We’ve all done it — hit “Send” on an email and instantly realized there’s a typo, wrong recipient, or missing attachment. Thankfully, Gmail has a built-in feature that lets you undo a sent email, as long as you act quickly. In this short tutorial, I’ll show you how to use Gmail’s “Undo Send” feature to save yourself from awkward mistakes.
The feature doesn’t technically pull the email back from the recipient; instead, it delays sending for a few seconds, giving you a grace period to cancel it. Here’s how to use it properly:
1. Open Gmail Settings
Click the gear icon in the top-right corner and choose See all settings.
2. Find the “Undo Send” Option
Under the General tab, look for Undo Send.
3. Choose Your Cancellation Window
You can choose between 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds. I recommend 30 seconds for maximum safety.
4. Save Changes
Scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes. Gmail will now hold every sent email for that set time before delivering it.
5. How to Use It in Action
After you send an email, look for the small pop-up in the bottom-left corner that says “Message sent – Undo.”
Click Undo, and Gmail will stop the email from going out.
6. Review and Resend
Your draft will reopen immediately, allowing you to fix errors or add missing attachments.
Pro Tip:
Combine this with Gmail’s Scheduled Send feature to delay important emails even longer. That way, you can review them before they actually go out.
Why It’s Essential:
We send countless emails daily — and mistakes are inevitable. The “Undo Send” feature is your built-in safety net, preventing costly or embarrassing errors before they reach anyone’s inbox.
Once you’ve used it a few times, you’ll never want to email without it again. It’s one of Gmail’s most underrated features — and it can truly save your day.