Is your email getting stuck in the outbox of Gmail?
Finding out that the emails you have just sent are not actually sending is really nerve-wracking especially if these emails are important as a message to your boss or a school project that is due today.
Gmail is one of the most used email services today because it is easy and convenient to use. However, it is not perfect and still encounters a few bugs and glitches once in a while. One of the problems that you may encounter when using Gmail is that your emails won’t continue sending and it is stuck on the outbox.
Now, there are a couple of reasons as to why this happens on your Gmail account like large file attachments, internet connection issues, or improper configuration on your account. Today, we are going to show you a few tips and tricks that you can do to try and fix the issue with email stuck in the outbox of Gmail.
Let’s get started.
- 1. Check the File Size of Your Attachment.
- 2. Check Your Internet Connection.
- 3. Check If Your Gmail Is Set to Offline Mode.
- 4. Clear Gmail’s Cache on Chrome.
- 5. Update Gmail App.
- 6. Clear Data of Gmail App.
- 7. Allow Gmail to Use Mobile Data.
1. Check the File Size of Your Attachment.
If you are sending out an email that contains files like documents, pictures, or even videos, it is important that it has the correct file size. Currently, Gmail only allows up to 25MB of file attachments when you are sending out an email.
Now, if you need to send an attachment that exceeds the 25 MB limit of Gmail. What you can do is try and upload the file on Google Drive which is also developed by Google. This way, you would just need to include the link of the file on the email that you would send out.
On the other hand, if the file attachment on your email does not exceed the 25 MB limit. You can try checking your internet connection which can also cause the issue of sending out emails.
2. Check Your Internet Connection.
Slow internet connection can also be the cause of an email not being sent out successfully. If your internet is unstable, then the Gmail app on your device may have a hard time communicating with its servers which leads to your email getting stuck on the outbox.
To verify if your internet connection is unstable, you can try performing a speed test to check if you are getting the right internet speed bandwidth from your ISP (Internet Service Provider). You can use a third-party website like Fast.com (provided by Netflix) that effectively calculates your current internet upload and download speed.
Now, if the speed test result comes out slow or not even close to the internet speed bandwidth indicated on your monthly subscription you can try resetting your router. To do this, locate and unplug the power cable from your router which is normally located at the back of your router. After that, wait for at least 5 – 10 seconds before plugging it back to your router.
Try to perform another speed test once again to check if resetting your router solved the issue on your internet connection. However, if you still experience problems regarding your internet, it is best that you contact your Internet Service Provider and report the issue with their internet service.
3. Check If Your Gmail Is Set to Offline Mode.
If you use Gmail on your Chrome browser, it is possible that you might set your account in offline mode. Gmail has a feature that allows you to search, browse, and respond to emails even when you are offline and automatically sends the message once you go back online.
To verify, if your account is set to offline mode, follow the steps below.
- On your computer, open Chrome to go to Gmail.
- Now, inside Gmail, click on the Gear icon located at the upper right corner of your screen to open the Settings.
- After that, click on the Offline tab.
- Lastly, make sure that you uncheck Enable Offline Mail on your settings, then click on Save Changes.
Now, refresh the Gmail website and try sending your emails on the outbox to check if the issue with email getting stuck on outbox is already fixed.
However, if you are still experiencing issues with sending emails on your Gmail account, you can try clearing Gmail’s cache on your browser which is discussed in detail below.
4. Clear Gmail’s Cache on Chrome.
If you are using Gmail on Google Chrome for quite some time, it is possible that the cache stored on Chrome is already big which causes performance issues on your browser.
The more information stored on your browser’s cache, the slower your browser performs as it has to load all the cache stored on your computer.
Now, don’t get it wrong, your browser’s cache is still useful for improving the overall performance of your browser. However, if the size of it gets larger and larger it can make your browser perform slow that is why it is also good that you clear it once in a while.
To clear Gmail’s cache on Chrome, follow the step-by-step guide below.
- First, open Chrome on your computer. Then, click on the button with three circles located at the upper right corner of your browser.
- After that, click on Settings.
- Now, on the side menu click on Privacy and Security.
