Does anyone know how to recall an email in gmail after it’s sent?

[GaleGaytan]

I accidentally sent a draft to a client before it was finished. Is there a specific setting for how to recall an email in gmail, or is there a time limit on the "undo" button?

 

[Audrey]

When sending a mail in Gmail, one can reach the undo button at the bottom-left side to recall the email. configurations Set undo time to 5-30 seconds. Then, one cannot remember emails.

 

[Bautista]

Gmail doesn’t truly recall emails, but you can undo send within 5–30 seconds. Go to Settings → Undo Send, set the time, and click Undo right after sending.

 

[AnnP111966]

The "recall" feature in Gmail is actually called Undo Send. After you hit send, a small black box appears in the bottom-left corner (on desktop) or bottom-right (on mobile) with an "Undo" link. If you didn't click that immediately, the email is gone. Unlike Outlook, Gmail doesn't actually "pull back" an email from someone's inbox; it just delays sending it for a few seconds to give you a chance to stop it.

 

[Emmawoods]

Oh, the classic "sent too soon" panic. Welcome to the club. If you didn't hit that button within the 5 seconds Google gives you by default, your client is currently reading your unfinished thoughts. Enjoy the follow-up email where you have to explain yourself!

 

[Olivier]

For future reference, you can increase the grace period. Go to Settings (gear icon) > See all settings > General tab. Look for Undo Send and change the "Send cancellation period" from the default 5 seconds to 30 seconds. It won't help you for the email you just sent, but it’s a lifesaver for the next time.

 

[captainghost]

I have mine set to 30 seconds and I still spend those 30 seconds staring at the "Undo" button like it's a ticking time bomb, questioning every life choice I made in that draft.

 

[Ggranilel]

Wait, are people actually still relying on recall? Half the time in Outlook it just sends another email to the person telling them you tried to recall the first one, which is ten times more embarrassing. Gmail's "delay" method is way better, even if it's short.

 

[Lugwig]

if the "Undo" popup is gone, it's sent. No way to get it back.

 

[Alisharoy]

The 5-second default is a joke. By the time my brain registers that I forgot the attachment, the notification has already vanished. Google should really make 30 seconds the standard.

 

[HeatherMun]

In the digital age, hitting 'Send' is the modern version of dropping a letter in a mailbox. Once it's in the slot, it belongs to the world. We just have to live with the typos.

 

[Evelinawright]

This gets asked every week. Check the Gmail help docs or literally any tech blog. There is no "Recall" button in the sent folder because of how SMTP works.