Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

After six years, Gmail’s ‘Undo Send’ option is finally out of beta

Kris Wouk
By

Gmail "Undo Send" Feature
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It’s something that has happened to all of us: you finish an email, hit send, and suddenly realize that you’ve made a typo or spelled the recipient’s name wrong. Or you were much too angry when you wrote it. For Gmail users there has been a quiet and until-now-unadvertised fix for this, known as the “Undo Send” feature.

The feature does exactly what its name implies: it lets you un-send an email for a short while after sending. Of course, it isn’t reaching out and snatching the email back — it just holds the email for a brief period sufficient for you to evaluate your regrets — but it can still be a life-saver. This feature has actually been available since March of 2009, but it has been hidden away in the Labs section of Gmail’s settings.

Recommended Videos

Now the feature is finally making its way out of the Labs dungeon. Undo Send will soon be added as a “formal setting” for the web version of Gmail, Google announced today in a post on the Google App Updates blog.

Related

The Gmail web app isn’t the only place this feature can be found. Google Inbox, released last year, has had its own “Undo Send” feature since its launch. Plenty of third-party mail apps offer this feature as well, but for those who use the vanilla Gmail web client, it’s nice to see that the feature is now officially supported.

If you haven’t been using the beta version of the feature, it will remain turned off by default. To turn it on simply head to the General tab in Gmail’s settings and tick the “Enable Undo Send” checkbox. You’ll also be able to set how long Gmail will hold a message before actually sending it. If you’ve already been using the Labs version of the feature, it will remain turned on by default.

The feature began rolling out yesterday, so it should be available to most people already, though it’s possible that it could take up to two weeks to show up for some people.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
How to change where screenshots are saved on a Mac
how to change where screenshots are saved on a mac apple screenshot

With the right keyboard shortcuts, taking a screenshot on a Mac is very straightforward -- although they don't always save to the right location. Fortunately, there are a number of locations you can choose from and selecting from them is as quick and easy as taking a screenshot in the first place.

Here's how to choose where screenshots are savedon a Mac.

Read more
How to connect Bluetooth headphones to PC
Simon Cohen wearing the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4.

Bluetooth headphones are a super convenient way to listen to music, watch movies and TV, or play games, and that goes for your PC as much as it does your phone, tablet, or console. But like all Bluetooth headphones, whether you prefer traditional over-ear designs, or the more modern wireless earbuds, you still need to connect them to your PC to use them.

Here's how to connect your Bluetooth headphones to your Windows PC.

Read more
How to change theme colors in Google Slides
GIF in Google Slides on a MacBook on a table.

Want to add a little charm and personality to your Google Slides presentations? You should try changing the theme colors of your slideshow. This ensures that each new frame contains the same background colors and trim. Once you’ve selected a theme, you’ll then be able to customize it to add even more aesthetic power to your words and pictures.

Read more