Gmail Labs: Undo Send! TGFU (thank goodness for undo)

undo send

The people behind Gmail are constantly working to add features to their already kick-ass email client web application.  Google Labs is sort of like a toy chest for Gmail, containing dozens of major and minor plug ins for the Gmail client.  Some of these plug ins provide new features, some simply tweak the look and layout of the screen a little bit.  Today i wanted to bring to your attention a Google Labs feature which will give your Gmail supernatural powers!  It’s called UNDO SEND.  And yes, it does what it sounds like it does!

Follow along with me in this tutorial and i will show you how to enable and use this groundbreaking new email feature.

First things first, you will want to log in to your Gmail account.  Go to Settings (located in the top right corner of your web browser window), and then click Labs.

Here you will find the complete list of Labs features available for your account, read through it, there’s some really interesting stuff in there…  But for our purposes today you are looking for the Undo Send feature.  Should be a few up from the bottom of the list.

labs-send-undo

Go ahead and select the Enable button next to Undo Send and then scroll back up to the top of the page to save your changes.

gmail-save changes

Now……try it out!  Compose an email (to yourself or anyone really) and send it.

gmail-compose-msg

As per usual, Gmail will take you back to your Inbox, and you will be presented with the usual “Your message has been sent” status box.  Except THIS time, theres something different, there’s an Undo button!  Go ahead and click it, but be quick, you only have a limited amount of time to Un-Send your email!

msg has been sent-undo

Provided you were quick enough on the click, you should see this:

picture-7

Uh-MAZE-ing!   Now you can be as impulsive as you want with your emailing.

There are many useful Labs features, some i use / recommend include:

  • send & archive – combines send & archive into one button, i use it all the time
  • forgotten attachment detector – attempts to warn you if you are meaning to send an attachment but forgot to attach it, spooky, but useful
  • canned responses – save responses and quickly apply them to messages, HUGE time-saver for repetitive emailing
  • quote selected text – highlight text, click reply, and only the highlighted text is included in the body of the reply
  • email addict – gmail will prompt you to take a break from excessive emailing
  • superstars – bored with the one yellow star that Gmail gives you?…
  • youtube in mail – view youtube cantent from links emailed to you directly in the body of the message, very cool!

Posted on April 2, 2009 in email, google

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