Comments on: Take it back: Gmail gets 'Undo Send' Labs feature

Google launches the Omega 13 for e-mail: a way to recall messages within five seconds after pressing "send."

[MMC Racing]

One of those features that sounds good in theory, but won't see much use.

[infinitely]

So what? It's the kind of feature that, if you have to use it even once, has the chance to save your job, a relationship, or whatever else.

[MMC Racing]

Who uses Gmail for work? 5 seconds and even 10 is not long enough to be meaningful.

[romodoc]

In my experience. most of the emails I have sent to the wrong person or unfinished emails, no attachment added, etc. I realize of my mistake just after clicking send. (intentionally or unintentionally) so I disagree with MMC racing too. I usually use my work account. But GMail is my "important stuff" account, meaning, is the one on my CV, the one for official stuff like visas, bank accounts etc. and so a lot of people. \
Plus, the attachment feature is simple but extremely useful, I think is genius. I've been working all night to make it before a deadline (procrastination been the culprit I must admit) only to send and empty mail and been notified after the deadline that my document wasn't there.

[MMC Racing]

You miss the point. We all do what you describe, but maybe you don't realize how short 5 seconds is.. You not only have to realize within 5 seconds, you have to rush to act to recall.

This is not a knock against gmail. They have to balance delaying delivery versus allowing this feature.

[mark_925]

I would use this a lot. If you're sending out 80 emails a day in the office it's amazing how many times you realize you're missing whatever just after you hit the send button.

[Dalkorian]

Personally I agree this feature is a good thing - but it sounds to me like you need to slow down and think some more (smarter is faster, but faster isn't necessarily smarter). This feature won't do that for you.

[techie_guy4]

yeah this is useless feature..less than 5 seconds... one can achieve whatever time they want.. just hold the message at server,, even though sender thinks he has sent the message its still at gmail server...

[t8]

Wow you figured it out.
How would you like to work for Google?
We might need your help in making the delay 10 seconds.
Any suggestions?

[FourOnTheFloor]

Ha

[loose_screw]

Nice, thanks for letting us know!

[punterjoe]

Leave it to Google to actually invent the D'OH! key. :)

[engzr016]

AOL first had this during the days of dial up. It was the one saving feature of their service.

[Hunnter2k3]

They should enable custom timings at some point, like the Queue feature, "Outbox".
It could show e-mails in there and the time before sending.

This would be such a great feature

[scottcoulter]

Grrrr, another feature only enabled in Gmail, but not in google apps....

[cylockholmes]

This has been around for at least a couple of years. The company that started this is called "bigstring"

Either Google is ripping off the idea or the bought the company of Bigstring.

[shadfurman]

you can't "rip off" such a simple idea. Thats like saying I ripped of the word "the" because I use it everyday. Its a good idea for those who wish to apply it, its hardly innovation. And I'm sure its been around a LOT longer than "bigstring" or AOL.

[GardenLobster]

I know I've wished I could retract something after sending, but I don't know if 5 seconds is enough. It might be. If you don't have "attached" in the text of the message, it doesn't catch missing attachments. Then you have to follow-up with a "whoops" message with the attachment. I did that once with sending out my resume. -.- Still got the job, but man that was embarassing.

[yanchineseguy]

This could also be good for those instances where you accidentally hit the "send" button before your email is complete. I just did that this morning, before I've had my coffee. Had to send another email with the rest of the information.

This is a good option to have, even if it goes unused most of the time.

[wasimraja1982]

How about adding a "Delay" textbox? Choose a specific value (letting the users decide whatever they want might result in the email being held up in the server for a long time which could slow down the server..I think )..The users can then check the email back if they want and stop it from being sent.

Ideally, one should check the email properly before sending if its important which we do. Rare cases, this might come in handy.

[wasimraja1982]

Correction: which "MOST" do.

[TV James]

Yeah, it ought to be the time-frame of your choosing. They could always queue the mail. I'd pick 10 minutes, myself. I do only use my Google account for personal use, though, so nothing is really time sensitive.

I'm bummed, I thought they were going to suggest that they were offering a service that would actually let you delete messages from other gmail inboxes (that had not been opened) that you had sent erroneously and were also proposing a standard in case other ISPs wanted to offer interoperability.

C'mon Google Labs - Let's go beyond someone playing in a sandbox and do some big scale innovation in the email market that goes beyond a Gmail tricks.

[karpenterskids]

I've often wished for this feature: the ability to un-send something after I've sent it.

But seriously, guys...5 seconds?
That's not nearly enough time to react and undo, even if you realise right away that you've done something wrong!

5 MINUTES would be better.
And better yet...allow us to delete the message from the other person's inbox as long as they haven't opened it yet.

Whoever creates that feature will rule the world. My world, anyways. :)

[FargoUT]

That'd only be possible if the sender and receiver account were on the same provider. Gmail could implement this if you sent an e-mail to another Gmailer, but it's impossible to recall from Yahoo or Hotmail (unless the services had contractual agreements to allow for this). I don't think we'll ever see this. It is a nice idea, but it would be like mailing a letter and trying to stop it from reaching its destination. About the only way to stop it is to show up at the location and hope to retrieve it first. :)

[bschorr]

My solution to premature sends (that never happens to me, I swear!) is to type the "TO" address last. That way if I accidentally click "Send" too soon it the message doesn't go anywhere.

That tactic works in pretty much every e-mail client, by the way, and you can take as much time as you like.

[NCTARHEELS]

err, I don't see it on the labs list...