Hit The 'UnSend Button' in GMail? Yes please!

Unsend in Gmail? It's Here, and it's  Permanent!

Email has been a primary, and very effective form of communicationfor over 20 years, but what has been to this point fantasy for many is becoming reality: with some limits, you can actually 'unsend' an email that you really wish you hadn't. 

The unsend feature has been a test feature in Gmail for a while now, so if you are a regular Gmail user, and you make use of labs, you probably already know about it, but it's been in beta. However, Google has some news for you! 

If you’re like many small business owners I talk to, you probably have more than one story when you hit “Send” too early, or without a finished or correct email ready to go out. Perhaps nothing in the professional culture of 2015 strikes as much fear as email sent to the wrong person, at the wrong time or just of helplessness as a message you didn’t think you were going to send!

Accidentally Send Emails No More!

Good news for all of us cursed with the “unintentional thumb”:Google has made it so that you can cover yourself, and do what we all want and need to do; control our message and communications a little bit better.

The Wall Street Journal has a good piece detailing the move by Google:

"The “undo send” feature gives Gmail users anywhere from 10 to 30 precious seconds to claw back an email sent prematurely. Once you hit “send” on a Gmail—by accident or on purpose—a thin yellow bar tells you the message was sent, and gives you the option to either read the message or take it back."

In the past, there was simply an "undo" that showed up at the top of your email inbox after sending your email (this is in the labs version). This would disappear after approximately 30 seconds, as the quote points out. 

Those of us in the know understand that Google rarely leaves anything alone for long, so that means that the user interface will most likely change at some point down the road.

The Journal goes on to make its own comments on the ability to retrieve misintentioned missives: 

"Whether a hastily worded nastygram, an unfortunate “reply all” or a half-written job cover letter sent prematurely, potential damage can be undone. In a world of “no takebacks,” recapturing an already launched missile—ahem, message—before it can be opened is a real enhancement."

Getting Started with the New Feature

So how do you make sense of it all? How can YOU start using this wonderful gift of grab that Google has given? I quote WSJ again: 

“'Undo send' will be turned off by default but can be enabled in the “general” tab of Gmail settings as of today. For people who have already been using the “labs” version (which has been available for what feels like years), the setting will be turned on by default. Again, this is only available for people using Gmail on a website, as opposed to a smartphone app."

In summation, Google has given yet again. It truly is astounding to look back at life before Google and see just how profoundly it has changed business with all the free and almost free tools it offers. Yet again, Google gives. 

Here's a short video about the new Gmail feature. 

Here's a link to another piece I wrote about it and it's possible effect on Email Marketing.