How to Schedule and Unsend Emails on iPhone and iPad

Whether you made a mistake, missed something important, or just regretted the email you sent, there are ways to undo emails you’ve already sent, as long as you act reasonably quickly. Better yet, maybe you’re the kind of person who values ​​advance planning, and scheduling emails is your top choice. Luckily, these tools are built right into the operating system via the built-in Mail app on your iPhone or iPad if you’re using iOS/iPadOS 16.

How to schedule emails in Mail app in iOS 16

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

2. Tap the Compose button in the lower right corner to start composing a new email.

3. When you’re done composing your email, the send button in the top-right corner will light up blue after you type in the recipient’s address.

4. Hold down the send button with one finger to see a drop-down menu of scheduling options.

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

6. Use the built-in date picker to choose a date and time to send your email. When you’re done, tap Done in the top right. Your email is now scheduled for delivery.

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

Are you taking a well deserved vacation? How to schedule an out of office message in Outlook.

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

While it’s not possible to actually undo an email that’s been sent, iOS 16 automatically delays sending an email and gives you the option to cancel a message before it’s actually sent. Be sure to act quickly as you only have a few seconds.

1. Immediately after you’ve sent an email, you’ll see a blue “Undo Send” button at the bottom of the display. Tap this switch to check your email before it’s sent.

2. The next screen allows you to view a draft of your email. You can edit the email and resend it, or just tap Cancel to revisit the email later.

How to adjust undo send delay time in iOS 16

By default, you have 10 seconds to undo sending an email using the built-in Mail app in iOS 16. You can customize this to give you up to 30 seconds to cancel and retrieve your email before it’s sent.

1. First, open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Scroll down a little and select “Mail”.

3. On the following screen, scroll down again and select Undo Sending Delay.

4. The default undo delay time is 10 seconds. Tap any menu item to increase the delay times up to 20 or 30 seconds.

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

How to schedule emails using a third-party app

iOS/iPadOS 16 not running? This section shows how to schedule and unschedule emails using your favorite third-party email clients.

With the Gmail app

1. To schedule an email using the Gmail app, tap the Compose button at the bottom to start writing a new email.

2. After you’ve finished typing your email, tap the “More options” icon represented by three dots to the right of the “Send” button.

3. Tap the Schedule Send button.

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

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

6. After scheduling an email or sending you an email, you have five seconds to tap the undo button located on the right at the bottom of the display.

With the Spark app

1. To schedule an email with the Spark app, first tap the compose button at the bottom right to start writing a new email.

2. Tap on the schedule button highlighted below.

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

4. After selecting your custom send date, tap the “Set” button to confirm your choice.

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

Tip: Secure the data sent in your messages with email encryption. If you’re not sure what the term means, this explainer guide describes the concept in detail.

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 reply right away, you can let the Mail app remind you to reply at a later time. Just tap the Reply button while viewing an email, then select the Remind Me menu item. The selected email will reappear at the top of your inbox at the date/time you selected. If you’re having trouble organizing your inbox, learn how to change your Gmail name on mobile and PC.

Can I adjust the undo send delay time with Gmail or Spark?

Yes, but you can’t access this menu from the Gmail app for iOS. You need to navigate to the Gmail settings page with your browser. Select “Settings -> View All Settings -> Undo Send”. You can delay the sending of your emails by 5, 10, 20 or 30 seconds. Spark doesn’t allow users to customize the undo send delay time.

Are there other alternatives to scheduling emails on iOS?

Yes. For example, you can use Outlook. In fact, we have a whole guide on the different methods you can use to schedule an email in Outlook for the web, Windows, and mobile. Similar to the methods above, you can also use Outlook to delay any emails you send, giving you time to correct your mistakes in a pinch.

Photo credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Brahm Shank.