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How to schedule Gmail messages to be sent later

If you need to send an e-mail more than a few minutes after drafting it, you run into problems that can be hard to solve. Saving the draft, remembering to send it on time, and just getting online can all be tricky, so scheduling starts to look more and more attractive. Boomerang is an add-on for Chrome and Firefox that lets users schedule their Gmail.

Rob Lightner
Rob Lightner is a tech and gaming writer based in Seattle. He has reviewed games, gadgets, and technical manuals, written copy for space travel gear, and composed horoscopes for cats.
Rob Lightner

E-mail is hardly instantaneous--just ping an IM buddy or ring up a friend to see the difference. Still, it can feel that way, as most of us hit "send" as soon as we're done writing. Sometimes it can be handy to make use of that lack of immediacy, but scheduling e-mails can be a pain. Enter Boomerang, a sleek Firefox and Chrome extension that permits complex scheduling of Gmail messages and more. Here's how to use it:

  1. Install Boomerang here.
  2. Once the add-on is loaded, reload Gmail.
  3. Compose a message you want to send later.
  4. Click "Send later" next to the Send button at the top. You will need to authenticate, so make sure that you permit pop-ups, at least this once.
    Step 4: Send Later drop-down.
    Step 4: Send Later drop-down.
  5. Select the time you want to send the message from the drop-down menu.
  6. You can also set a message to be resent as a reminder (or nag). Tick the box next to "Boomerang this message..." then select how long before resending and whether or not a reply matters to you.
    Step 6: Resend message.
    Step 6: Resend message.

That's it! Boomerang allows 10 free scheduled e-mails per month and requires a subscription beyond that.