Gmail has a feature where you can recall a sent email message. I’ve needed this feature several times, but never knew it existed.
- Login to Gmail.
- Select the gear located toward the upper-right corner of the screen and select “Settings”.
Select the “General” tab. - In the “Undo Send” section, check the “Enable Undo Send” box.
- Set the “Send cancellation period” to the desired amount of seconds.
- Now an Undo link will appear at the top of the page after you send an email message. After the time you set elapses, the option will disappear and you will not be able to recall the message.
FAQ
I want to recall an email and I didn’t have this option enabled. What can I do?
I’m afraid the message has been sent and there is nothing you can do to get that message back.
liz says
this is useless .All my documents send to the wrong place and I can not retrieve them back
Kaiser says
Google is awfuel reidiculous and only want monopoize alland being dependeable on its tools and functions . Goign backward instad forward.
Betina says
This is bloody ridiculous! If Outlook can recall an email days or weeks later, as long as it hasn’t been opened on the receiving end, why the hell isn’t gmail capable of the same thing? It’s not like you have reinvent the wheel. Obviously the technology is there, so USE IT!
30 SECONDS? What a j0ke! Talk about useless! I need until at least the next morning, and like Outlook, Until the recipient has opened it is really NOT too much to ask.
GET THIS FIXED!
Margo says
Unbelievable the technology isn’t in Gmail to recall emails that haven’t been read. I just want to get one email back. Ridiculous
Lind says
This gmail option is utterly useless – time set is way too short!
No says
Yeah, none of that stuff is under my “general” tab. I don’t think whoever wrote this has even ever used gmail.
Abodunrin says
If an email could be recalled in outlook and other email servers, why should it be difficult in Google mail. I believe Goggle should do something about it. Mistakes do occur when least expected, there should be an opportunity to reverse and recall such email without problem.
h says
can i undo a messsage that has been sent a week ago
Ganesh K Thiagarajan says
Their should be an undo option adjacent to those mails which are delivered but not read.
Those mails that are with such options can be undo by the sender even after days..
All mail servers can do that..not a big deal
Amy Conway says
Why does every one on the internet say this can’t be done? Someone did it to me in gmail. I read the email and went back a couple of days later and it was gone. Every reference to it in every conversation was totally wiped out. I know it can be done but I can’t find out how to do it.
Jacob Binkin says
It just stopped working for me randomly. Anyone else had this problem?
Ashley says
This is ridiculous. I sent an email 10 minutes ago and I am losing my mind trying to figure out how to unsend. it. It is very imperative I retract the email. The undo option should be the default, NOT one you have to find out after you make the mistake. What a horrible set up. Now there is NOTHING that can be done. And I am in quite a bind!
Barbara says
I agree with K Sharp that 30 seconds is not enough time.
Mangesh Rajhansa says
my gmail does not have facility of Undo in Setting / Lab / Undo setting tab,
Waht should I do, This option should be there like it is available in outlook.
K Sharp says
30 seconds isn’t long enough. 5 minutes would be a better choice. I just sent an email and 2 minutes later realised it had the wrong attachment, Ive enabled the recall function but it seems like its too late. It will be at least 8 hours before the recipient reads it so a longer time to recall/retract would be good.
JMS says
If my “Cancellation period” is 30 second, is there a way to undo it if I sent the email then started reading a different email for 10 seconds, then wanted to cancel the email that I sent? If so, where do I go to undo it, if the “undo” has disappeared?