Opps! I Sent It Accidentally! How to Unsend Emails with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.

Updated on Mar 19, 2023
 

If you have a habit of accidentally sending emails before you’re ready to send them, there are a handful of ways to ‘unsend’ the emails depending on which email service or email client you use. Depending on the situation, sending an email accidentally could include private information or be addressed to the wrong person. So let’s dive into the ways to unsend an email if you’ve accidentally sent it.

How to Unsend Email in Outlook

Outlook includes the option to unsend email, but one thing to note is that if people have already read it, you’ll be unable to fully recall that message.

1. Select the Sent Items folder on the Navigation Pane in Outlook, and double-tap to open the email you sent by mistake or want to unsend.
2. To unsend the message in Outlook, click Message > Actions > Recall This Message.

Outlook doesn’t include the robust features of an app like Spike for truly unsending an email message. Outlook the app doesn’t work well for unsending messages sent to Google Workspace or other non-Microsoft solutions.

If you use Microsoft Outlook on a collaborative communications server, such as Microsoft Exchange Server, there are some advantages to having that type of account over an ordinary Outlook account. One of the big benefits if you gain the ability to recall an email message – essentially unsending it.

Why would you want to unsend an email?

If you accidentally send an email, or realize that it should not have been sent. You might also want to unsend an email If the message contains confidential information, and you want to keep it from being read. Sometimes you might need to undo an email you sent in error. Maybe it was a mistake, or maybe you just realized that it contained confidential information. In either case, Outlook makes it easy to unsend email messages. To unsend an email you’ve already sent, you’ll want to use Outlook’s Recall This Message feature.

1. 1. Open the Sent Items folder, and double-click to open the email you sent by mistake.
   2. To unsend (take back) a message that you’ve sent, open the Message window and then click Actions > Recall This Message.

Scroll down for an example:
In the Recall This Message dialog, please check the Delete unread copies of this message option and click OK.
Close the message. If you have checked Tell me if recall succeeds or fails for each recipient and its recipients haven’t read your email, Outlook will automatically return it to sender with a status of “recall failed.”
Outlook doesn’t include the robust features of an app like Spike for truly unsending an email message. Outlook, the app, doesn’t work well for unsending messages sent to Google Workspace or other non-Microsoft solutions. If you use Gmail inside of Outlook and you need to usend a message – you’ll need to check out our tips on Gmail unsend. Outlook works best when you have a Microsoft account and use it with Outlook.com or Office 365. If you don’t, the app will work but may not be as effective at fully unsending emails.

How to Unsend an Email in Gmail

Gmail includes some handy options for unsending an email. If you decide you don’t want to send an email, you have a short time after to cancel it. Here are the steps:

You can configure in Gmail how long you have to unsend an email in Gmail.

1. In the top right of the Gmail interface on a laptop/desktop, click Settings and then See all settings.
2. Next to “Undo Send,” select a Send cancellation period of 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds.

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• It’s email, but as easy as chat. It’s Conversational Email!

How to Unsend Emails in Yahoo

Unfortunatly Yahoo doesn’t include an option to unsend an email message. If you use Yahoo, it’s ideal to use an email client like Spike in order to unsend the email after you sent it.

Unsend Emails Easily Using Spike Email Client

The ideal solution for unsending emails is to use an email client designed specifically to unsend emails without the other person having the option to keep them. Spike’s unsend email feature works across iCloud, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and more.

Unlike other email clients and web-based solutions, Spike is designed to protect you from sending emails accidentally. There is a delay after sending before it’s truly sent to give yourself a “gotcha moment”. It works on desktop and mobile devices, and in certain situations, it might save your job.

Mobile

1. Long-press the message bubble.
2. Tap the Unsend Message button.
3. After 10 seconds the ‘Unsend Message’ will turn grey or disappear.

Desktop

1. Right-click the message or click the 3 dots next to the message and select ‘Unsend Message.’
2. After 10 seconds the ‘Unsend Message’ will turn grey or disappear.

Save Yourself Trouble and Avoid Sending Emails by Mistake

Although Spike includes the best way to unsend emails you’ve sent accidentally, it’s best to not make the mistake in the first place. Before sending an email, stop and reread the message to make sure you’ve crossed all your Ts and dotted all your Is. Check to make sure you are sending it to the right person (and not the wrong person).

Did you Add the Attachments?

If you are intending to attach files, double-check to make sure you’ve attached them and included the right versions. If you’ve worked with multiple versions of files, it’s ideal to make sure you’ve got the correct version as well.

Did you Reply to all the Questions in the Email?

To streamline the conversation and back/forth process of email, double-check to make sure you’ve answered all the questions in the email. It can be as simple as pasting the original question into your email and answering the question below is so it’s easy to follow in the conversation.

Summary

The ability to unsend an email can potentially be life-changing if you protect yourself from sending the wrong message to the wrong person. Unfortunately, most email clients do not include this feature for all email service providers natively. Spike is the best email client for unsending email messages across Google Workspace, Outlook email, Yahoo, iCloud, etc. Spike supports it as an account so that the unsend email functionality will work perfectly. Download Spike today!