How to schedule and unsend emails on iPhone and iPad

Whether you made a mistake, overlooked something important, or just regret an email you sent, there are ways to undo emails you’ve already sent, as long as you act relatively quickly. Better yet, you’re probably the type who appreciates planning ahead, and scheduling emails is your strategy of choice. Fortunately, these tools are integrated directly into the operating system via the built-in Mail app on your iPhone or iPad if you are Running on iOS / iPadOS 16.

How to schedule emails in the Mail app in iOS 16

1. Open the default Mail app on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Press the compose button located in the lower right corner to start writing a new email,

3. When you’re done typing your email, you’ll see the send button light up blue in the upper-right corner after you’ve entered the recipient’s address.

4. Press and hold the send button with one finger to reveal a drop-down menu containing scheduling options.

5. To access more granular scheduling options, select the menu item titled Send Later.

6. Use the built-in date picker to select a date and time for your email to be sent. When done, tap Done in the upper-right corner. Your email is now scheduled for delivery.

NB: If you choose to schedule an email, it will be delivered by the device you used to schedule the email at the exact time you chose. Your device must be turned on and connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network to ensure that your message is successfully delivered.

Taking a well-deserved vacation? Here’s how to do it Schedule an out of office message in Outlook.

How to undo sending an email in the Mail app in iOS 16

While it’s not possible to actually cancel an email sent, iOS 16 will automatically delay sending an email, giving you the chance to cancel a message before it’s actually sent. Make sure to act quickly, as you will only have a few seconds.

1. Once you’ve sent an email, you’ll see a blue “Undo Send” button surface near the bottom of the screen. Click this toggle to retrieve your email before you send it.

2. On the next screen, you will be able to view a draft from your email. You can edit and resubmit or simply click Cancel to revisit the email later.

How to customize the rollback time for send delay in iOS 16

By default, you’ll have 10 seconds to undo sending an email using the Mail app built into iOS 16. You can customize this to give yourself up to 30 seconds to undo and retrieve an email before you send it.

1. Start by opening the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Scroll down a bit and select Mail.

3. On the next screen, scroll down again and select Undo Send Delay.

4. The default time to undo a send is 10 seconds. Click any of the menu items to extend the delay times up to 20 or 30 seconds.

advice: Since it integrates with many third-party apps, make sure that Gmail is always secured.

How to schedule emails using a third party app

Not running iOS / iPadOS 16? This section explains how to schedule and unsend email messages using your favorite third-party email clients.

With the Gmail app

1. To schedule an email using gmail application, click the Compose button below to start writing a new email.

2. After you finish writing your email, tap on the “More options” icon shown with three dots to the right of the send button.

3. Click the “Schedule Send” button.

4. Choose from suggested scheduling options or select “Choose date and time” to access the built-in date picker.

5. If you are using the date picker, tap Save to confirm the new date/time.

6. After scheduling or sending you an email, you have five seconds to click the undo button aligned to the right near the bottom of the screen.

With the Spark app

1. To schedule an email using spark app, start by clicking the compose button in the bottom right corner to start writing a new email.

2. Click on the table button shown below.

3. Select from the available scheduling options or select the menu item titled Date Picker to access the date picker.

4. Once you have selected your custom send date, click the Set button to confirm your choice.

5. After scheduling or sending an email, you have five seconds to tap the undo button near the bottom of the screen.

advice: Secure data sent in your messages with email encryption. If you are not sure what the term means, this illustrated guide describes the concept in depth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I toggle email reminders without marking a message as unread using the Mail app in iOS 16?

If you get an email but don’t have time to respond right away, you can have the Mail app remind you to reply at a later time. Simply tap the reply button while viewing any email, then select the menu item called Remind Me. The selected email will appear at the top of your inbox on the exact date/time you selected. If you are having trouble keeping your inbox organized, you can explore it How to change your Gmail name on mobile and PC.

Can I customize the send delay time with Gmail or Spark?

Yes, but you can’t access this list from the Gmail app for iOS. You will have to go to the Gmail settings page using your browser. Select “Settings -> See all settings -> Undo send.” You can delay sending your emails by 5, 10, 20 or 30 seconds. Spark does not allow users to customize the rollback send delay time.

Are there any other alternatives for scheduling emails on iOS?

yes. You can use Outlook, for example. In fact, we have an entire guide dedicated to the different methods you can use Schedule an email in Outlook for the web, Windows, and mobile devices. Similar to the methods above, you can also use Outlook to delay all emails you send, giving you time to correct your mistakes in no time.

Image credit: unsplash. All screenshots taken by Brahm Shank.