Regret sending that email? Google’s Gmail adds ‘undo’ option

An email meant for your husband goes to your boss. A message meant for your bridesmaids goes to your mother-in-law. Or the nuclear option: an awkward workplace “reply all.”

Just reading about it brings a familiar feeling of dread, the one that sets in about a millisecond after an email is sent too soon.

If you are a Gmail user, you will be relieved to know that Google will now help you snatch such premature messages back from the ether.

After years of experimenting with it as a Labs feature, Google announced that it is formally adding an “undo send” option for web-based Gmail users. (If you are a repeat offender on mobile, the Inbox app also has an undo feature.) The new tool allows users to choose a delay time from 5 to 30 seconds in case of a change of heart.

One last thing: You will have to enable the tool to use it. You can find the feature by clicking on the settings cog in Gmail and scrolling about midway through the general tab.

This story was originally published June 23, 2015 at 1:17 PM with the headline "Regret sending that email? Google’s Gmail adds ‘undo’ option."