How to Unsend an Email in Gmail (Desktop, iPhone and Android)
Sent an email by mistake? Here’s how to unsend an email in Gmail on desktop and mobile, how to give yourself up to 30 seconds to undo, and what to do if it’s too late.
3 min read
Quick answer
Right after sending, click “Undo” in the pop-up at the bottom-left of Gmail (or the bottom of the Gmail app). You only have a few seconds; by default 5. To get up to 30 seconds, go to Settings → See all settings → General → Undo Send and choose 30 seconds.
Sent an email to the wrong person, forgot the attachment, or spotted a typo the moment you clicked Send? Gmail gives you a few seconds to take it back.
How unsending works in Gmail
Gmail doesn’t actually pull an email back from someone’s inbox. Instead, it waits a few seconds before sending it. During that window you can click Undo, and the email is never delivered.
By default, you have 5 seconds. You can increase this to 30 seconds in settings (see below).
How to unsend an email in Gmail on a computer
- Click Send as usual.
- Look at the bottom-left corner of the screen. You’ll see “Message sent” with Undo and View message.
- Click Undo before it disappears.
- Your email reopens as a draft so you can fix it or delete it.
How to unsend an email in the Gmail app (iPhone and Android)
- Tap Send.
- A black bar appears at the bottom of the screen saying Sent with Undo.
- Tap Undo right away.
- The message goes back to your drafts.
How to get 30 seconds to unsend
Five seconds isn’t much. Change it to 30 on a computer (the setting also applies to the app):
- Click the gear icon in the top-right of Gmail.
- Click See all settings.
- On the General tab, find Undo Send.
- Set Send cancellation period to 30 seconds.
- Scroll down and click Save Changes.
The only downside: your emails arrive up to 30 seconds later, which almost nobody notices.
What if it’s too late?
Once the undo window closes, the email has been delivered and Gmail can’t retrieve it. Your best options:
- Send a quick correction. Short and calm works best.
- Ask the recipient to delete it, if you sent it to the wrong person.
- Don’t over-apologize. A small mistake rarely matters as much as it feels.
Gmail vs. Outlook: unsend vs. recall
| Gmail “Undo Send” | Outlook “Recall” | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Delays delivery by up to 30 seconds | Tries to delete a delivered email |
| Time limit | 5–30 seconds | After sending, if not yet read |
| Works for any recipient? | Yes | Mainly within the same organization |
| Recipient notified? | No | Sometimes |
Frequently asked questions
Can you unsend an email in Gmail after 30 seconds?
No. Gmail holds a sent email for at most 30 seconds. After that it has been delivered, and Gmail can’t pull it back from the recipient’s inbox.
Does the recipient know if I unsend an email in Gmail?
No. When you click Undo, Gmail never actually sends the message, so the recipient receives nothing and isn’t notified.
Can I unsend an email in the Gmail app?
Yes. After you tap Send, an “Undo” option appears at the bottom of the screen for a few seconds. Tap it to stop the email and return to the draft.
Is unsending the same as recalling an email?
Not quite. Gmail’s Undo Send delays delivery for a few seconds. Outlook’s Recall tries to delete an email that was already delivered, and only works in certain business accounts.