What Does Queued Mean?

If you are looking for the ‘queued’ meaning in Gmail, it is simply a waiting list for emails that currently cannot be sent.

This may be due to issues with the mail service provider, or problems on your end. For example, your mobile device might have technical glitches, insufficient bandwidth, or a disrupted internet connection.

If a message cannot be sent immediately, the mail provider will queue it automatically. This of course is incredibly frustrating if you are trying to work or send urgent messages.

There are ways to fix the issue with queued emails, and you will learn how to solve the problem throughout this article.

Why Are My Emails Queued?

Your emails are getting lined up in Gmail queued list for various reasons. The challenge is determining which factor is responsible for your queued email.

Some common reasons may be:

Connectivity and Server Issues: Emails rely on stable internet connections and responsive email servers. Interruptions in internet connectivity or server downtimes can prevent messages from being sent immediately, placing them in a queue until a stable connection is re-established or the server becomes responsive.
Email Properties and Delivery Challenges: This encompasses a range of issues from the email's content to its recipients. Large attachments might exceed provider limits, causing a delay. Similarly, mistyped or invalid recipient addresses can prevent successful delivery, forcing the message into a queue until addressed.
Provider Restrictions and Protocols: Mail service providers often implement sending limits to prevent spam. If you exceed these limits, whether it's the number of messages or the size of attachments, your messages may be temporarily queued. Additionally, protocols set by providers can occasionally misinterpret legitimate emails as threats, causing unintentional delays.
Software Glitches and Authentication Hurdles: Modern email applications are complex, and occasionally they might encounter bugs or glitches that delay sending. Further, SMTP authentication issues, often tied to incorrect settings or outdated applications, can prevent emails from being sent.
Content Filters and Recipient Mailbox Status: Outgoing spam filters, designed to prevent malicious content from being sent, might occasionally flag legitimate emails. On the recipient's end, if their mailbox is full or they've set up certain filters, it can result in a queued email.

How To Fix Queued Email in Gmail (for all devices)

If the common reasons haven’t resolved your queued email sending challenges, consider these specific scenarios tailored for Gmail users:

Ensure your Gmail app is up-to-date with the latest version available.
Verify you haven't exceeded Gmail's storage quota* which can impede email sending
Check if the attachments do not exceed the 25MB size limit and consider uploading large files to Google Drive or sending a compressed (archived) version.
Have you activated Gmail's "Offline Mode"? Make sure you're online to send the email stuck in the queue.
Review your "Send Mail As" settings, particularly if you're using another email address through Gmail.
Are you using a VPN or proxy? It might be hindering Gmail's connection, so consider disabling them to test.
Make sure Gmail is syncing correctly between your devices. On your phone, go to Settings → Data usage → Sync settings, and set the days of mail to sync for the past 30 days. Then, restart your phone.
Try the classic troubleshooting technique: sign out and then sign back in.

* If you have reached your Gmail storage quota, we highly recommend using the Clean Email app to tidy up your account. More details on this will be provided at the end of the article.

Let’s explore in detail some effective methods on how to remove queued in Gmail.

Choose your device to proceed: iPhone, Android, or Web

How to send queued email on iPhone

1. Ensure Correct Date & Time Settings

Incorrect date and time settings can cause synchronization issues with Gmail's servers, potentially leading to queued emails.

Tap on the Settings icon on your iPhone's home screen.
Scroll down and choose General.
Tap on Date & Time.
Ensure the toggle next to Set Automatically is turned on (green).

2. Reset Network Settings

Network-related issues can interfere with the Gmail app's ability to send emails. Resetting network settings can help reestablish a stable connection.

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap on General.
At the bottom, click Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Tap on Reset Network Settings.

You'll be asked for your iPhone's passcode. Enter it.
Confirm the reset. Remember, this will delete all network settings, including saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords.

3. Check for iOS Updates

An outdated iOS version can have bugs that hinder apps like Gmail from functioning properly. Keeping your software up to date ensures optimal performance.

Go to Settings from your home screen.
Scroll down and tap on General.
Tap on Software Update.
If there's an update available, you'll see the option to download and install it. Follow the on-screen instructions.

How to fix queued email on Android

1. Clear Gmail cache

Sometimes cache can accumulate causing problems with your applications. To fix this, you will need to clear it.

Head into Settings on your Android device.
Click Apps (from here you can manage default apps and app permissions)
Choose All or Manage apps. Scroll until you find Gmail.

Click Storage.
Click Clear data button.
Click Clear all data and Clear cache buttons to clear the app’s cache.

Click Clear all data and Clear cache buttons to clear the app’s cache

💡 Note: After performing this action, you might be logged out of your email account on the device. In such a case, you'll need to re-add and sign into your Gmail account.

Learn more about how to clean up Gmail storage.

2. Check if Gmail can use background data

A queued email may not be sent due to the lack of data. You can enable Gmail to use background data to avoid this.

Head into Settings on your Android device.
Click Apps and choose All.
Find Gmail and click Mobile Data.
Make sure the Allow background data usage and Allow app while Data saver on toggles are on.

