Gmail lets you unsend a message – if you’re quick
Undo Send feature finally added to the main Gmail settings
Ever pressed the Send button on an email and instantly regretted it? Of course you have. You’re a human with an index finger that works independently of your brain. However, a new feature in Google may just save you from future embarrassment.
After spending an incredible six years as one of the experimental features in Gmail Labs, Google has finally decided Undo Send is ready to be incorporated as a mainstream setting. It gives the sender up to 30 seconds to recall a message that has been ‘sent’, although the default setting gives you only 10 seconds to change your mind.
Of course, the message isn’t actually sent in the first place. Gmail simply delays the delivery by up to 30 seconds to give you a chance to change your mind. A tiny Undo link appears at the top of the Inbox after the message has been sent, which allows you to re-edit or scrap the message.
To switch on Undo Send, click on Gmail’s Settings cog, select Settings, and you’ll find it under the General tab. You can choose a duration between 5 and 30 seconds to recall the message telling your wife you’re running off to Bognor with your receptionist or actually add the attachment you meant to include in the first place.
Undo Send only works with the Gmail web interface – it’s not available through client software such as Outlook or Thunderbird. It is, however, also an option in Google’s email app, Inbox, which is available on both Android and iOS.
