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Jazbeck via Flickr/Creative Commmons

Don't panic: How to undo a sent email in Gmail

You’ll have to be quick though.

YOU CLICKED SEND. Oh crap.

When you send a no-take-backs email — maybe an admission to a secret crush, or accidental reply-all — there’s an instant pang of regret.

It feels like there’s no going back.

Meet Gmail’s Undo Send feature, a lifesaving little hack buried in the Gmail Labs settings.

It gives you a 10-second window to “undo” sending an outgoing email.

You just have to enable it first.

Here’s how it works:

1. Click the gear icon in the top right corner of your Gmail window and select Settings from the dropdown menu

image

2. Select Labs from the row of tabs

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3. Scroll all the way to the bottom where you see Undo Send and click Enable

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4. Hit Save Changes at the bottom

5. Breathe easy

Now when you send an email, the yellow dialogue that displays “Your message has been sent” will also give you the option to Undo.

image

Our tests consistently showed that you have about 10 seconds before the Undo option disappears. Click it, and the email will reopen, un-sent, in the composition window.

We weren’t the first to discover this cool trick. Jimmy Tomczak, founder of beach accessories company TOMBOLO, recently tweeted at me a link to an article by former Mashable editor and current Sprout Social editorial director, Samuel Axon. Gmail’s interface has changed since Mashable’s tutorial was published in 2010, so we updated the steps.

Note, features in Gmail Labs are experimental and may change, break, or disappear at any time. You’ve been warned.

- Melia Robinson

Google animation shows what happens when you send an email>
The 8 most mortifying pitfalls of your ‘Sent’ box>
Column: 9 email habits that could change your life>

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24 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daniel Gilroy
    Favourite Daniel Gilroy
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    Jul 4th 2023, 2:22 PM

    Basically self regulation and certification for politicians. Look how that’s worked out in the construction industry. The Irish Government, a cess pit of back scratching cronyism. FFG OUT

    300
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    Mute Mick Hyland
    Favourite Mick Hyland
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    Jul 4th 2023, 2:25 PM

    @Daniel Gilroy: Oh give it a rest

    55
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute david finglas
    Favourite david finglas
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    Jul 4th 2023, 2:27 PM

    @Daniel Gilroy: So he got away with it,,, Jammy so n so ,, RTE should hire his legal team Hahaha

    118
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Shanahan
    Favourite Declan Shanahan
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    Jul 4th 2023, 2:26 PM

    Oh FFS ! No laws broken, lessons learned… can this grubby, sleazy, corrupt swamp possibly get any worse ? SIPO, RTE, Inland Fisheries, Horse Racing Board, Rehab…round and round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows. ..

    234
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    Mute david finglas
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    Jul 4th 2023, 2:29 PM

    @Declan Shanahan: ye forgot good aul bertie in your rant

    75
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Shanahan
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    Jul 4th 2023, 2:41 PM

    @david finglas: I don’t want to think back to that golden era of corruption – its way too infuriating to a man of my timid persuasion…

    77
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    Mute Chris O'Brien
    Favourite Chris O'Brien
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    Jul 4th 2023, 2:35 PM

    As if anyone would ever hold anyone accountable in Ireland.

    Unless they’re poor. Lol.

    150
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    Mute Ross O'
    Favourite Ross O'
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    Jul 4th 2023, 3:57 PM

    “We have investigated ourselves and found no wrongdoing.”

    78
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    Mute john mac
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    Jul 4th 2023, 3:38 PM

    Did we expect any different, just remember the big covid party the had with bankers,judges, they must have being laughing at use while they were in the 19th hole

    80
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    Mute honey badger
    Favourite honey badger
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    Jul 4th 2023, 2:20 PM

    Good. He’s one of few politicians actually qualified in his (previous) brief and competant.

    52
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    Mute Declan Shanahan
    Favourite Declan Shanahan
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    Jul 4th 2023, 2:27 PM

    @honey badger: hahahahahahaha have you considered a career in stand up ?

    150
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    Mute david finglas
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    Jul 4th 2023, 2:47 PM

    @Declan Shanahan: Badgers can’t stand upright and there not that funny either Hahaha

    52
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute david finglas
    Favourite david finglas
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    Jul 4th 2023, 2:25 PM

    So he got away with it,,, Jammy so n so ,, RTE should hire his legal team Hahaha

    39
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute UCD Trinity
    Favourite UCD Trinity
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    Jul 4th 2023, 6:22 PM

    Whats that thing sticking out of his neck ?
    Is it a “brass neck” labell ?

    22
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    Mute honey badger
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    Jul 4th 2023, 3:14 PM

    @Declan Shanahan: No I haven’t. I can assess the performance of a politician and give credit wheres it’s due. He could earn a lot more outside of politics.
    I’ll put it in terms you’ll understand, I’d take him in Finance over Shouty Doherty and his “civil engineer” qualifications*

    * dropped out of course

    13
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    Mute Declan Shanahan
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    Jul 4th 2023, 3:33 PM

    @honey badger: So, if a politician actually does the job that he’s getting (over)paid to do, and does it in a moderately competent manner, then we ignore all sleaze attaching to him. Really ?

    77
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    Mute Declan Shanahan
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    Jul 4th 2023, 3:36 PM

    @honey badger: And don’t worry about my grasp of the English language, I’m more than smart enough to decipher any terms you can muster…

    36
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