When sending an email on your computer, it is pretty easy to recall an email in Gmail after it has been sent, as it is almost impossible to miss the “undo send” button. While sending a mail from your android device, it is also possible to recall an email in Gmail, and you will find out how to do so in the next three minutes.
The feature which allows you to recall an email in Gmail is a very important one, saving you from the awkwardness that could come from those mails you type while on the move; those mails that are ridden with embarrassing typo errors, grammatical mistakes or emotional outbursts and unpleasant statements that you decide you want to take back.
There are really only two ways you can recall an email in Gmail app in Android devices, and both of them are time sensitive since Gmail is an instant messenger. So, I hope you are not reading this article after sending the mail. You should also note that deleting a sent email from your sent folder does not delete it from the recipient’s inbox. You have to recall it before delivery is completed.
This article is specific to Gmail users, and if you are using any other email services, you will not be able to apply these steps. You will not find the “recall email” feature anywhere on your device so what you should actually be looking out for is how to unsend an email in Gmail before delivery is completed.
How to unsend an email in Gmail
Please note that if your email has been delivered already, you may not be able to unsend it. You can only recall an email in Gmail within the first couple of minutes when it has not yet been delivered to the recipient. You can apply this in your mobile browser on your android or iphone, or in your Gmail app.
- After typing out your email, when you hit the send button (which looks like an arrow pointing right on your gmail), you will see a bar on the lower part of your screen.
- On the left end of the bar is “sending” and on the right end is “cancel”.
- Hit the cancel button immediately you decide you want to recall an email.
- It will take you back to your message draft so that you can modify or make any corrections before sending it again.
Typically, the cancel button only stays on the screen for about 5-7 seconds before you see that the message has been sent. Once this happens, your next shot is to use the undo option.
How to undo sent email in Gmail
About 8 seconds after hitting the send button, the bar on the lower end of the screen changes. On the left is “sent” and on the right is “undo”. Tap Undo.
The “Undo” button stays on for much longer, up to 12 seconds. This is typically your last chance to retract an email in Gmail so you have to tap on it fast enough before it disappears. You can also do this in mail replies if you remember an error, or discover that you have replied all instead of a particular recipient.
Due to the short time frame of recalling an email in Gmail, you might want to try out other options such as setting your Gmail account to allow a longer cancellation period to recall an email. The default Gmail settings is such that after 5 seconds of sending an email, you cannot unsend or retract it no matter how bad you feel about it.
Applying this setting is a great idea for you if you are in the habit of trying to recall emails or you want to be generally cautious of emails you send out. It is a precautionary move that you take ever before you have a need to recall an email.
How to extend the cancellation period on Gmail
Please note that these steps cannot be effected on the Gmail app. You need to open your Gmail account from your browser to fix this.
- Once you open your Gmail account
- Click on the Settings icon on the top right corner of the screen close to your Google account image
- Click on See all settings or General settings
- Navigate to the Undo send option
- The send cancellation period is usually set for 5 seconds. Change it to 30 seconds (this is the maximum allowed)
With this option set, the next time you send a mail, the undo button will be visible for up to 30 seconds giving you a longer period to undo and recall an email that is already sent in Gmail.
Another precautionary move you can make on your gmail, is to set your gmail to ask for confirmation every time you hit the send button. Instead of sending immediately you tap send, it will ask “send this message?” and you have the “ok” button to send it or the “cancel” button to take another look at your draft before sending.
What this will do for you is give you a chance to rethink anytime you want to send a mail. When the confirmation message pops up, you can have a second thought or even ask a friend for a second opinion before sending the message again.
How to set your Gmail app to ask for confirmation before sending message
- Open your Gmail app > Tap on the three horizontal lines on the left side of the search bar
- The dropdown will show you all your inboxes and menu options. Navigate to Settings and tap on it > Tap on General settings
- Another dropdown will show you several options. Navigate to the Action Confirmations > Toggle on Confirm before sending. Once it is turned on, you should see a blue tick sign beside it.
You can also turn on “Confirm before deleting” and “Confirm before archiving” as extra note of caution. Once these action confirmations are turned on, anytime you attempt to send a mail, delete a mail or send a selected mail into your archives, it will always ask for a confirmation from you.
You cannot undo a sent mail after 1 day or 1 week. Your best chance is to either extend your undo sending period or set it to always confirm before sending. Once the mail has been sent, you have a grace of 1 minute to undo the action after which it cannot be undone forever.
