We all had a sinking feeling. You press the Send button on an email only to notice a few seconds after that you forgot to attach something, you typed something wrong or even worse, you addressed the email to the wrong recipient. Errors occur in the hectic environment of email. The good news? They have the feature of recalling a message in Gmail, though it is not as easy as it may sound.
Gmail does not technically recall an email after it has landed in the inbox of the recipient unlike outlook. However, in its place, Gmail now has an in-built feature of Undo Send whereby your message is not instantly sent but rather waits a few seconds before sending into your account with a grace period to cancel the message before it gets sent.
This tutorial will spell out to you step by step how to recall a message in Gmail both on desktop and mobile. You will also get to know how to increase your recall window, things to avoid, and habits that will assist you in avoiding email disasters in future.
The significance of Learning to Recall a Gmail Message.
- Email errors are not only humiliating:
- Professional effect: It might appear haphazard to send an e-mail that contains mistakes or missing details.
- During confidentiality: There is the risk of exposing sensitive information to an incorrect person by accident.
- Lost opportunities: The loss of an attachment in a job application or client pitch can be time or credibility wasted.
- Stress relief: When you are under the illusion that you have an undo safety net, the fear of sending an email will not be as high.
How to unlearn or forget a message on Gmail can be a way of staying in control and a professional appearance.
The first method is to recall a Gmail Message on Desktop (Undo Send).
Gmail eases the process of remembering a message; however, you have to move swiftly.
Compose and Send Email
- Log in to Gmail.com.
- Write your message as usual.
- Hit Send.
Monitor the Undo Banner.
- Once you have pressed Send, you can see in the lower-left corner of your Gmail window.
- A notification will appear, saying that the message has been sent. Undo | View message.”
Click “Undo” Immediately
- With a single click on Undo, Gmail will not send the email and will reopen the email in the draft.
- There, it is possible to edit, attach, or change recipients and resend the message.
Note: Do not wait too long if you fail to recall the email will be sent to the user.
Retrieval of a Gmail Message on a Mobile.
It is equally easy to do the same on the Gmail mobile application (Android and iOS).
Send Email
- Open the Gmail app.
- Compose your message.
- Tap Send.
Tap “Undo”
- On the right of the bottom of your screen you will see a black bar with Undo on it.
- it in the recall window.
- The email will be opened in draft again to make corrections.
This is applicable both on an iPhone and an Android device.
Widen the Recall Window.
Gmail will automatically give you 5 seconds to bring a message back but you can change it to 10,20 or even 30 seconds.
Open Gmail Settings
- Desktop Click the gear icon (⚙️) in the upper right.
- Select See all settings.
Locate Undo Send
- Under the general tab, there is Undo Send.
- Step 3: Choose a Time Frame
- Select 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds.
- Go to the bottom and ensure that you save changes.
You can now take up to 30 seconds to recollect your email when sending in case you do want to.
Primary Dissimilarity: Undo Send and True Recall.
It should be mentioned that Gmail has a so-called recall option but it is, in fact, an Undo Send, a delay option rather than a recall.
- Undo Send: Retains the email and waits a few seconds and then delivers the email. This is a cancellation period.
- True Recall (similar to Outlook): Makes an attempt to recall the message that has been sent by the recipient in his or her inbox
With Gmail, the email once the undo is past, it cannot be undone and it is permanently lost.
Trouble Shooting Recall Not Working.
In some cases, users believe that there is a problem with recall. Here’s why it might not work:
- The Undo window has expired You have not clicked Undo in time.
- Option is not on: When the Undo Send option is off, the message is sent instantly.
- Email has already been received: Gmail has no option to undo emails which have already been sent.
- Mobile app lag: In the case of lagging, the undo bar can disappear fast
- Remedy: All the time you can set your Undo Send to 30 seconds for the safest extent possible.
Email Etiquette Bad Habits to Avoid.
Although Undo Send is a savior, nothing can be better than prevention. The following are email habits that should be adopted:
- Check recipients: Recipients should always check to address, cc and bcc fields before sending.
- Write descriptive subject lines: Do not use subject lines that are vague and confusing.
- Write first: Before you forget to write, add attachments.
- Provide Evidence: Proofread: Grammar, Spelling and Tone.
- Save Drafts: Drafts are important messages that can be saved as drafts to be read later and sent.
- Allow Smart Compose: Allow Gmail to suggest words to save typing errors.
Recall Applications of Gmail Daily.
Acquiring an ability to remember a message in Gmail belongs to daily life context:
- Work email: Do not send half baked email reports.
- New employment opportunities: Snag resumes on their way to HR.
- Personal messages: Correct error of tone or wrong recipient.
- Client communication: Proper sensitive information prior to leaving your inbox.
- School project: Before submitting the school projects to the teachers or other students, make sure that appropriate files are attached.
FAQs
Q: Is it possible to remember an email delivered by Gmail?
No. It is not possible to undo sending in Gmail after the allotted time (after a maximum of 30 seconds).
Q: What is the way to increase the recall time of Gmail?
In Settings, then in General, then Undo Send and then select a maximum of 30 seconds.
Q: Does the receiver know whether or not I remembered a Gmail message?
No, and as long as you press Undo, no email is sent to them.
Q: Is it possible to remember Gmail messages in bulk?
No. Undo Send is only applicable to single messages.
Q: Is Gmail mailing offline recalled?
No. Gmail should be online to help in processing and canceling the email transfer.
The ability to recollect a message in Gmail can save you the stress, embarrassment, or even serious errors. Gmail does not offer a recall as such once dispatched, but its undo send feature offers a very important safety net, especially when it can be expanded to 30 seconds.
When you use Undo Send in conjunction with good email behavior such as proofreading and attaching files beforehand and verifying the recipients, you will be able to maintain your communication on Gmail as professional, tidy, and stress-free.
There are errors–however, with Gmail recall, you still have the second chance to correct it.
