How To Unsend an Email in Gmail (2026), by Satyenhacks on YouTube. 1 min 28 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 28 s
- Time to do it
- 2 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open Gmail and sign in to the account you send mail from.
Click the gear icon in the top right corner and choose See all settings. In the Gmail app, tap the menu and open Settings instead.
Stay on the General tab and scroll down until you reach the Undo Send section.
Open the Send cancellation period dropdown and pick 5, 10, 20 or 30 seconds. A longer period gives you more time to react.
Scroll to the bottom of the settings page and click Save Changes.
Click Compose, fill in the recipient, subject and message, then click Send.
Watch the bottom left corner of the screen for the Message sent notice with an Undo button next to it.
Click Undo before the notice fades. Gmail cancels the send and reopens your text as a draft.
Edit or delete the draft, then click Send again when you are ready.
Tips and common mistakes
Pick 30 seconds if you often hit Send by mistake, since the message is not delivered until the window runs out.
Once the Undo notice disappears the email has gone, so send a quick correction instead of hunting for a recall button.
In the mobile app the Undo bar sits at the bottom of the screen, so tap it fast before it slides away.
The cancellation period you save on the web applies to every device signed in to that account.
Questions
Can I unsend an email after the undo period ends?
No. Gmail only holds the message for the cancellation period you set, which is 30 seconds at most. After that the email is delivered and you would need to email the recipient again.
Does Undo Send work in the Gmail app?
Yes. The period you set on the Gmail website applies to the app too, and an Undo bar appears at the bottom of the screen right after you tap Send.
What happens when I click Undo?
Gmail stops the message from going out and opens it again as a draft. You can change the text, swap the recipient or delete it completely.
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.
