Scheduling emails in Gmail allows you to plan communications in advance for better deliverability. By setting messages to send automatically on certain dates/times, you ensure they reach recipients during optimal business hours at higher open rates. This guide will walk you step-by-step through scheduling an email in Gmail on both desktop and mobile.
Why Schedule Your Emails?
Before diving into the how-to, let‘s overview the main benefits of using Gmail‘s email scheduling feature:
Reach recipients when they are most likely to open and respond
Industry research shows clear patterns for peak email engagement:
| Day | Average Open Rate |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 18.3% |
| Wednesday | 17.1% |
| Thursday | 15.3% |
Data source: Litmus Email Analytics
As you can see in the above data, Tuesday through Thursday tend to see higher open rates.
Similarly, emails sent during the workday get more opens:
| Time | Average Open Rate |
|---|---|
| 8 AM | 18.2% |
| 10 AM | 14.3% |
| 4 PM | 15% |
| 6 PM | 12.1% |
By scheduling messages for Tuesdays through Thursdays and work hours like 8-10 AM or 4-6 PM, you can connect with recipients when they are most likely to open and engage with your email.
Automate reminders and important messages
Scheduling also helps reduce forgetfulness around important communications. You can set birthday or anniversary messages to automatically be delivered on the right dates annually. Or schedule personal and professional reminders to go out at future times when they matter most.
Scheduling Emails on Desktop
Let‘s start with a walkthrough for desktop. You‘ll first open Gmail and compose your message, then schedule a send time:
1. Draft your email
- Go to Gmail and click Compose in the top left menu
- Write out the message you want to schedule
2. Click the drop-down arrow next to Send
- Locate the blue Send button
- Click the drop-down arrow beside it
3. Select "Schedule send"
- Choose Schedule send from the menu
- This opens the scheduling window
4. Pick a date/time to send
- Select one of the quick send time options
- Or, click Pick date & time to choose a custom date/time
- Click Schedule send to confirm
Once scheduled, your message will be automatically delivered at the chosen date/time.
You can also cancel or edit a scheduled email:
- Click Undo in the confirmation pop-up to revert to draft
- Or click the scheduled message in your Gmail menu and select Cancel send
Now let‘s look at scheduling in Gmail‘s mobile app.
Scheduling Emails in the Gmail Mobile App
Scheduling an email works very similarly on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device‘s Gmail app:
1. Tap Compose
- Open the Gmail app and tap Compose (icon with pencil)
2. Write your email
- Draft the message you want to schedule
3. Tap the menu icon
- Tap the 3-dot menu icon to open more options
4. Choose "Schedule send"
- This opens the scheduling window
5. Pick a send date/time
- Select a quick option or set a custom date/time
- Confirm to schedule your message
As on desktop, scheduled emails can also be cancelled or changed:
- Tap Undo on the confirmation message
- Or select the email in your Scheduled folder and choose Cancel Send
Now that you know how to schedule emails in Gmail on desktop or mobile, let‘s cover some best practices.
Email Scheduling Tips
Follow these expert tips when planning and scheduling your message delivery times:
- Schedule for working hours on Tuesday-Thursday when open rates peak
- Send newsletters at 8-10 AM for best engagement
- Time promotional offers for lunch hours or end-of-day drives
- Consider recipients‘ time zones when selecting send times
- Include recipients in the BCC line for privacy
Hopefully you now feel equipped to effectively schedule emails in Gmail for improved deliverability and open rates! Let me know if you have any other questions.
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