Gmail is one of the best email clients out there thanks to its intuitive and convenient usability attributes.
But not even the most well-reputed email tool is always perfect. You might be dealing with a Gmail app that keeps crashing or in your case, an email stuck in the Gmail Outbox.
When the intent is to get an urgent email out, such as one for work or to your child’s teacher, anything that makes your email get stuck in the Gmail Outbox is utter frustration.
Yet, these situations still happen. Luckily, there are multiple ways to fix the problem. Sometimes the problem is due to the content of the message.
And other times it is external factors that you can control, while in other situations it is something outside of your control.
In either case, we have compiled a list of quick and easy methods to help you figure out how to fix an email stuck in a Gmail Outbox.
If you’re an iPhone user, we’ve got a comprehensive article that will show you how to troubleshoot Gmail not working on iPhone. You should check it out.
1. Check Internet Connection
The most obvious problem with messages hanging up in your outbox is the inability to conduct the actual sending transaction.
It’s important to remember that you need the internet to transmit messages from your end to the receivers. Still, without a steady and stable internet signal, that is impossible.
First, check if your internet connection is active. If not, you may need to reset your modem or router’s connection. If the connection is there but spotty or extremely slow, your network might be taxed too hard.
This is a common problem for those who request minimal internet speed from their Wi-Fi providers but have many web-connected devices operating in their homes.
The resources are shared, and with too many participants, they can be stretched thin. You can run internet connectivity either from an app on your phone or a third-party website like Fast or Speedtest. This also means that your Outbox message may eventually be sent.
2. Check Attachments Size
You probably are not aware that Gmail only allows 256 MB for attachments. If you send an email with a larger attachment, it will hang in the Outbox because it is too large.
This doesn’t mean you cannot send larger files, you will just need to use an alternate method to accomplish this.
One method is to upload the file to a cloud service like Google Drive, copy a sharable link, and include it in the email. As long as you’ve set access permissions accordingly, the receiving party will be able to retrieve the file.
3. Clear Gmail Cache
If you are a longtime Gmail user but have never cleared the cache, your browser has likely retained a lot of it.
Now, the idea of caching is to make things run faster. But when cached data becomes corrupted, you can experience various problems including having emails get stuck in the Gmail Outbox.
It works the same as if you’d clear cookies on an iPhone. Follow the steps below to clear the cache on a PC:
1. Access chrome://settings/ from the Google Chrome URL bar, and navigate to the Privacy and Security tab.
2. Select Cookies and other site data on the right.
3. Navigate to the See all cookies and site data option.
4. In the search box on the upper right, type mail.google.com. Then, click the trash can next to the listing of the cached data and cookies to clear the cache.
Once you’ve cleared the cache, go ahead and see if you still have a problem with an email stuck in Gmail Outbox.
If you are using Gmail through an Android app, simply:
- Go to the Settings menu, then select Apps and Notifications.
- From the apps list, tap the Gmail app.
- Select Storage and cache.
- Tap the Clear cache button.
4. Check Gmail Offline Mode
One of Gmail’s features allows you to read and respond to emails when your device is offline. Any messages you “send” during this time are actually queued to send for when you finally get online.
However, sometimes online mode is toggled on, resulting in Gmail assuming there is no internet connection available at the moment.
You can easily turn this off by clicking the Gear icon at the top of your browser’s email screen, clicking See all settings, and navigating to the Offline tab.
Then, simply uncheck the option for Enable offline mail and click Save Changes. Once you refresh the site, check out your Outbox to ensure any lingering messages have been processed.
5. Update Gmail App
If you are a mobile user, the problem could be due to a bug in the old or outdated version of the app. This problem usually goes away with a new update.
To update your Gmail app to the latest and greatest operational mode, follow the steps below:
- Access the Google Play Store from your Android device.
- Tap the hamburger menu and navigate to My apps and games.
- Select The Updates tab.
- If any updates are available you will see them listed, so select them and allow the update to install.
- You can then retry sending your email again
If you are an iOS user, the process is just as easy:
- Open the App Store.
- Tap on the Updates tab.
- If updates are available, tap on Update to install any new improvements.
6. Close Other Apps
Sometimes, it is the operation of many other applications that are siphoning so many resources from the Gmail app that it malfunctions.
Try closing some running apps you are not using, then check if the Outbox messages process or retry sending them.
Conclusion
Having an email not go through or not download from the server can be aggravating, but the above methods will likely resolve the problem for you.
Let me know if this helped fix your emails stuck in your Gmail Outbox. If you found success doing something else, leave me a comment below!
