How to Schedule an Email in Gmail on Computer and Phone

Most of my best emails get written at odd hours. The trouble is that a message landing at midnight looks a bit frantic, and one that arrives first thing on a Monday gets read. Gmail lets you write now and send later, so the timing is a decision rather than an accident.

Here's how it works on a computer and on your phone, based on Gmail's own help pages, plus what to do when you change your mind.

Scheduling a Gmail message from your computer

1. Go to Gmail in your browser and click Compose at the top left.
2. Write your email as normal, with the recipient, subject and message.
3. At the bottom left, next to Send, click the down arrow.
4. Click Schedule send.
5. Select the date and time you want it to go out.

Google's help page makes one point that's easy to miss: your email is sent based on the timezone you schedule it in. If you're travelling or emailing someone in another country, check which timezone you're working in before you confirm the time.

Scheduling an email in the Gmail app on Android or iPhone

The phone app puts the option in a different place, behind the More button rather than a down arrow next to Send.

1. Open the Gmail app and tap Compose at the bottom right.
2. Write your email.
3. Tap More at the top right.
4. Tap Schedule send and select an option.

Google lists these steps for iPhone and iPad, and for Android, with the same wording. Menus can shift between app versions, so if your screen looks different, look for More in the compose window.

Finding emails you've already scheduled in Gmail

Scheduled messages wait in their own place, so you can check them whenever you like. On a computer, click Scheduled in the left panel. In the phone app, tap Menu, then Scheduled.

Google says you can have up to 100 scheduled emails at once, which is plenty for a week of client follow-ups. It also warns that a scheduled email may go out a few minutes after the time you picked, so don't rely on it for anything that has to land at an exact minute.

Changing the time or the wording of a scheduled Gmail

You can't edit a scheduled message in place. You cancel the send, make your changes and schedule it again:

1. Open Scheduled from the left panel (Menu on a phone).
2. Select the email you want to change.
3. Click or tap Cancel send at the top right of the email.
4. Make your edits.
5. Choose Schedule send again and set a new date and time.

Cancelling a scheduled email in Gmail

The first three steps above are all you need. Open Scheduled, open the email and choose Cancel send. Gmail turns it into a draft, so nothing is lost and you can finish it, send it straight away or schedule it again later.

When scheduling a Gmail message helps a small business

The point of scheduling isn't just convenience. It's a way of making your emails land when people can act on them:

• Client follow-ups written after a meeting but sent the next morning.
• Reminders and chasers you want to arrive during working hours, not at the weekend.
• Messages to people in other timezones, timed for their morning.
• A batch of replies written in one sitting and spread through the week.

If you send outreach emails, timing is only one piece of getting replies. I've covered the rest in my guide to getting more responses to cold email. And if you find yourself scheduling the same message again and again, it may be time to look at email automation for beginners instead.

Writing a Gmail message you plan to schedule

A scheduled email should still make sense when it arrives. Check that it doesn't say 'later today' or 'see you tomorrow' if the send time moves, and read the subject line again, because it's the first thing the recipient sees. If the message depends on something that might change before it goes out, such as a meeting time, leave it as a draft and schedule it only when you're sure.

Do a quick sweep of the Scheduled list at the end of the week. It's easy to forget what's waiting there, and an old follow-up that no longer applies is better cancelled than sent.

What Gmail's schedule send can and can't do

Question	What Gmail's help page says
Where do I find it on a computer?	The down arrow next to Send, then Schedule send
Where do I find it on a phone?	More at the top right of the compose screen
What's the limit?	Up to 100
Can it arrive late?	Yes, it may be sent a few minutes after the scheduled time
What happens if I cancel?	The email becomes a draft
Which timezone does it use?	The one you schedule it in

If Schedule send is missing in Gmail

1. Look for the down arrow next to Send on a computer, not a menu elsewhere in the window.
2. On a phone, tap More at the top right of the compose screen.
3. Update the Gmail app, then close it and open it again.
4. Try Gmail in a browser on a computer to see whether the option shows there.
5. If you use a work or school account, ask your administrator, because they control some Gmail settings.

Frequently asked questions

How do I schedule an email in Gmail on my computer?

Click Compose, write your email, click the down arrow next to Send at the bottom left and choose Schedule send. Then pick a date and time.

Can I schedule an email in Gmail on my phone?

Yes. In the Gmail app, tap Compose, write the email, tap More at the top right and tap Schedule send, then select an option.

How many emails can I schedule in Gmail?

Gmail's help page says you can have up to 100 scheduled emails.

How do I cancel a scheduled email in Gmail?

Open Scheduled from the left panel (or Menu on a phone), open the email and choose Cancel send. It becomes a draft.

Will a scheduled email go out at exactly the time I chose?

Not always. Google says scheduled emails may be sent a few minutes after the scheduled time, and they use the timezone you scheduled them in.