It happens to the best of us: typos,
wrong email addresses, misspelled names, missing (or incorrect) attachments, and other
embarrassing email scenarios. Email errors are stressful - especially if you’re trying to make a
good impression. If the email you accidentally sent is high priority or sensitive, you’re
probably wondering: “can I unsend an email?” Fear not, there is an answer to your question.
There’s a way to stop flawed emails from reaching their recipients on Gmail and Microsoft
Outlook; two of the biggest email providers.
How to unsend an email Gmail
Can you unsend an email in gmail? You’ll be
relieved to know that the answer is yes! Google uses a simple method for unsending emails. The
emails are prevented from entering the recipient’s inbox. To unsend an email on Gmail, follow
these steps:
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Once you send your message, a pop-up window in the left bottom corner of your screen
appears.
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By default, you have about six seconds to click on the undo button in this
window.
Clicking on it stops the message from being sent, moves it to the drafts folder, and
then lets you edit the message further.
The best thing about Google’s unsend process is that you can edit the time frame for unsending a
message if you feel like you might need extra time to quickly check your message. To adjust the
time, navigate to the General tab for settings and find Undo send. The options for the time
frame vary from 5 seconds to a whopping 30.
How to unsend an email Outlook
How do you unsend an email on the Outlook
application? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as straightforward for Outlook application users.
The process for the Microsoft Outlook application is a bit more complex than Google; and it
comes with the price of strict restrictions. The Outlook application uses recall instead of
unsend. Recalled messages are removed directly from the recipient’s inbox; while the unsend
feature stops the messages from entering the recipient’s inbox. The sender and recipient need to
both be on Microsoft’s server for this to work.
If you need to recall an email on the Microsoft Outlook application, here’s what you need to
know:
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You have 120 minutes to recall an email on Microsoft Outlook.
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Go to the Sent folder. Select File > Info > Recall this message.
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The problematic message can only be recalled if it was not read already.
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Any user can disable the recall feature so the request to delete the message from the
server is simply denied.
Messages can be recalled in the Outlook application and in Outlook webmail. However, if you need
to unsend a message immediately after clicking send - you can unsend emails on Outlook webmail
only.
How to unsend emails on Microsoft Outlook webmail:
The option to unsend emails on Microsoft Outlook is not automatic. Users need to manually set up
this option if they anticipate needing to use this feature.
How to unsend an email using the eM Client app
The eM Client application offers a smart solution for unsending emails for users with any type
of email account! After realizing there’s a mistake in your email, you have a specific time
frame after clicking send that enables you to unsend the email before it ends up in your
recipient’s inbox. The undo send feature is enabled by default, so you’ll be able to use this
feature right away. No need to stress about whether or not the email can be recalled - you can
relax knowing that the recipient will never see your unsent email.
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After clicking Send, you’ll have exactly five seconds to unsend your email.
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To change the time frame to 3, 5, or 10 seconds; go to Menu > Settings > Mail >
Send.
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The unsend feature is available for all eM Client application users with Pro license;
even if your email provider does provide the unsend feature on webmail.
Want to make sure that you are prepared in case you need to unsend an email on eM Client? You
can find a video tutorial for the Undo Send feature below: