Chicago (IL) - A Google  post unveils a new service, “Google Unsend” which allows users to unsend e-mails they don’t want delivered within a five second window. Though the product does seem to have more validity than Twitter Premier services April Fool’s Day is approaching, so I question the products authenticity. In fact, it has actually given me Déjà vu. Remember “Gmail Custom Time”?

Google has a history of providing users with technologies which save individuals from themselves. With products such as "Google Goggles", which prevents users from emailing under the influence during the early morning hours by making them complete a math quiz first. There is also the Google Domains Applications, typically used by businesses which use Gmail on a corporate level has a feature which alerts users that emails are coming from outside of the company via an orange border around sender address. This is to prevent the sharing of private or sensitive company information with outside individuals. The forgotten attachment detector is available to all Gmail users to prevent any embarrassing “Oops, forgot the attachment” messages by detecting the word “attach” and alerting users that there are no attachments with the document. Now, the new “Gmail Unsend” feature will too protect you from becoming your own worst enemy.

We’ve all been there. After an upsetting e-mail from a boss, or a significant other you reply back without a breather. Instantly you regretting hitting the send key, and you realize you want your words back. Maybe you’ve hit the “reply all” key when you really only meant to make a direct response to the sender. What if you submit your resume for a new job, and see that you misspelled a word, or copy and pasted wrong company information. Ooops! Undo Send is a feature which allows you to jerk back that electronic response before it is delivered. But you must do this with haste!

The feature which was developed by an engineer in Japan was utilized internally for testing. It has the ability to recall e-mail as long as it is done within five seconds (with an option to increase the unsend time window to 10 seconds). Trying to add additional recall time would cause a lag in e-mail delivery in general, which would make communication frustrating. The company claims they might potentially opt to increase time options for the function. The feature does not merely recall an email, it pulls it back meaning there will be no record that you ever sent it in the first place.

Users can turn the option on in Gmail Labs (the small Erlenmeyer flask icon beside your username) by going to Settings. Once you’ve added it you’ll see a new “Undo” link on every sent email confirmation.

Personally, I don’t think this feature would be of any benefit with a mere 5 second response time. If I’ve fired off an angry e-mail, or said something I regret it typically takes me longer than 5 seconds to realize it, by then it’d be too late. But for some users this might save you from a drunken profession of love, or a snide remark to a coworker.

AOL used to let you unsend...not sure if it still does

Mar 20, 2009 13:07     

AOL used to have this (it still might) (at least for aol to aol mail) and you could unsend up to the point before it was opened.
Mary Pugh report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Saves you from "I clicked the wrong button mistakes"

Mar 20, 2009 13:17     

It may not save you from many of those e-mails you shouldn't have sent, but it does save you from "I clicked the wrong button" type mistakes. I have done this a couple of times, or glanced below and realized I thought I was finished and I had mis-pasted something. I am turning this on right away.
Jeremy report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

unsend gmail

Mar 20, 2009 13:18     

This might be useful
Craig report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

And the disintegration of humanity continues...

Mar 20, 2009 13:28     

We already have devalued human communication enormously with email, text messaging, blogs, you name it. We have created a culture were people can rant and sound off with no responsibility and without having to exercise any mature self-control. Great. So now, Google is about to make it easier to not think about consequences. "Mommy" (Google unsend) is another way for someone to save you from being an immature jackass. Doesn't anybody see how bad all this is for humanity. People need to be able to relate to each other, communicate with each other. They need to mean what they say, say what they mean, think about other people's feelings when they speak, and think about consequences. All this "e" communication is reducing people to the level of a 2-year-old, who can scream, pull the glassware off the table, grab things that don't belong to them, and not care about consequences because "heck, they are only two." We better start growing up and communicating with each other like adults.

max report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -3

mr

Mar 20, 2009 13:33     

unsend could recall an email until it was opened when I first emailed on yahoo in 2000..../ma
angel report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

And yet...

Mar 20, 2009 13:37     

Google Labs comes up with cool things like this (which works, and which I applaud), yet they don't have something as simple as being able to select BCC as the default for forwarding mail. Every security guru on the Web tells us that one of the first things to do is BCC all forwards, but do it by default? Seems obvious, but...
Bill Webb report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

13 seconds

Mar 20, 2009 14:08     

Come on guys. It has to be 13 seconds. 13 seconds should be enough time to go back and correct one mistake. Or cause all of space time to explode.
Mike report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0