- Inside the Privacy and Security tab, click on Cookies and Other Site Data.
- Lastly, click on See All Cookies and Site Data. Then, search for Mail and click on the Trash Can button to delete Gmail’s cache on your browser.
After clearing Gmail’s cache, go back to Gmail and try sending the emails from your outbox to check if the issue with your account is already fixed.
5. Update Gmail App.
Now, if you are using Gmail on your smartphone, it is possible that the current version of Gmail installed on your device has an error or bug. It is also possible that the version of Gmail installed on your device is no longer supported and it is having problems communicating with Gmail’s servers.
To fix this, you can try checking for an update on your device that can fix existing bugs and errors on the Gmail app.
How to Update Gmail on Android Devices.
If you are an Android user, you can follow the steps below to guide you through the process of updating your Gmail app.
- On your device, go to the app drawer and open the Google Play Store.
- After that, click on the button with three horizontal lines on the left side of the search bar to open the side menu.
- Now, on the side menu, click on My Apps & Games tab.
- Lastly, Google Play will automatically check for an update to all the apps installed on your Android device. If available, click on the Update button at the side of the Gmail app to start updating it.
Now, wait for the update to finish. Then, try opening the Gmail app again to check if you can now send emails successfully on your account.
How to Update Gmail on iOS Devices.
On iOS devices, you can check for an update on your apps by going to the App Store. Follow the steps below on how you can update the Gmail app on your device.
- On your iOS device, go to the main screen and open the App Store.
- After that, go to the Updates tab which is at the lower right corner of the navigation menu.
- Lastly, the App Store will automatically check for updates on all the applications installed on your iOS device. If applicable, click on the Update button at the side of the Gmail app to begin updating the app.
After updating Gmail, open the application, and try sending an email to one of your contacts to check if it will be sent successfully.
6. Clear Data of Gmail App (Android Devices).
If you are using an Android phone to access Gmail, you can try clearing its data to solve the issue on the app. It is possible that the Gmail App on your phone encountered a temporary glitch or some of its files got corrupted during use or while updating the app.
To clear Gmail’s data on your Android phone, you can follow the steps below.
- On your Android phone, go to the App Drawer and open the Settings app.
- After that, scroll down and click on the Apps tab.
- Next, find the Gmail app and tap it. Then, click on Storage from the selection menu.
- Lastly, click on Clear Data which is at the bottom part of the screen. Keep in mind that the position of the Clear Data button may vary depending on the model of the Android device that you are using.
Now, try to open Gmail once again and resend the emails on your outbox to see if the issue on the app is already resolved.
7. Allow Gmail to Use Mobile Data.
Now, if you use mobile data as your internet connection, it is possible that the data savings option on your device is enabled and it restricts Gmail from using your mobile data to send or receive emails from your contacts.
How to Allow Gmail to Use Mobile Data on Android Devices.
For Android devices, you can allow Gmail to access your mobile data by doing the following steps below.
- On your Android device, go to the App Drawer and open the Settings app.
- After that, scroll down and go to the Apps tab.
- Now, find Gmail from the list of applications installed on your device and tap it.
- Inside Gmail’s settings, click on the Mobile Data tab.
- Lastly, make sure that Allow Background Data Usage and Allow App While Data Saver is On settings on Gmail is enabled.
Now, go back to the Gmail app and try sending emails to your contact to see if it will be sent successfully on your account.
How to Allow Gmail to Use Mobile Data on iOS Devices.
On iOS devices, you can follow the steps below to guide you through the process.
- Open the Settings app on your iOS device.
- After that, tap on the Mobile Data tab.
- Next, scroll down and find the Gmail app from the list of applications installed on your device.
- Lastly, tap on the switch located at the side of Gmail to allow it to use your cellular data.
After allowing the Gmail app to access your mobile data, open the application, and try sending out a couple of emails to check if the issue on the Gmail app is already resolved.
This wraps up our guide on how to fix email stuck in the outbox of a Gmail account. If you know other ways that can help others in fixing this kind of issue on Gmail, kindly share it in the comment section below and we would be glad to give you credit once we update this article.
If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂
