Gmail is adding an “Undo Send” feature

Ever wanted to take back an e-mail? Ever said anything in an e-mail that could be misconstrued, or that was downright mean or uncalled for, and that, as soon as you hit “Send,” made you shout “Wait!”

Well, for Gmail users, those days are over. The “Undo Send” feature that Gmail has toyed with for years is now an official part of the mail platform. Google introduced Undo Send on a limited basis in 2009, and some users have had the option since then. Now, everyone can get in on the game.

Taking advantage of the change is a fairly straifghtforward operation. Just go into your Settings menu, and, in the General tab, scroll down until you find Undo Send. Once you’ve enabled Undo Send, you have four options: 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds.

The numbers refer to the amount of time you’ll have to take your e-mail back. If you’re feeling like a wild and crazy daredevil, go ahead and select the five second option. Otherwise, you’re probably best served by the 30 second selection, which means the “Undo Send” option will appear at the top of your browser window for 30 seconds starting as soon as you send the e-mail.

One caveat, though: “Undo Send” only appears on the page from which you sent the e-mail. If you click into any of your other Gmail folders, or open a different Google window, you’ll lose the option…forever. So, if you want to undo a sent e-mail, make it your top shelf, number-one priority, or regret your forgetfulness…forever.

(Photo credits: Victory one and two via Flickr)