Google allows senders to pull back sent Gmails

24 March 2009

Google has rolled out a new experimental feature for Gmail users, which allows them to pull back an e-mail within five seconds of hitting the send button.

Having just five seconds time to retrieve regrettable e-mails by clicking on "Undo Send" button, Google has now given users of Gmail, what it calls the 'panic button' to retrieve those e-mail messages that contained mistakes or promised files that were never attached.

The 'Undo Send' feature can be activated from the Settings / Labs tab with the button being located next to the "message has been sent" notification and once activated, a new 'Undo' link will come into view next to every sent e-mail confirmation.

By clicking the 'Undo Send ' button within five seconds of sending the e-mail, Gmail will stop the mail from being delivered and take users back to the compose window, where a confirmation of retrieval of the e-mail will be shown.

The 'Undo Send' feature cannot retrieve a message that has already been sent as this new feature only holds an e-mail for just five seconds, which Google engineers think is sufficient time needed for a person wanting to recall an e-mail.

Google is however waiting for reactions from Gmail users worldwide and may enhance the pull back time from 5 seconds to 10 seconds if users feel that the present time is insufficient.