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Faizan
While Google's free email platform, Gmail, offers many of the features of a desktop email program, it doesn't have a delayed send feature. With Gmail, in its default configuration, you can't set emails to send later, as with Outlook's "Do not deliver before" feature. But with a couple of Gmail tweaks or other programs, you can set Gmail to send your emails on a delay or schedule.
Why Gmail Can't Delay Emails
In its basic configuration, Gmail sends emails as soon as you click the "Send" button. Because you access Gmail online on the same server that sends and receives email, all interaction with your email is immediate -- your commands are instantly carried out on the server. With an email program such as Outlook and a connection to a remote email server, your email software manages the interaction, allowing you to control when to send emails. Outlook connects with the server at different intervals, and delaying a message tells the program not to send it until a later connection with the server.
Boomerang
Boomerang is a browser add-on that places a button in Gmail labeled "Send later" that allows for delayed delivery. Boomerang works with Firefox, Chrome and Safari and installs very easily -- just click "Install Boomerang" from the service's home page (see Resources), close your browser and log in to Gmail again. Now, you can send your emails at a later time or date as long as you remember to click "Send later" instead of "Send" using Gmail's Web interface.
Gmail-Delay-Send
Gmail's developers have programmed an add-on for Gmail to create this functionality. Gmail-Delay-Send (see Resources) also has a one-time install, but its use is a little more complicated than Boomerang. Each time you compose an email you want to delay, you must type "@time" as the first line of the email and follow the "@" symbol with the time you the email to send, such as "@12:15pm" or "@9:00am." Click on the down arrow in the bottom-right hand corner of Gmail and choose "Gmail-Delay-Send" as the label, then close and save the draft rather than clicking "Send." Every few minutes, the Gmail-Delay-Send script runs and checks for messages labeled "Gmail-Delay-Send." If the "@time" value matches or is earlier than the current time, the script sends the email, effectively mimicking Outlook's "Do Not Deliver Before" feature.
Email Software
Gmail supports IMAP email configuration, allowing you to use your Gmail account with Outlook or any desktop email program. If that email program has a "Do Not Deliver Before" option, you'll be able to use the feature of the email program with your Gmail account. Follow Gmail's instructions for setting up your email with IMAP (see Resources), then use the features of your email program to schedule the email accordingly.
Why Gmail Can't Delay Emails
In its basic configuration, Gmail sends emails as soon as you click the "Send" button. Because you access Gmail online on the same server that sends and receives email, all interaction with your email is immediate -- your commands are instantly carried out on the server. With an email program such as Outlook and a connection to a remote email server, your email software manages the interaction, allowing you to control when to send emails. Outlook connects with the server at different intervals, and delaying a message tells the program not to send it until a later connection with the server.
Boomerang
Boomerang is a browser add-on that places a button in Gmail labeled "Send later" that allows for delayed delivery. Boomerang works with Firefox, Chrome and Safari and installs very easily -- just click "Install Boomerang" from the service's home page (see Resources), close your browser and log in to Gmail again. Now, you can send your emails at a later time or date as long as you remember to click "Send later" instead of "Send" using Gmail's Web interface.
Gmail-Delay-Send
Gmail's developers have programmed an add-on for Gmail to create this functionality. Gmail-Delay-Send (see Resources) also has a one-time install, but its use is a little more complicated than Boomerang. Each time you compose an email you want to delay, you must type "@time" as the first line of the email and follow the "@" symbol with the time you the email to send, such as "@12:15pm" or "@9:00am." Click on the down arrow in the bottom-right hand corner of Gmail and choose "Gmail-Delay-Send" as the label, then close and save the draft rather than clicking "Send." Every few minutes, the Gmail-Delay-Send script runs and checks for messages labeled "Gmail-Delay-Send." If the "@time" value matches or is earlier than the current time, the script sends the email, effectively mimicking Outlook's "Do Not Deliver Before" feature.
Email Software
Gmail supports IMAP email configuration, allowing you to use your Gmail account with Outlook or any desktop email program. If that email program has a "Do Not Deliver Before" option, you'll be able to use the feature of the email program with your Gmail account. Follow Gmail's instructions for setting up your email with IMAP (see Resources), then use the features of your email program to schedule the email accordingly.
Posted in: gmail
