Hit “Send” and spotted a type just in that instant — or realized you attached the wrong file for the whole team to see? Find out here how to undo “Send” and unsend an email in Mail for Mac ⤓.
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How to Unsend an Email in Apple Mail for Mac
Time needed: 1 minute
To undo sending an email with Mail for macOS on a Mac:
- Compose and send an email in Mai for macOS.
- Click Undo Send in the Mail sidebar.
No sidebar: If you do not see the Mail sidebar, select View | Show Sidebar from the menu; without the sidebar, you will not see Undo Send.
“Undo Send” keyboard shortcut: You can also press Command Z immediately after sending to unsend an email.
How long: By default, Mail waits for 10 seconds before it finally delivers an email, but you can prolong the interval (see below).
No undo: It is possible to disable unsending altogether; see below.
- The message you just sent will pop up again for editing.
Their word: Apple include information on “undo send” emails in the Mail User Guide.
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Define the Interval During Which Unsending Is Possible
To choose how long Apple Mail on a Mac will wait before it delivers an email and unsending is no longer possible:
- Select Mail | Settings… from the menu in Mail.
- Go to the Composing tab.
- Choose the “Undo Send” waiting time under Undo send delay:.

- Close Mail settings.
How to Undo Send for an Email in Apple Mail for Mac: FAQ
Can I turn off unsending altogether in Mac Mail?
Yes.
To disable undo sending in Mail and have it deliver messages immediately:
- Open Composing preferences in Mail settings (see above).
- Select Off for Undo send delay:.
Can I undo sending for a scheduled email?
Yes, before its scheduled delivery.
To cancel (or change) delivery for an email scheduled in Apple Mail for macOS:
- Open the Send Later folder in Mail.
- Delete an email to cancel its delivery altogether.
Keep draft: Move the message to the Drafts folder instead to cancel delivery and keep the draft. - Open the message and click Edit to change the delivery time and date.
In Apple Mail for Mac, you cannot cancel delivery for a scheduled email at or immediately after its delivery time, though (during the undo send delay).
(Tested with macOS Tahoe 26, Sequoia 15, Sonoma 14 and Ventura 13; first published December 2022, last updated May 2026)
