How to change the delay before Apple Mail sends your messages

What happens when you click or tap Send on an email and realize you forgot an attachment, absentmindedly signed a letter to your boss with “all my love,” or suddenly flashed that you typed “pubic” not “public”? Apple added an option in iOS 16/iPadOS 16 and macOS Ventura called Undo Send, which is a bit of a misnomer: it’s really “delay until sending.” (For instructions on using it, see our how-to.)

Apple turns this option on by default to 10 seconds. I know, because I never enabled it and both my iPhone and Mac. If you want to disable or change this interval:

• In iOS/iPadOS, go to Settings > Mail and tap Undo Send Delay. You can change it to Off or 10, 20, or 30 seconds.
• In macOS in the Mail app, choose Mail > Settings > Composing. You can uncheck “Undo send delay,” or check that box and set it to 10, 20, or 30 seconds via a popup menu.

Apple thinks 10, 20, or 30 seconds is long enough. For true deliberation, the company should analyze your email and suggest a duration: or some messages, perhaps 30 minutes; others, a lifetime.

This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Cynthia.

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