How to Schedule Emails in Gmail (Desktop & Mobile) + Why It Helps
Gmail scheduling opened the door to a lot of new possibilities. Having the ability to send an email at a later date or time is something that we can use to navigate the nuanced world of emails, while removing some stress from our everyday lives.
Sometimes you are ready to send an email, but the timing is wrong: the recipient is asleep in another timezone, it is late on a Friday, or replying instantly would make you look too eager. Gmail's built-in Schedule send fixes all of that. Here is how to schedule an email in Gmail on desktop and mobile, how to edit or cancel a scheduled send, and when scheduling actually helps you get more replies.
How to schedule an email in Gmail (desktop)
- Click Compose and write your email as usual: recipients, subject, body, and any attachments.
- Instead of clicking Send, click the small arrow next to the Send button.
- Select Schedule send.
- Pick one of the suggested times, or choose Select date and time to set your own (you can schedule up to roughly 50 years ahead).
That is it. The email moves to your Scheduled folder and sends automatically at the time you picked, whether or not you are online.
How to schedule an email in the Gmail app (Android and iPhone)
- Open the Gmail app and tap Compose.
- Write your email, then tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner.
- Tap Schedule send and choose your date and time.
The steps are identical on Android and iPhone. Google's official help page on scheduling emails covers any platform-specific details.
How to edit or cancel a scheduled email in Gmail
Changed your mind? Scheduled emails are easy to pull back:
- Open the Scheduled folder in the left menu (or the menu in the mobile app).
- Open the email you want to change.
- Click Cancel send. The email returns to a normal draft, so you can edit it and schedule it again, or send it right away.
One thing to know: Gmail lets you have up to 100 scheduled emails queued at once, which is plenty for most people but worth remembering if you batch a lot of sends.
Why schedule emails in Gmail?
Send when people actually read email
Scheduling lets you land in the inbox at a time people are likely to be reading. Early morning around 9am, just after lunch, or late afternoon before the day ends all tend to work well. Catching people at the right moment means fewer emails buried unread and more replies. If you want to stop guessing, our guide on when to check and send emails based on your data shows how to find the best time for your own contacts.
Avoid weekend and late-night sends
Most people do not read email on Saturday or Sunday, and some companies discourage replying then. Scheduling for a weekday morning keeps your message from being buried under the Monday pile, and keeps you from looking like you never switch off.
Respect other time zones
As teams go global, timing matters more. You do not want your email arriving at 3am where it gets forgotten. Schedule it to land when the recipient is awake and able to reply before it slips their mind.
Work now, send later
Write emails whenever you have the focus, even at night or over the weekend, and schedule them to go out during working hours. You stay productive without sending signals that you are working around the clock.
Never forget a follow-up
One of the most useful habits: write your follow-up right after the first email and schedule it a few days out. If they reply, cancel it. If they do not, it sends itself. That single trick closes the gap where most replies are lost. For teams, our guide on never missing a follow-up takes it further.
Scheduling is only half the picture
Sending at the right time helps, but the real question is whether your emails get answered, and how fast. That is what Email Meter measures: your response times, reply volumes, and busiest contact times across Gmail, so you can see whether your scheduling actually moves the needle instead of guessing.
Find each contact’s Best Contact Time
Guessing “9am usually works” is a start, but Email Meter turns it into data. Its Best Contact Time metric looks at when each contact tends to email you and shows the window when they are most likely in their inbox, so you can schedule your send to land right inside it.
You will find it in the Top Interactions table of your report:
And in the Email Meter Gmail add-on, inside any sender’s profile:
Frequently asked questions
How do I schedule an email in Gmail?
Write your email, click the arrow next to the Send button, choose Schedule send, and pick a date and time. The email sends automatically at that time.
Can I schedule emails in the Gmail mobile app?
Yes. In the Gmail app on Android or iPhone, compose your email, tap the three-dot menu in the top right, and choose Schedule send.
How do I edit or cancel a scheduled email?
Open the Scheduled folder, open the email, and click Cancel send. It becomes a draft again that you can edit and reschedule or send now.
How many emails can I schedule in Gmail?
Gmail lets you have up to 100 scheduled emails queued at the same time.
Start scheduling smarter
Scheduling in Gmail takes two clicks. Knowing when to send, and whether it is working, takes data. Request a demo of Email Meter to see your reply times and best contact times across your team's inbox.
