If you’ve ever sent an email from your iOS device only to realize that you typed the wrong address, forgot an attachment, or didn’t correct the typos, then you understand how invaluable an Unsend feature can be. It’s the one thing that can save you from grievous miscommunication.
In this article, we’ll look at ways to unsend an email in Apple Mail or iCloud to help you avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and embarrassments in personal and professional email messaging. Continue reading for more information.
Read: How to fill out an email attachment on iPhone
Can you recall an iCloud email?
Unfortunately, there is no way to recall an email once you hit send, and the email leaves your computer—it’s out of your control.
The email protocol system works so that a sent email passes through several nodes to get to a recipient. This makes it impossible to recall the message.
So, what do you do when you can’t recall an email? Well, there are several workarounds to the situation.
1. Delay the message
Emailing services like Gmail and Outlook have Undo Send features that delay sent messages for a couple of seconds—giving you time to change your mind.
If you notice any issues with the email within the set time, you simply press undo, make changes then send it.
Unfortunately, Apple Mail or iCloud hasn’t incorporated this feature into their system, so you’ll have to use third-party tools like:
1. Spark
Spark is available for iOS and macOS. It’s free for personal use, but you’ll have to pay $8 monthly to use the team features.
Once integrated with your email, you’ll see the Undo option pop up every time you send an email through the Mac or iPhone.
You have 5 seconds to press Undo and revert the message to draft. You can’t change the time limit or disable the feature.
Read: How to cancel your iCloud storage plan without an iPhone
2. Airmail
Airmail is free on iOS, but desktop users must pay $27. To enable it on Mac, go to the Airmail menu, select Preferences, go to Composing, and click on “Sending Delay.”
You can select a delay period between 5 to 120 seconds. During that time, the email is usually in the Drafts folder waiting to be dispatched to the recipient. Click Cancel to make the necessary edits before sending it.
Click the menu button to enable it on iOS (3 lines on the top left of your screen). Click on Settings, then Undo Send. You can choose between a 5 or 10-second delay.
The Undo Send button always pops up on the bottom of the screen after you press Send.
3. Mail Butler
This is an extension that runs on top of Apple Mail. Once you set it up, the Undo Send button will appear whenever you send an email.
The time limit for Mail Butler Undo Send ranges from a few seconds to minutes.
When dealing with third-party software, read its terms and conditions before allowing it to access your emails.
Turn off your internet
For this solution, you’ll have to be extremely fast.
Simply plug off your internet connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet). This could stop the email from disappearing from the internet.
Apologize for the awkward email
Lastly, you could just call the recipient(s) and apologize for the inappropriate email. We understand that the email can be embarrassing, but sometimes all that is needed is an apology.
If the email contains sensitive information, such as passwords, make sure to change them.
Conclusion
That wraps up for different ways to recall an email from your iPhone and other iOS devices. You never know when such situations will happen, so it’s better to have a plan that gives you a chance to avoid embarrassment or even worse situations.
Ideally, you could make a habit of proofreading your emails, checking attachments, and putting the recipient last to avoid being in a position where you need an Unsend feature for email on iCloud.
Read: How to send a voice Message from iPhone to Android
Alex is an IT technician who shares his experiences with Apple devices occasionally. He has a collection of Apple devices (from iPhone 4) and has recently started trying out Android.
IG: @I M_Alex