Accidentally sending an email too soon or to the wrong person can be nerve-wracking, especially if the message contains sensitive information. Many email platforms offer ways to unsend an email and avoid these common pitfalls. However, these features often come with limitations, such as short cancellation windows or compatibility issues, and the methods vary by platform.
This article explains how various email platforms handle email canada phone number data unsending and the limitations of each method. You'll also see how Proton Mail 's additional features help you manage emails and keep your data secure.
Is it possible to unsend an email?
Delayed-sending mechanism
Server-side recall mechanism
Take back sent emails with Proton Mail
Is it possible to unsend an email?
Technically, yes — most of the time. Different email platforms offer ways to unsend messages, but the method and effectiveness can vary.
Delayed-sending mechanism
Some email platforms, such as Proton Mail, Gmail, and Apple Mail, use a delayed-sending mechanism to allow unsending emails:
Default timer : Proton Mail's undo send feature has a 10-second delay enabled by default. You can set it between 0 and 20 seconds, where 0 disables this feature.
How it works : When you hit the send button, the email client doesn't immediately send the message to the recipient's email server. Instead, it holds the email in a queue for the set delay, showing an “Undo Send” button during this time. In Proton Mail, a “Message sent. Undo” banner appears at the top (web app) or bottom (mobile).
Canceling the email : If you click the button for undoing the send, the email client cancels the queued message before it leaves the server. In Proton Mail, the email is reopened in the composer window, allowing you to edit or delete it.
Final send : Once the delay time passes, the email is actually sent to the recipient's server, after which it can't be recalled since it has left the sender's control.