How to Undo an Email You Sent by Mistake

How to Undo an Email You Sent by Mistake

We’ve all been there. You hit Send, then immediately notice the typo, the missing attachment, or worse, the wrong recipient. That sinking feeling hits fast.

The good news is that many email services let you undo a sent email, but only if you act quickly and have the right settings enabled. In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to undo an email in popular email apps like Gmail and Outlook, what actually happens when you “undo” an email, and what to do if it’s already too late.

If you send emails for work, school, or everyday communication, this is one feature you’ll want to understand properly.

Can You Really Undo a Sent Email?

Short answer: Yes, but with limits.

Undoing an email does not pull the message back after it reaches the recipient’s inbox. Instead, email services delay sending your message for a few seconds, giving you a short window to cancel it.

If the recipient opens the email before that window closes, the undo option will no longer work.

How Gmail’s “Undo Send” Feature Works

Gmail’s Undo Send is one of the most useful email safety nets available today.

When you send an email in Gmail, the message is temporarily held for a few seconds before being delivered. During that time, you’ll see an Undo option.

Important Things to Know

• Undo Send only works for emails sent after the feature is enabled
• You can choose a delay of up to 30 seconds
• Once the delay ends, the email is sent permanently

How to Enable Undo Send in Gmail (Step by Step)

If you’ve never set this up, do it now. It takes less than a minute.

On Desktop (Web Browser)

1. Open Gmail
2. Click the Settings (gear icon) in the top-right corner
3. Select See all settings
4. Under the General tab, find Undo Send
5. Choose a cancellation period:
   • 5 seconds
   • 10 seconds
   • 20 seconds
   • 30 seconds (recommended)
6. Scroll down and click Save Changes

Once enabled, Gmail will show an Undo button every time you send an email.

How to Undo a Sent Email in Gmail (Desktop and Mobile)

On Desktop

1. Send your email
2. Look at the bottom-left corner of the screen
3. Click Undo immediately

On Mobile (Android or iOS)

1. Send the email
2. A small notification appears at the bottom of the screen
3. Tap Undo before it disappears

That’s it. The email will reopen as a draft.

How to Undo an Email in Outlook

Outlook works a little differently, and the experience depends on whether you’re using Outlook.com, desktop Outlook, or Microsoft Exchange.

Outlook.com (Web)

Outlook.com includes an Undo Send feature similar to Gmail.

How to Enable It

1. Go to Outlook.com
2. Click Settings
3. Open Mail → Compose and reply
4. Turn on Undo send
5. Set the delay (up to 10 seconds)
6. Save your changes

After sending an email, you’ll see an Undo option briefly.

Outlook Desktop App (Windows or Mac)

This one is tricky.

• There is no true Undo Send
• Outlook offers a Recall This Message feature, but it:
  • Only works within the same organisation
  • Only works with Microsoft Exchange
  • Fails if the recipient has already opened the email

In most cases, recall is unreliable and shouldn’t be depended on.

What Happens If the Recipient Reads the Email?

Once the recipient opens the email, there is nothing you can do to undo it.

Undo Send only stops delivery. It does not delete emails from inboxes.

That’s why increasing your delay time to 20 or 30 seconds is important. Those extra seconds often make the difference.

What to Do If You Miss the Undo Window

If the email is already sent, here are your best options:

1. Send a Follow-Up Correction

Be clear and direct. Most people appreciate honesty.

Example:

“Apologies for the earlier email. Please ignore the previous message. Here’s the correct information.”

2. Send the Missing Attachment

This is very common and rarely a big deal.

3. Learn From It

Mistakes happen. Use them as reminders to double-check before hitting Send.

Tips to Avoid Sending Emails by Mistake

Here are a few habits that help prevent email regrets:

• Enable the maximum Undo Send delay
• Add recipients after writing the email
• Re-read emails once before sending
• Use email scheduling when possible
• Avoid sending important emails when tired or distracted

Why Undo Send Is More Important Than Ever

With work emails, client communication, and official documents moving faster than ever, small mistakes can cause big confusion. Undo Send gives you a second chance, and when used properly, it can save time, embarrassment, and misunderstandings.

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