How to Send Gmail Self Destructing Email
24This video shows you how to set Gmail email messages to self destruct or expire after a set period of time.
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Video Transcript:
Nothing can be more frustrating than an email that comes back to haunt you -- whether it's in your work life or private life. As part of a slew of new features released in May 2018, Google is making it easier for Gmail users to take some control back over their email. A new Confidential Mode feature that users can enable lets users both set a timer that defines how long the recipient will be able to access that specific email, and also lets users choose to require that the recipient receive and enter an SMS passcode on their phone before they can read the email. Additionally, when you use these features, recipients will not have the ability to forward, or copy or past any information from your self destructing email. Also, if the recipient isn't using Gmail, it's important to note that after the email expires, the body of the email will be deleted, but the recipient will still be able to see that they received an email from you. Finally, the ability to send a Gmail message that will self destruct is only available in the Gmail web app and is not available in the Gmail mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
And now, let's walk thorugh how to set a Gmail message to self destruct using the Gmail web app.
Step 1. Open your web browser, navigate to gmail.com, and then log in to your account. You'll land on your Gmail home screen.
Step 2. Click the "Compose" button on the left side of the screen to compose a new email, or click the "Reply" icon when viewing an email to open up a New Message dialog box. In this example I'll click "Compose."
Step 3. Enter a recipient for your message, supply a subject line, and then type the body of your email message. Click the icon along the bottom of the New Message box that features a padlock with a timer on it. A Confidential Mode dialog box opens.
Step 4. Click the drop-down beneath Set Expiration to display a drop-down menu. You'll see options to set the message to expire in one day, one week, one month, three months, or five years. In this example, I'll choose, "Expires in 1 Day."
Step 5. Move down to the Require Passcode section and select whether or not to require the email recipient to enter a passcode before they can view the message you're sending them. In this example, I'll choose, "SMS Passcode." Click the blue "Save" button in the lower right corner of the dialog box after making your selection. You'll return to your Gmail home screen with your message dialog box displayed. You'll now see a message toward the bottom of your new message that says when this message will expire for the recipient. Click "Send" when you're ready to send your Gmail email message. If you choose to require an SMS passcode to view the message and Gmail doesn't have a phone number on record for the person you're sending the message to, it will prompt you for a phone number to send the passcode information to. Enter the phone number to send the recipient's passcode to, and then click "Send." A message will appear briefly on screen notifying you that your message has been sent.
The recipient will receive an email where the body of the message says they've received a confidential Gmail from a specific user. They will need to click the blue "View the Email" link in the email to read the message. If the message is also protected with an SMS passcode, they will be routed to a screen informing them that they will need to enter a one-time passcode to view your email. After they click "Send Passcode," a passcode will be sent to their phone. After entering that information, they will finally be able to view your email.