Send a Gmail confidential-mode message with the right expectations

Gmail confidential mode lets a sender set an expiration and remove access later, while disabling ordinary forwarding, copying, printing and downloading controls. It can reduce accidental resharing. It is not a guarantee that a recipient cannot photograph the screen or retain information elsewhere.

Before you start​

Decide whether the material is appropriate for email at all. Confirm the recipient through a known channel and check your organization's policy for sensitive data before sending.

Do it step by step​

1. Compose a new message in Gmail and verify the recipient address character by character, especially for external contacts.
2. Select the confidential-mode control at the bottom of Compose. Set a useful expiration date and decide whether an SMS passcode is appropriate and supported for the recipient's region.
3. Review the message and attachments before sending. Avoid assuming an expiry can undo information a person has already read or recorded.
4. Send the message, then open it in Sent to confirm that the intended confidentiality settings were applied.
5. If the recipient should no longer have access, open the sent confidential message and select Remove access. Notify the recipient through a separate route if a replacement is needed.

Check the result​

The sent message should display its expiry and available access controls. Test with a non-sensitive sample if recipients outside Gmail must use a passcode.

If something goes wrong​

If the recipient cannot open the message, check passcode delivery and region support without forwarding the protected content to an unverified address. An organization can also restrict use of this feature.

Know the limit​

Confidential mode controls access to the Gmail message; screenshots, photos and malicious software can still copy it. It is not a substitute for an approved encrypted document workflow. Google's confidential-mode instructions