How the Gmail Recall Feature Works in Gmail?
Here's what happened to me recently: I was new to a job, eager to impress, firing off messages like a caffeinated squirrel. Without realizing it, I accidentally sent a message meant for my best friend (filled with, ahem, colorful language about our boss) to said boss. As soon as I found out, I started searching for the "Recall This Message" button I was familiar with from my previous job's enterprise Outlook setup, but, like many others, I couldn't find it.
To my dismay, I realized that it's not possible to recall an email in Gmail the same way.
The main difference is that Outlook's recall feature can actually retract an email from the recipient's inbox (if it hasn't been opened yet and the recipient is within the same organization).
Gmail's undo send, on the other hand, simply delays sending the message for a set period of time, giving you a chance to cancel it before it's officially sent. If you miss this window, then there's no way to unsend the email or prevent it from being delivered to the recipient's inbox.
Why can't Gmail just remove the message from the recipient's inbox like Outlook? It all comes down to the fact that Gmail is a web-based email service, while Outlook can be connected to a company's internal Exchange server. For Gmail to truly recall emails, it would require cooperation from all other mail providers—a logistical nightmare, to say the least.
Despite these limitations, Gmail's undo send feature can still be a lifesaver in many situations. In the next section, we'll explain how to use this feature and extend the cancellation period to give you more time to react.
How to Unsend an Email in Gmail
Unsending an email in Gmail is essentially a race against time, given the brief cancellation period you have at your disposal. Here’s how to retract a message before it fully reaches the recipient's inbox, whether you're using a desktop or a mobile device.
Desktop
- Look for a "Message Sent" box immediately after sending.
- Click on the Undo link.
- You will see a "Sending undone" message and the message will reopen.
💡 Note: There's no desktop shortcut to undo sending an email, but you can explore other Gmail keyboard shortcuts to improve your mailing efficiency.
Mobile
- Once you’ve sent the wrong email, look for a "Sent" notification at the bottom of your screen with an Undo option.
- Tap Undo.
- The sent message should reopen.
Keeping your inbox organized can significantly reduce the risk of sending an email by mistake. Clean Email can help you mass delete emails on Gmail and delete old emails in Gmail to keep your inbox tidy and stress-free.
How to Extend the Unsend Email Time Window
By default, the undo send window is set to just 5 seconds, which may not be enough time to realize you've made a mistake and retract an email in Gmail. Fortunately, Gmail's undo send feature is customizable. You can set the cancellation period to 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds. Here's how to do it:
- Click the gear icon in the upper right corner of your Gmail inbox and select See all settings.
- Scroll down to the Undo Send section under the General tab.
- Choose the maximum cancellation period of 30 seconds.
- Scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes.
💡 Keep in mind that extending the undo send window to 30 seconds means your messages will take slightly longer to actually send. But in our opinion, it's a small price to pay for the peace of mind knowing you have more time to catch any mistakes and unsend emails before they reach the recipient.
For additional tips on managing your email interactions so that your communications remain professional, explore our guides on how to send an email without showing recipients and how to send a secure email.
What If I Can't Retract My Email in Gmail Anymore?
If you've missed the window to undo send in Gmail, don't panic just yet. While there's no way to take back your message once it's been delivered, you can still fix or at least lessen the damage your mistake has caused.
How? By sending a follow-up message to the recipient, explaining the mistake and requesting that they disregard the previous message. The message can look something like this:
Subject: Important - Please Disregard Previous Mail
Dear [Recipient's Name],
I'm writing to inform you that the message I sent earlier today contained an error/was not intended for you. I apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused.
Please disregard the previous message. [If necessary, provide a brief explanation of the mistake or what they should expect instead.]
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Best regards, [Your Name]
Remember, we all make mistakes, and it's likely that your recipient will be more understanding than you think. Of course, if the messages you've accidentally sent contained sensitive information, you may need to take additional steps, like contacting your IT department for guidance.⚠️ Warning: If you receive a message that is clearly intended for someone else and contains an attachment, exercise extreme caution and do not open the attachment under any circumstances. This could be a sophisticated phishing attack designed to exploit your natural curiosity. To protect yourself against these insidious scams, consider using Clean Email's powerful Screener feature, which automatically blocks all incoming mail from unknown senders.
Avoid Mistakes By Staying Organized With Clean Email
Many Gmail users wouldn't need to withdraw emails if their inboxes were better organized. The good news is that you can clean up your Gmail inbox in no time with the help of Clean Email, an inbox organizer tool that offers many features to declutter your messages.
For example, Clean Email's Smart Folders tool automatically sorts your emails into predefined categories like Social Notifications and Online Shopping. With this feature, you won't accidentally select the wrong mail thread and reply to it instead of a different one.
Clean Email also offers an Auto Clean feature that lets you set rules for managing incoming messages. For example, you could automatically star messages from important senders or move promotional messages to a separate folder. Experience tells us that well-configured automatic inbox management is less error-prone than manual sorting.
Also worth mentioning is the Unsubscriber feature, which allows you to easily unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters and promotional messages, minimizing clutter and the likelihood of mistakenly replying to or forwarding them.
Your privacy and security are important to us here at Clean Email. Your personal information is never sold or shared with third parties.
How to Recall an Email in Gmail - FAQs
Is it possible to cancel an email already sent?
You can cancel a message that you have just sent, as long as you have set your cancellation period (from 5 up to 30 seconds in Gmail, depending on your settings) and clicked the undo option at the bottom of the screen.
How do I recall email messages after 1 hour in Gmail?
Unfortunately, you cannot unsend a message in Gmail after one hour. You can only recall it within 30 seconds of sending it. To learn how to prevent sending a message you wish you hadn’t, check out the tips in this article.
Can you unsend an email in Gmail after a day?
No, you cannot withdraw an email in Gmail after a day. You can only undo a message within 30 seconds of sending it, depending on what your cancellation time frame is set to within your settings.
How can I delete an email I sent to everyone in Gmail?
You can always delete any email within your mailbox, but this will not unsend it to the recipients. If you choose to undo the send within your cancellation period, the message will be unsent from everyone included.
