Is It Possible to Unsend an Email?

Sending an email at the wrong time or to the wrong party (or both) can be a painful scenario. 

We’ve all been there. You might have a less-than-professional message meant for your best friend, whose name is unfortunately right next to your boss’s in your address list. Or perhaps a humorous note meant for another friend somehow ends up in a family member’s inbox. Or sensitive information is mistakenly addressed to the incorrect client.

What if you had a hall pass to undo the send? 

It might bring you some relief to know that this is indeed possible with almost all mail servers. Beyond serious mishaps, the skill is also handy for correcting minor mistakes, like typos, grammatical errors, or forgotten attachments. It can save you from moments of embarrassment. Our brief comprehensive guide shows you how to when the time comes, you can act (or retract) in time! 

The following steps are designed to guide you through the process.

How to Unsend an Email in Gmail

In 2015, Google added the Gmail undo send functionality. This function has prevented countless professional and personal missteps. Here’s how it operates:

On the web version, immediately after sending an email, a “Message sent” notification will appear at the bottom left corner of your screen, along with the options to “Undo” or “View message.” 

Click “Undo” to retract the email. To adjust how long you have to make this decision, navigate to settings and select your preferred cancellation period under “Undo Send.” Keep in mind the maximum delay you can choose is 30 seconds, so quick action is crucial. 

Gmail undo send works also in the Gmail Android app.

Android

• Right after you send an email, you’ll see the message “Sent” and the option to Undo.
• Select “Undo.”

iOS

• Right after you send an email, you’ll see the message “Sent” and the option to Undo.
• Just like on Android devices, all you need to do is select “Undo.”

As you can see, it’s not difficult at all to learn how to undo in Gmail since all you need to do is click or tap a single button.

Unsend emails with Undo Send in Mail on Mac

For Mac users, retracting an email is feasible with the “Undo Send” feature in the Mail app. Whether you’ve accidentally sent an email or need to correct an error, Undo Send provides a brief window to retract your message.

After sending an email in the Mail app, look for the “Undo Send” option at the bottom of the sidebar, available for about 10 seconds post-send (alternatively, select Edit > Undo). 

To adjust the duration for this undo period or disable the feature, go to Mail > Settings, choose Composing, and then set your preferences in the “Undo send delay” section.

How to Unsend an Email in Outlook

In Outlook, retracting an email is a straightforward process. Immediately after dispatching an email, you’ll notice a “Sending…” message appear, along with an adjacent “Undo” option.

To utilize this feature, ensure it’s activated in your Settings. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of your Outlook interface and navigate to “View all Outlook settings”. 

From there, proceed to “Mail” and then to “Compose and reply.” Within the “Undo send” section, you can select the duration Outlook waits before sending your messages, allowing cancellations for a brief window of up to 10 seconds.

How to Unsend an Email in Yahoo

Currently, Yahoo does not offer an option to unsend an email, leaving us unable to guide you through such a process with their service. As Gmail and Outlook provide this beneficial feature, there’s speculation that Yahoo might introduce a similar function down the line, although nothing is confirmed.

How to Unsend an Email with Any Email Service

For email users whose services lack a native unsend feature, third-party email clients offer a valuable solution, enabling retraction across any platform.

Mailbird, for instance, serves as a versatile, highly customizable email client that is compatible with Windows. As a contemporary counterpart to traditional clients like Outlook, Mailbird allows users to manage multiple inboxes efficiently.

To retract an email in Mailbird, activate the ‘Undo Send’ feature in the settings:

• Open the hamburger menu and navigate to Settings.
• Under the Composing tab, locate the Sending section at the bottom.
• Adjust the slider next to the ‘Undo Send Period’ to set the duration Mailbird waits before sending off your email.
• When you send an email, a “sending” notification will appear, including an ‘Undo’ button. Clicking it halts the send process immediately, reverting the email to your Drafts folder.

For Mac users, Mailbird isn’t an option, but Spark steps in as a versatile alternative, compatible with iOS, macOS, and Android. 

With Spark, simply click ‘Undo’ at the bottom of your inbox after sending an email or use Cmd ⌘ + Z as a shortcut on macOS. On mobile devices, tap ‘Undo’ at the screen’s bottom or shake your device to retract. However, act quickly as Spark offers only a brief 5-second window to cancel the send.

In this digital age, the ability to retract an email is akin to having an emergency brake for communication mishaps. Whether you’ve sent an unintended message or simply wish to refine your wording, the power to unsend can relieve you from potential distress. 

From Gmail’s handy ‘Undo’ button to Outlook’s swift retraction feature and third-party clients like Mailbird offering flexibility, you’ve got options to ensure your emails reflect your intent accurately.

While not every platform currently supports this function natively, the landscape of email communication is ever-evolving, with user convenience and regret-proof sending at the forefront. So, whether you’re revising on the go with Spark’s mobile undo or preemptively setting your retracting preferences, the control is increasingly in your hands. 

Stay informed, practice the steps, and navigate your digital correspondences with confidence and precision.