Your email is ready, but Gmail keeps showing Queued. Start with your connection and sync settings, then work through the background restrictions, attachments, and storage problems that interrupt sending. Before any reset, save your unsent text and attachments outside Gmail.
Start with your internet connection
Open a website in your browser to test the connection.
If it fails to load, turn Wi-Fi or mobile data off.
Turn the connection back on.
If the website still won't load, connect to another network.
On public Wi-Fi, open Chrome or Safari.
Complete the network's sign-in page if one appears.
Reopen Gmail. If you use Gmail Offline on a computer, keep Chrome open with Gmail available. Offline messages send automatically after reconnection.
If the connection works but your message stays queued, check Gmail on the Google Workspace Status Dashboard. For a temporary service error, retry after several minutes. If there's no outage, try refreshing Gmail and checking sync below.
Give Gmail a fresh sync
This addresses a stalled refresh or disabled Gmail synchronization.
Open Gmail on Android, iPhone, or iPad.
Swipe down from the top of the inbox. Android synchronization takes up to 15 minutes, or longer after extended inactivity.
On Android, open Gmail's Menu.
Choose Settings.
Select the affected account.
Under Data usage, check Sync Gmail.
To trigger Android account synchronization too, go to Settings > About phone > Google Account > Account sync. The route varies by device.
Select the account if prompted.
Open More.
Select Sync now.
Let Android run Gmail in the background
On a Pixel using Data Saver, go to Settings > Network & internet > Data Saver > Unrestricted data.
Enable Gmail to allow background cellular access while Data Saver stays on.
If Battery Saver is active, swipe down from the top of the screen.
Turn Battery Saver off. It restricts background email refresh.
If Extreme Battery Saver has paused Gmail, tap the paused Gmail app.
Select Unpause temporarily.
For an individual app restriction, go to Settings > Battery > Battery usage > View by apps > Gmail.
Enable Allow background usage if it is disabled. Google recommends keeping Optimised enabled.
These are Pixel paths; use your manufacturer's battery and data controls on other Android phones.
Allow background access on iPhone and iPad
For background sync, open Settings > General > Background App Refresh and enable Gmail.
If Gmail cannot use your iPhone's mobile connection, open Settings > Cellular and turn on Cellular Data. In the app list, tap Show All and enable Gmail.
Low Data Mode restricts background networking. For Wi-Fi, open Settings > Wi-Fi > Info beside your connected network and turn off Low Data Mode. For LTE or 4G, turn it off under Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options; on 5G, open Data Mode and select a mode other than Low Data Mode, using the selected number's settings on dual-SIM devices when necessary.
Low Power Mode also disables background refresh. On iPhone 15 and later, open Settings > Battery > Power Mode and turn off Low Power Mode. On iPhone 14 and earlier, that switch is directly under Settings > Battery.
Resolve attachment and storage problems
Use these checks when an attachment is still uploading, Gmail reports a storage problem, or your Android phone is running out of space. Low device storage can prevent Gmail synchronization.
In Gmail web, let the attachment upload finish, including an upload still running from another device.
For a failed upload, select Close beside the attachment name to remove it.
Click Attach.
Choose the file.
Select Open to attach it again.
For large files, open Compose in Gmail web to send a Drive link. Personal Gmail's attachment limit is 25 MB.
Click Insert files using Drive.
Select the file.
Choose Drive link.
Click Insert.
Complete any recipient-access prompt so the recipient can open the file.
If your Google account storage is full, search Gmail web for has:attachment larger:10M to find large messages.
Select messages you no longer need.
Click Delete.
Open Trash.
Select Empty Trash now only after confirming you no longer need those messages. Bulk deletion takes up to 48–72 hours to be fully reflected in storage usage.
For low device storage on a Pixel, go to Settings > Storage > Free up space, then tap Select files under the category you want to clear, or Browse if nothing is listed.
Remove unneeded downloads, or move files to a computer to free space.
Update Gmail and clear its Android cache
On Android, go to Google Play Store > profile icon > Manage apps & devices > Updates available.
Update Gmail if an update is listed.
On iPhone or iPad, go to App Store > profile icon > App Updates.
Update Gmail if offered.
For an Android app problem that persists, go to Settings > Apps > See All Apps > Gmail > Storage & cache. This is the Pixel path; storage-screen labels vary by manufacturer.
Tap Clear cache.
Reopen Gmail.
Save Clear storage for last because it risks erasing drafts, signatures, and other settings.
Try web sending before a final reset
If mail is still queued, follow these checks before using the reset for your device.
- 1.Save the unsent text and attachments outside Gmail.
- 2.Check Sent before creating another copy, then sign in at Gmail web to try sending there. Google also recommends Gmail web or the official Gmail app when sending is delayed in Apple Mail, Outlook, or another client.
- 3.If Gmail reports a sending limit, stop retrying. Google's recovery window for personal accounts is generally 1–24 hours. Check recipient addresses and reduce large recipient lists before sending again.
- 4.On Android, use Clear storage only after simpler fixes fail. On Pixel, the path is Settings > Apps > See All Apps > Gmail > Storage & cache > Clear storage. Restart afterward; on Pixel 6 and later, including Fold, hold Power and Volume up for a few seconds, then tap Restart. Clearing storage risks erasing drafts, signatures, and settings.
- 5.On iPhone or iPad, touch and hold Gmail, then choose Remove App > Delete App > Delete. Download Gmail again from its official App Store listing and sign in. Deletion risks losing app-local data, so save unsent content first.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop a Samsung Galaxy from putting Gmail to sleep?
In Battery settings, open Background usage limits > Never sleeping apps. Tap +, select Gmail if it is available, then tap Add. Samsung notes that apps added to Never sleeping apps don't go to sleep, which can use extra battery in the background.
Is a scheduled email the same as a queued email?
No. A scheduled message is waiting for its chosen send time. In Gmail web, open Scheduled. Select the message, then choose Cancel send to return it to a draft. Select Send when you're ready to send it normally.
Can Siri send everything stuck in Gmail's queue?
No official Siri command directly flushes Gmail's queue. You can say “Hey Siri, turn off Low Power Mode” to remove that background-refresh restriction, then reopen Gmail.
What if I receive a delivery-failure email?
Open the delivery-failure email and read its error. Correct an invalid recipient address, retry later for a temporary recipient-server failure, or ask the recipient to clear storage if their inbox is full.
