How to delete sent email in gmail, by Mr. Devotor on YouTube. 1 min 10 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 10 s
- Time to do it
- 2 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Open Gmail in a browser or the mobile app and sign in to the account you sent the message from.
If you just pressed Send, click Undo in the yellow banner at the bottom of the screen. This only works for a few seconds after sending.
To remove an older message, open the Sent folder in the left sidebar. On mobile, tap the menu icon and choose Sent.
Type in:sent in the search bar if you cannot find the message, then press Enter to list only sent mail.
Tick the checkbox next to the email you want to remove. Tick more boxes to clear several messages at once.
Click the trash can icon at the top of the list. On mobile, tap the bin icon. The message moves to Trash.
To delete it for good, open Trash in the sidebar, then click Empty Trash now. On mobile, tap Delete forever.
Tips and common mistakes
Deleting a message from Sent does not remove the copy already delivered to the recipient's inbox.
You can lengthen the undo window to 30 seconds in Settings, See all settings, General, Undo Send.
Gmail keeps deleted mail in Trash for about 30 days, so you can still recover it there.
Send a short follow-up email if you deleted the wrong message by mistake.
Questions
Can I delete a sent email from the recipient's inbox?
No. Once the email is delivered, it sits in the other person's mailbox and only they can delete it. You can ask them to remove it or send a correction.
How long do I have to unsend an email in Gmail?
Gmail gives you about 5 seconds by default. You can raise this to 10, 20 or 30 seconds in the Undo Send setting.
Does deleting a sent email free up storage?
Not straight away. It only counts once you empty the Trash, or after Gmail clears it automatically.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
