How to Unsend an Email in Gmail, Outlook, and Other Mail Apps

Everyone has sent an email too fast at least once — maybe you forgot an attachment, sent it to the wrong person, or noticed a mistake right after pressing Send. The good news is that many email apps now let you undo a sent message, as long as you act quickly.

Here’s a clear breakdown of how the “unsend” feature works and how you can use it on different platforms.

Can you actually unsend an email?

Yes, but only if your email app supports an undo option.

When you unsend an email, you’re not deleting it from the receiver’s inbox after it arrives. Instead, the app delays sending your email for a few seconds so you can cancel it if needed. Once that time runs out, the message is delivered and you can’t recall it anymore.

Popular services that support undo send include:

• Gmail
• Microsoft Outlook (web and desktop)
• Apple Mail
• Superhuman
• Hey Email

Let’s look at the steps for the most commonly used platforms.

How to unsend an email in Gmail

On computer (Web version)

1. Send an email as usual.
2. After sending, a small pop-up appears in the bottom corner saying “Message sent”.
3. Click Undo before the timer runs out.
4. The email reopens as a draft so you can fix what you need.

Important: Gmail gives you only 5 seconds by default. You can extend it to up to 30 seconds.

How to increase the undo time:

• Click the gear icon (Settings) → See all settings
• Under General, find Undo Send
• Choose 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds
• Scroll down and save

On phone (Gmail app)

1. Send an email.
2. A small bar shows up at the bottom with Undo.
3. Tap Undo and your message returns to a draft.

Note: On mobile, the time limit cannot be changed — you only get about 5 seconds.

How to unsend an email in Microsoft Outlook

Outlook on the Web

1. Open Outlook in your browser.
2. Click the gear icon → Compose and Reply
3. Find Undo send and adjust the slider for the time delay.
4. After sending an email, click Undo before the countdown ends.

Maximum time on Outlook Web is 10 seconds.

Outlook on Desktop (Mac / Windows)

1. Open Outlook.
2. Go to Settings → Composing
3. Adjust the Undo Send duration (up to 20 seconds).
4. After sending an email, use the Undo option shown near the inbox.

Note: Undo send works only for Outlook.com or Microsoft 365 accounts, not for Gmail/Yahoo/other accounts added to Outlook.

Outlook Mobile App

There is currently no undo send option on Outlook for iOS or Android.

What if your mail app doesn’t support undo?

If your app doesn’t allow unsending messages, here are a few things you can do to reduce mistakes:

• Schedule the email to send later
• Use delayed send (Outlook for Windows has it)
• Save drafts and review before sending
• Turn on reminders for missing attachments

Quick facts to remember

• Undo send only works for a few seconds because the email hasn’t been delivered yet.
• Deleting a message from your “Sent” folder does not remove it from the recipient’s inbox.
• Once the undo time ends, the email is permanent and cannot be recalled.

Conclusion

“Unsend email” is a lifesaver, but it only works when you click fast. If you rely on this safety net often, it’s smart to set the longest cancellation period available and double-check messages before they leave your outbox.