How to Edit or Cancel Scheduled Emails in Gmail

This guide shows you how to edit or cancel emails you’ve scheduled in Gmail before they’re sent. You can do this from the “Scheduled” folder or directly from the email list, and it works on both desktop and mobile. No special setup is needed—just a Gmail account with a scheduled email.

What You’ll Need

A Gmail account (free or Google Workspace)
An email that you’ve already scheduled (using the arrow next to the Send button)
Access to Gmail on your preferred device (web browser or mobile app)

Step-by-Step

On Desktop (Web Browser)

Open Gmail in your web browser and log in if needed.
Go to the “Scheduled” folder: In the left sidebar, scroll down and click “Scheduled”. It’s usually below “Drafts” and above “Sent.” If you don’t see it, click “More” to expand the full list.
Find the email: You’ll see a list of all emails you’ve scheduled. Each shows the recipient, subject, and the scheduled date/time.
To edit: Hover over the email (or click the checkbox) and click the pencil icon (Edit) that appears on the right. This opens the email in a compose window with the original content and recipient.
Make your changes: Edit the subject, body, recipients, or attachments as needed.
Reschedule or send: After editing, you have two options:
- Click the arrow next to the Send button and choose a new date/time, or
- Click Send to send it immediately.
To cancel: In the Scheduled folder, hover over the email and click the trash can icon (Delete). This removes the scheduled email entirely—it won’t be sent.

On Mobile (Gmail App)

Open the Gmail app on your Android or iOS device.
Open the navigation menu: Tap the hamburger icon (three lines) in the top-left corner.
Go to “Scheduled”: Scroll down and tap “Scheduled” under the “Mail” section.
Tap the email you want to edit or cancel. This opens the email preview.
To edit: Tap the pencil icon in the bottom-right corner (or the three-dot menu and choose “Edit”). This opens the compose screen.
Make your changes, then tap the arrow next to the Send button to reschedule, or tap Send to send now.
To cancel: From the email preview, tap the trash icon in the top-right corner (or the three-dot menu and choose “Delete”). Confirm if prompted.

Common Mistakes

Editing from the Sent folder: Once an email is sent, you can’t edit it. You can only edit emails that are still scheduled. Make sure you’re in the “Scheduled” folder, not “Sent.”
Clicking “Undo” instead of “Edit”: The “Undo” option appears briefly after sending, but it only works within a few seconds. For scheduled emails, use the pencil icon to edit, not the undo button.
Forgetting to reschedule after editing: If you edit an email and then click the regular Send button, it sends immediately. If you intended to keep it scheduled, you must click the arrow and pick a new time.
Deleting the wrong email: Double-check the recipient and subject before clicking delete. Once deleted, the scheduled email is gone permanently.

Tips

Use the search bar: If you have many scheduled emails, search for the recipient or subject within the Scheduled folder to find the right one quickly.
Edit recurring emails: If you schedule recurring emails (e.g., using a third-party tool), you may need to edit each occurrence individually. Gmail’s native scheduling doesn’t support recurring emails.
Double-check time zones: Gmail uses your current time zone for scheduling. If you travel, verify the time zone is correct before scheduling.
Use the “Undo Send” as a backup: If you accidentally send an email immediately, you can enable “Undo Send” in Settings > General to get a few seconds to recall it.

Troubleshooting

I can’t find the Scheduled folder

If you don’t see “Scheduled” in the sidebar, you may need to scroll down or click “More” to expand the full list. If it’s still not there, you may not have any scheduled emails—the folder only appears when you have at least one scheduled email.

I edited the email but it still sent at the old time

This can happen if you edited the email but didn’t reschedule it. After editing, always click the arrow next to the Send button and confirm the new date/time. If you just clicked Send, it went out immediately.

I deleted a scheduled email by mistake

Once deleted, the email is gone and cannot be recovered. There’s no undo for deleting scheduled emails. To avoid this, always double-check before deleting. If you have the email content saved elsewhere, you can recreate it and schedule it again.

The edit button is not showing

On desktop, hover over the email row to reveal the icons. On mobile, tap the email first to open it, then look for the pencil icon. If you still don’t see it, make sure you’re using the latest version of the Gmail app or browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit the recipient of a scheduled email?

Yes, you can edit the recipient(s) just like any other field. Open the email in edit mode and change the “To” field.

Can I cancel a scheduled email after it’s been sent?

No, once the email is sent, you can’t cancel it. You can only delete it before the scheduled time. If you need to undo a sent email, use the “Undo Send” feature within a few seconds of sending.

Does editing a scheduled email reset the send time?

No, editing the content does not change the scheduled time. You must manually reschedule if you want a different time.

Can I schedule an email to send at a specific time in a different time zone?

Gmail uses your current time zone. If you need to send in another time zone, you’ll need to calculate the equivalent time in your zone and schedule accordingly.

What happens if I delete a scheduled email while offline?

The deletion will sync once you’re back online. Until then, the email may still appear as scheduled on other devices.

Can I edit a scheduled email from the mobile app?

Yes, the mobile app supports editing and canceling scheduled emails, as described in the steps above.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →