Want to send an email later without being there to send it later? Find out here how to send later and schedule an email in Gmail for future delivery up to 50 years in the future.
First, Stressed Cucumbers
Cucumbers used to be bitter.
Human selection has given us varieties without the (toxic) cucurbitacins. Sometimes, though, they return: especially when cucumbers get cold during the night, lack water, or are otherwise stressed, they will get bitter again. (It’s better not to eat those cucumbers.)
Stressed about an email you need to send in the future? With Gmail, here’s one reason less to get bitter: you can write it right now and have Gmail deliver it just when you want it to be sent.
How to Schedule an Email for Later Delivery in Gmail
In Gmail on the Web (Using a Desktop Browser)
Time needed: 5 minutes
To schedule an email for later delivery in Gmail:
- Click the downward-pointed triangle next to the Send button when you are ready to schedule the email.
- Select Schedule send.
- For quick scheduling, pick one of the preset times (later on the day, for example, or Monday morning)
No questions: This will schedule the message for later without any further questions to answer or actions to take. You can always re-schedule or cancel sending altogether, of course; see below.
- For sending later (at a specific time in the future), click Pick date & time.
- Use the calendar to pick a date.
Shortcut: You can also type the desired date in the date field; use your favorite format, e.g. MM/DD/YYYY.
- Now type the desired delivery time in the time field.
Which time format: Gmail understands both 12- and 24-hour format and will try to convert intelligently.
- Click Schedule send.
In the Gmail App for Android or IOS
To send mail later using the Gmail app (on iOS or Android):
- When you are ready to schedule, tap the three dots menu button on the message composition screen.
- Select Schedule send from the menu that has appeared.
- To scheduled with one tap, pick from one of the preset times (e.g., Tomorrow morning, Monday morning).
- To schedule for a precise time, tap Pick date & time.
- Choose the desired date and time for the message’s delivery.
- Tap Save.
How to Schedule an Email for Later Delivery in Gmail: FAQ
How far in the future can I schedule an email for delivery in Gmail?
You can schedule emails roughly 50 years into the future.
The time also needs to be at least three minutes in the future for Gmail to schedule an email.
Do I need to have Gmail open for scheduled emails to send?
No.
Gmail will send scheduled emails at the specified time on the desired day all on its own.
Where can I find emails scheduled to be sent in Gmail?
To see all emails you have scheduled to be sent later in Gmail (on the web and in the Gmail app):
- Go to the Scheduled label.
Gmail keyboard shortcut: Type G followed by L and start typingscheduledfor Gmail to auto-complete the label to jump to it quickly.
To see scheduled emails in an email programming accessing Gmail through IMAP:
- Look in the [Gmail]/All Mail folder for messages with a future date.
No IMAP: Even if you make the Scheduled label available via IMAP, your email program cannot access it directly.
Can I nudge a scheduled email to send immediately?
Yes.
To send a scheduled message right away in Gmail:
- Go to the Scheduled label.
- Open the message you want to send immediately.
- Click Cancel send.
- Now, in the email transformed back into a draft, click Send.
In the Gmail app: To edit the unscheduled email in the Gmail app, tap Draft right after you cancelled sending.
Edit for the future: Of course, you can make changes to the message before sending.
How can I change the schedule for an email set to send later?
To re-schedule an email and deliver it at another time:
- Follow the steps for sending right away; see above.
- Instead of sending the draft, pick a new schedule.
Re-scheduling works in Gmail on the web and the Gmail apps for Android and IOS; it is not currently possible using Gmail IMAP.
Can I cancel a scheduled Gmail email altogether?
Yes.
To cancel a message set to be sent later in Gmail on the web and in the Gmail apps:
- Go to the Scheduled tab.
- Check all scheduled emails you want to cancel.
- Press #.
In the app: In the Gmail app, tap the Trash icon.
This will move the message to the Gmail Trash and cancel delivery.
To cancel a scheduled email using Gmail IMAP in an email client:
- Go to the [Gmail]/All Mail folder.
- Find and delete the scheduled email.
Where to look: It will have the scheduled date and time as its message date already, so should appear in the future.
Where will scheduled emails appear after they have been sent?
Like regularly sent emails, scheduled emails that have been delivered will appear in the Sent Mail folder (with IMAP) or label.
Will scheduled emails be sent at the precise time picked?
Typically, but not necessarily; Gmail may deliver scheduled emails up to a few minutes late.
Can the recipient find out I sent the email using Gmail “send later”?
No.
Gmail leaves no trace of the email’s scheduling in the message. Only the time (say, Monday morning at 8:00 am could give the scheduling away.
Can I send later using Gmail Basic HTML?
Alas, no.
Gmail’s basic HTML interface does not offer sending emails later, and you cannot re-schedule messages either.
You will find scheduled emails under All Mail, though, and can cancel delivery by deleting these messages.
Can I set up emails to send repeatedly with Gmail “send later”?
No. You can only schedule individual emails to be sent once with Gmail’s send later function.
(How to send later and schedule email for future delivery in Gmail tested with a desktop browser and the Gmail app for iOS; updated February 2024)