Send a Confidential Message on Gmail

April 17, 2021

Google introduced its confidential mode for Gmail in 2018, a setting that allows people with personal accounts to send messages that can expire, and that prevents recipients from copying their contents, forwarding them to others, or downloading them.

You can use confidential mode on a desktop, or through the Gmail app on mobile, though whichever you use, you’ll need to activate confidential mode each time you send a message.

What Is Gmail’s Confidential Mode?

When you use Confidential mode while sending a message in Gmail, After you send your message, the recipient will receive an email telling them that a confidential message is waiting for them. To read it, they’ll need to verify their identity using a code sent either via email (to the same account) or via SMS (to a number of your choosing) before they can read it.

How to Send Confidential Emails in Gmail

To use Confidential mode, sign in to Gmail and click on the Compose button in the top-left corner to begin writing a new email. Add a recipient, a subject line, and your message body, then click on “Confidential mode” at the bottom of the compose window (It looks like a padlock with a clock on it.).

Enable confidential mode in Gmail

In the window that appears, set your expiry period and choose whether or not to require a passcode via SMS. If you choose “No SMS Passcode,” then the code will be delivered to the same email address you’ve put in the “To” field instead.

Set expiry date for confidential mode in Gmail

Hit “Save” and check your message before hitting Send. If you’ve opted for SMS passcode verification, you’ll need to enter the recipient’s mobile number before your message is sent. Take care not to enter the wrong number!

Specify mobile number for SMS verification

Remove Access to a Message You’ve Sent

If you like, you can rescind access to a message you’ve already sent. Once you send an email using Confidential mode, the message will appear in your inbox (You can also find it under Sent.).

To “unsend” a Confidential email, first, click on the message, and then click “Remove access.” If the recipient hasn’t yet read the email, then they won’t be able to gain access to it after access has been removed.

Remove access to email sent via confidential mode in Gmail

How to send messages & attachments confidentially?

Note: In case you are using Gmail with a work or school account, then you need to contact your admin to make sure you can use confidential mode.

Follow the steps to send messages and attachments confidentially:

Step 1: First, go to Gmail on your computer.

Step 2: Then, click on ‘compose’.

Step 3: Tap ‘turn on confidential mode’ at the bottom right of the window.

Tip: If you have already switched on confidential mode for an email, go to the bottom of the email, then click ‘edit’.

Step 4: You have to set an expiration date and passcode. These settings impact both the message text and any attachments.

If you select ‘no SMS passcode,’ recipients who are using the Gmail application will be able to open it directly. Recipients who do not use Gmail will receive emailed a passcode.
If you select ‘SMS passcode,’ recipients will receive a passcode by text message. Make sure you enter the recipient’s phone number and not your own.

Step 5: Then, click ‘save’.