How to solve queued in Gmail on the web

1. Make sure Gmail isn’t in offline mode

Of course, if Gmail is in offline mode, emails will be sent straight to your Gmail queued outbox.

Here’s how to check if your Gmail is in offline mode:

Open Gmail on the web.
Go into Settings. Click See all settings.

Select the Offline tab and make sure the Enable offline mail checkbox is unchecked.

2. Clear browser cache and cookies

Over time, your browser accumulates cache and cookies, which may lead to performance issues and unexpected errors in Gmail.

Open your browser and navigate to its settings or preferences menu.
Look for a section named Privacy and security (in Chrome) or similar.
Find the option to clear browsing data or cache and cookies.

Ensure you select both cache and cookies for deletion and confirm the action. Restart your browser after this.

Select both cache, cookies and confirm the action

3. Use Gmail in Incognito/Private mode

Running Gmail in a private browsing mode can help determine if the issue is with stored data in your browser.

Open a new incognito or private browsing window. The method varies by browser, but it's commonly accessed via the File menu or pressing ⌘ + Shift + n on Mac, and by right-clicking the browser icon or pressing Ctrl + Shift + n on Windows.
Log into your Gmail account.
Check if you still experience the same email queue issue.

4. Send a compressed version of the attachments

If you are sending videos or large presentations, make sure your attached files meet the Gmail restrictions of up to 25 MB attachments to per email

Compressing large files for Gmail on a Mac:

Select the files or documents you are going to send.
Double-click or Ctrl + click on the selection.
Choose Compress from the menu.

Attach the resulting compressed file to your email.

Compressing large files for Gmail on Windows:

Select the files or documents you wish to send.
Right-click on the highlighted group.
Go to Send To and choose Compressed (zipped) folder.
Attach the compressed folder to your email.

Free Up More Gmail Storage With Clean Email

Clean Email cannot help you with sending queued emails; however, it can help you create that clean Gmail inbox you keep dreaming of. If your messages are failing to send due to a lack of storage, Clean Email can effectively clear out your mailbox to free up more space.

First of all, enhance your email efficiency daily with the app's Auto Clean feature. This tool lets you set up custom email rules to sort and manage emails automatically while you take care of other important things, saving you time on every message check.

For example, you can create a rule to send emails to Trash or archive them as soon as they hit your inbox, automatically clearing out and organizing your mail.

Automatically block incoming emails with Clean Email

With Smart Folders, Clean Email organizes your messages without physically relocating them, similar to Gmail's "labels". Using 33 custom filters such as Online Shopping and Seasonal Sales, you can easily categorize and manage your messages, quickly find important emails from specific senders, or remove unwanted messages in bulk.

With Smart Folders, you can view all social notifications or finance-related emails dated from newest to oldest with a couple of clicks. From here, you can start sorting and cleaning up your messages.

The Unsubscriber feature allows you to quickly get rid of all unwanted marketing newsletters or send subscriptions to a Read Later folder to get back to them later.

Unsubscribe from emails with Clean Email

Acting as an initial barrier, the Screener tool relocates messages from unfamiliar senders away from your main inbox, giving you the option to greenlight or block them before they land. This ensures that only the emails you find trustworthy get through, offering an extra layer of protection against phishing threats.

Stop spam emails with Screener feature in Clean Email

All this, and much more, is available on virtually any platform, making email organization simpler. Users can explore the app for FREE and discover how its premium features enhance their email management experience during the trial period.

Having more issues with your emails? Check out our other guides that may help:

Why have my emails disappeared from my Inbox?
Why is my Gmail not receiving emails?
Correct Gmail email settings to configure your mail client.

How to Fix Gmail Queued Emails - FAQs

What does queued mean on Gmail?

"Queued" in Gmail simply means your emails cannot be sent, and they’re waiting in a queue until they can. This generally occurs due to connectivity issues or when Gmail's servers are experiencing high traffic.

Will a queued email eventually send?

Yes, a queued email will eventually be sent once the issue causing it to queue, such as connectivity problems or server delays, is resolved.

Why is my email queued in Gmail?

You can see an email queued in the outbox for a variety of reasons, from an internet connection to sending an email with an attachment that is too large. This means they are lined up to be sent as soon as the server can process them.

How to solve queued in Gmail?

To resolve the queued emails in Gmail, ensure you have a stable internet connection and try manually sending the messages by opening the "Outbox" or "Sent" folder and clicking on the "Send" button next to each message. If the issue persists, restarting the Gmail app or your device might help.

Can I delete a queued email?

Yes, you can delete a queued email in Gmail both on mobile and web. Simply navigate to the "Sent" folder, find the queued email, open it, and select the delete or trash option.

What happens if you delete an email in your Outbox?

If you delete a queued email from your Outbox or "Sent" folder before it gets the chance to be sent, it will move to the trash or deleted items folder. The recipient will not receive the message, as it has been withdrawn from the sending queue.

What Does Queued Mean in Gmail?