmail account
- How to log out of Gmail
- How to change your name in Gmail
- How to block emails in Gmail
- How to recall email in Gmail
- How to mark all as read in Gmail
- How to delete all emails in Gmail
- How to create folders in Gmail
- How to empty trash in Gmail
- How to change your password in Gmail
- How to archive email in Gmail
- How to activate Gmail dark mode
- How to turn on Gmail's two-factor authentication on your desktop
- How to set up Gmail two-factor authentication (2FA) on your phone